Champion trainer Paul Nicholls, who has won
the race three times in the last nine years, appears to have another likely
sort for the Grade 3 Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury on December 1 in the shape of
the up-and-coming Michel Le Bon, a fine runner-up in a hot contest on his
recent seasonal reappearance at Wincanton.
The Ditcheat handler sent out Strong Flow to
land the spoils back in 2003, then famouslytrained the mighty Denman to upset
the horse racing betting odds in winning two
renewals of the ultra-competitive three-and-a-quarter-mile contest in 2007
& 2009. Although he may have three or four runners in this year’s event
with the likes of Harry the Viking and Tidal Bay possibly set to face the
starter, it is Michel Le Bon who many people have marked out as a potential
fourth winner for the yard in the last decade.
The lightly raced nine-year-old hinted at
serious potential over the larger obstacles in November 2009 when winning his
first start by 60 lengths, only to then be sidelined for two years with leg
problems. He was very much thrown in at the deep end by Nicholls when asked to
return to the fray in none other than last year’s Hennessy Gold Cup, and in the
circumstances ran very well to finish tenth to Carruthers, holding every chance
until lack of race fitness took its toll from the fourth last and he gradually
faded.
Sent off the 7/2 favourite with the likes of Paddy Power online betting for the Grade 3
Racing Post Chase at Kempton Park in February, things didn’t go to plan for the
gelded son of Villez, who was never going particularly well and was pulled up
quickly after the 13th, but he bounced back at the end of the campaign, (after
being dropped 10lbs by the handicapper), to defeat Pause And Clause by a
length-and-a-half in a confidence boosting Cheltenham novices hurdle.
Returning this term in the listed Badger Ales
Trophy Handicap Chase at Wincanton in early-November, Michel Le Bon ran a fine
trial for Newbury, staying-on wellinside the final half mile to run into second
place behind the David Pipe-trained The Package, hinting that with an
injury-free run he might just pick up a decent handicap this season if he gets
the breaks.
Solid support with all firms has seen
Nicholls’ big hope forced down to 10/1 joint-third favourite alongside Hold On
Julio, with Bob’s Worth the current 4/1 ante-post market leader, and old rival
The Package offered at 7/1.