Montifault strong favourite for Hennessy

Impressive Wincanton winner Montifault, trained by Paul Nicholls, was today made 5-2 favourite with Coral, the Tote and William Hill for the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup.

Stablemate Ad Hoc, representing champion owner Sir Robert Ogden, was the 11-2 second favourite with Coral but was quoted a 6-1 with the Tote and 13-2 with William Hill.

Thomas Pink Gold Cup winner Shooting Light was 6-1 with Coral and the Tote 7-2 (with a run) with William Hill.

A total of 16 horses were today confirmed for the big #100,000 race at Newbury on Saturday.

They include other leading market fancies What`s Up Boys, Take Control, Streamstown and Behrajan.

The top weight Marlborough, trained by Nicky Henderson, has been taken out so Lord Noelie, from the Henrietta Knight stable, will now head the weights.

Henderson revealed his bitter disappointment at having to pull star chaser Marlborough out _ because of a trapped epiglottis.

The nine-year-old gelding had been on target for Saturday`s race until the condition was unexpectedly discovered this morning.

And Marlborough, owned by Ogden, may also now miss his key mid-season target of the Pertemps King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

A shocked Henderson told PA Sport: 'Everything had been going to plan. He worked absolutely beautifully on Saturday and has also worked at Newbury.'

But the problem came to light only this morning during a routine trachea wash of all his horses to make sure they are '100 per cent'.

A scope test revealed Marlborough had a trapped epiglottis which would mean surgery.

'It is pretty rare. We see one every year or every two years. It`s very uncommon. It wasn`t there on Saturday morning _ but it is on Monday. We do require to correct it.

'It will require fairly straightforward and routine surgery which will obviously be done pretty shortly _ like this week.

'After that, he will be anything up to three weeks before he starts cantering again and, therefore, we have to say that the King George, sadly, also becomes an improbability.

'It is pretty unlikely. The vets have said so and we have spoken to various experts on the subject with Sir Robert.

'It may be less than three weeks before he starts cantering again _ but less than three weeks is a short time to get him ready for a race like the King George.

'I think it makes the King George pretty unlikely.

'Needless to say, this is a bitter blow for us. I have spoken to Sir Robert and there was no point declaring him this morning. Sir Robert and everybody here are very, very disappointed. This has been the plan all along.

'We will be going straight ahead with the necessary surgery _ here, I would imagine.

'It wasn`t there on Saturday but it does interfere with the breathing. No horse would be at his best while this is the case, therefore it was lucky we found it.

'The only good thing is it is lucky we have found it. He wouldn`t have run very well!

'It is very, very disappointing but he will be back. The King George was his first major objective so, even if we get through this, it wouldn`t be the ideal preparation for the King George.

'We are going to be concerned with the second half of the season and we will be getting him ready for the Gold Cup,' said Henderson.

The news is even more ironic because the main problem for Marlborough had, until this morning, been whether jockey Mick Fitzgerald would be available to ride the gelding.

He is tomorrow due to appeal against a six-day ban imposed by the Cheltenham stewards which, if he loses, would rule him out of the Newbury race.

'We desperately needed him for Marlborough,' said Henderson.

He was confident Fitzgerald would, if he won his appeal, be able to find another mount in the Hennessy and would have 'lots of other horses to ride'.

The Ted Walsh-trained Commanche Court is the only Irish runner left in the race but he has an alternative engagement nearer home on Saturday in the Duggan Brothers Porterstown Handicap Chase.

Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup

Coral betting: 5-2 Montifault, 11-2 Ad Hoc, 6-1 Shooting Light, 13-2 Take Control, 7-1 What`s Up Boys, 15-2 Behrajan, 9-1 Streamstown, 10-1 Commanche Court, 14-1 Lord Noelie, Grey Abbey, 20-1 Frantic Tan, Hindiana, 25-1 Jocks Cross, 28-1 Bindaree, 50-1 Blanville.

Tote betting: 5-2 Montifault, 6-1 Ad Hoc, Shooting Light, Take Control, 8-1 Behrajan, What`s Up Boys, 10-1 Streamstown, 12-1 Grey Abbey, 14-1 Hati Roy, 16-1 Bindaree, Commanche Court, Hindiana, Lord Noelie, 25-1 Jocks Cross, 28-1 Frantic Tan, 33-1 Blanville.

William Hill betting: 5-2 Montifault, 7-2 Shooting Light (with a run), 13-2 Ad Hoc, 7-1 Behrajan, Take Control, 8-1 What`s Up Boys, 10-1 Streamstown, 14-1 Commanche Court, Hati Roy, 16-1 Grey Abbey, Hindiana, Lord Noelie, 25-1 Bindaree, Frantic Tan, Jocks Cross, 50-1 Blanville.