Trabolgan Heads Hennessy Hopefuls Ante-post favourite Trabolgan heads 24 horses remaining in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury on Saturday following the five-day confirmation stage. Last seen when running out an impressive winner of the Royal & SunAlliance Chase at Cheltenham in March, the seven-year-old has been as low as 7-2 in recent days for the Grade Three handicap. Other leading fancies left in include Cornish Rebel, Comply Or Die, Our Vic, Red Devil Robert and L´Ami. Nicky Henderson´s retained jockey Mick Fitzgerald is looking forward to renewing his acquaintance with Trabolgan and feels the lack of the recent run will not count against his mount. He told At The Races: 'I´ve ridden him in his last two bits of work and he´s worked super. He feels in great form and you would like to think he´s getting stronger. 'He schooled very well last week and I´ll give him a little pop later this week then away we go. 'He´s ready to go. He´s as fit as can be and he´s not going to improve an awful lot from the Hennessy. He will improve a little bit but he´s ready to do his job. 'This is a huge race. It will be a big field again. It´s a tough race to win - everybody wants to win it, every horse in there is at it´s peak. 'We go in there with a horse that hasn´t had a run this season but I´m not in the slightest bit worried about that with this fellow. He came back several times last year and he was very unlucky in the Feltham when he´d had quite a long break in between but only just got pipped by Ollie Magern.' Martin Pipe has four entered including Celestial Gold, while Our Vic could follow in the path of his stablemate by bidding for Hennessy glory after landing the Paddy Power Gold Cup. Comply Or Die, who chased home Trabolgan in the SunAlliance, and Iris Bleu - winner of the Badger Ales Trophy three weeks ago - complete the champion trainer´s quartet. As well as Scottish Grand National winner Cornish Rebel, Paul Nicholls has also confirmed Badger Ales Trophy runner-up Red Devil Robert and Colourful Life. Joes Edge beat Cornish Rebel at Ayr and could reoppose with his trainer Ferdy Murphy also having the option of running Tribal Venture. Robert Alner has taken out Sir Rembrandt but has left in Distant Thunder, with King Harald having been confirmed by Mark Bradstock after finishing fourth at Cheltenham on his seasonal bow. Sue Smith has two possible runners in St Matthew and Ross Comm, with Ireland represented by Forget the Past and Betfred Gold Cup winner Jack High. Ollie Magern´s trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies could still have a runner in the shape of Redemption, who still travelling well when coming to grief two out in the Paddy Power. ? PA Sport
