BE MY ROYAL LANDS HENNESSY FOR MULLINS

Be My Royal put his jumping problems behind him to capture a thrilling renewal of the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury on Saturday.

The 33-1 chance, whose form last season featured a series of mishaps in the air, looked to have improved considerably this term and so it proved as David Casey produced his mount to lead on the run-in and defeat Gingembre by half a length.

Running in the same colours as the stable`s star chaser Florida Pearl, winning trainer Willie Mullins was quick to scotch comparisons between the two horses.

But despite recent concern over the form of Mullins` team, there was a twinkle in his eye as he revealed that owner Archie O`Leary had backed his horse at 66`s earlier in the week.

Coming to the third-last fence, almost half of the 25-strong field were within a dozen lengths of the lead, which was being contested by Hussard Collonges, Gunther McBride and Whitenzo.

A bad mistake by the last-named at the next fence sealed his fate but Hussard Collonges, who had led most of the way, was still disputing the running as the leaders approached the last.

However it was all change on the run-in as Casey brought Be My Royal - who had never been out of the first eight throughout - through to lead on the inside.

Gingembre (16-1), who had come from well off the pace, stayed on best to grab the runner-up spot.

Harbour Pilot (11-1) held on for third place despite a bad blunder at the last while Whitenzo (25-1) rallied to deny the brave Hussard Collonges a deserved spot in the frame.

'I nominated this race after he won last time but I didn`t expect us to be a stone out of the weights,' said Mullins.

'This is a good handicapper with a good pedigree but I don`t think he is another Florida Pearl.

'Hopefully he might win an Irish National or even the Aintree National - we`ll give him an entry.

'We didn`t make any special schooling arrangements for him. We let him do his own thing and he has gradually learnt what to do.'

Winning jockey Casey smiled: 'He didn`t have a jumping `problem` last season - he just never completed.

'I thought I knew he would stay so I thought if I saved a little for after the last he would get a place.

'But two out I thought `You could do this` and he gave me everything.'

Gingembre`s Andrew Thornton was left rueing his misfortune.

'I can`t believe I got so close - this really hurts,' he said. 'I thought we were struggling down the back but it was his jumping and his guts that got him so close.'

Gingembre was cut from 40-1 to 20-1 by Coral for next year`s Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Favourite Bounce Back, one of four runners from the stable of champion trainer Martin Pipe, made a bad error at the third-last fence which ended any chance he had.

'We weren`t at the races,' Pipe said. 'But at least it was a great race and it was a pleasure to be here and watch it.'