The most exciting horse race of the winter season takes place this Saturday as 21 runners line up for the Hennessy Gold Cup, live on Channel 4.
Now in its 57th year, Newbury’s showpiece race is one of the most prestigious on the National Hunt calendar and forms part of another busy afternoon for the Channel 4 Racing team, featuring
Run over three miles and two-and-a-half furlongs with twenty-one fences to be jumped, Newbury’s Gold Cup trophy is celebrated and coveted by world class jockeys and trainers each winter, which will be presented this year by HRH The Princess Royal.
Initially staged at Cheltenham in 1957, the event was won by Mandarin, owned by Peggy Hennessy, a member of the family which founded Hennessy, the race’s sponsoring company.
The race transferred to Newbury in 1960 and was won for the second time by Mandarin in 1961.
In 1962, the race was won by Taxidermist ridden by the amateur rider John Lawrence, later Lord Oaksey and former member of the Channel 4 commentary team, who was the breeder and part-owner of the 2011 winner, Carruthers.
The race’s association with Hennessy has continued throughout its history and this now represents British racing’s longest commercial sponsorship.
During its rich history, eight winners of the Hennessy have also achieved victory in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the most recent of these being 2012 winner Bobs Worth trained by Nicky Henderson.
Newbury’s spectacular represents the first real opportunity to see somes of the major jumps stars in action ahead of the famous festival on the Cotswolds next March.
For those wanting to know who to place their bets on this year, 2005 Hennessy winning jockey and Channel 4 Racing commentator, Mick Fitzgerald says: “The Hennessy is one of the highlights of the jumps season.
“A look at the past results tells you that the horses who have the best recent record are as a rule the horses who contested the RSA Novice Chase at the Cheltenham Festival plus some of the other big novice races.
“Older horses tend to be exposed and open to being beaten by the younger ones coming through.
“This year is no exception with Lord Windermere, Hadrians approach and Rocky Creek all fitting that profile.”
Channel 4 begins live coverage of the 2013 Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury on Saturday, November 30, begins with with The Morning Line live at 8.00am.
Nick Luck will lead an extended Hennessy Gold Cup and Stan James Fighting Fifth previews, while betting expert Tanya Stevenson will be joined by Aidan Connelly, who is the 2013 Betting Shop Manager of the Year.
The latest installment of ‘Dark Horse’, presented by jockey Sam Thomas, visits Northampton-based trainer Kim Bailey with an additional feature on Alan King, trainer of Hennessy leading contender Invictus.
Channel 4 Racing gets into gear at 1.30pm with Clare Balding presenting the afternoon’s live coverage from 1.30pm which takes in four races from Newbury, plus two more races from Newcastle.
The Channel 4 team will be based trackside at Newbury where Nick Luck co-presents the action from the the Channel 4 Racing studio.
Reporters and analysts Alice Plunkett, Rishi Persad, Jim McGrath, Mick Fitzgerald and Tanya Stevenson complete the on-air line up, with Simon Holt leading commentary on the four Newbury races.
Channel 4’s online coverage via channel4.com/racing will complement the coverage with full online and social media support via Twitter and Facebook.
Racing UK will also screen live coverage of the entire Hennessy Heritage Festival from Thursday through to the Saturday with its programmes starting each day at 12.00pm.
Saturday 30th November
The Morning Line
8.00am-9.00am Channel 4
Channel 4 Racing: Newbury & Newcastle
LIVE: 1.30pm-4.30pm Channel 4
Race Card 1:50 Newbury – bet365 Handicap Hurdle
2:05 Newcastle – StanJames.com Fighting Fifth Hurdle
2:25 Newbury – bet365 Long Distance Hurdle
2:40 Newcastle – At The Races Rehearsal Chase 3:00 Newbury – Hennessy Gold Cup Chase 3:35 Newbury – bet365 Handicap Chase
