The Hennessy Gold Cup is always a spectacle but the 59th running of this historic handicap chase was one that few of those watching from the stands will forget. On a grey afternoon, the near-white Smad Place was a bright spot in the gloom and captivating as he jumped with bravery and precision at the head of a 15-strong field. One by one, his challengers dropped away and Smad Place was the winner as soon as he touched down after the last fence, before staying on strongly to beat Theatre Guide by 12 lengths.
It was a brave decision by Wayne Hutchinson, Smad Place’s jockey, to ride so aggressively in demanding ground, and one that surprised even Alan King, his trainer. “I wasn’t quite as forthcoming with the boss,” Hutchinson said, “because I knew maybe he might not be too enthusiastic about it. I said I’d just like to let him find his rhythm, so technically I did have a free rein to put my own plan into place.”
Once Hutchinson’s plan was underway, few of his rivals ever threatened a serious challenge. Smad Place was placed twice in the World Hurdle at Cheltenham so his stamina was not in doubt and a relentless gallop between the obstacles meant that his pursuers had no chance to make any ground.
For King, this was a second success in a major handicap chase in the space of 15 days, following Annacotty’s victory in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham two weeks ago. He struggled for words in the winner’s enclosure, however, as his thoughts turned to the death of one of his stable lads, John Goggin, following a car crash this month.
“We fancied this horse big time last year and made the mistake of coming without a prep,” King said. “He’s always been pretty classy and we’ve seen it today. It was a bold ride, I wasn’t expecting him to be that aggressive. From three out, I looked behind and thought, they’re not travelling.
“It’s been a tough week for the yard. We lost a lad in a car crash and this means a lot. Here’s to John, but it doesn’t bring him back.”
Smad Place is not an intended runner in the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day, but has been added to the ante-post betting on the Cheltenham Gold Cup at a top price of 16-1.
Thistlecrack was making his seasonal debut in the Grade Two Bet 365 Long Distance Hurdle but travelled powerfully throughout on the way to a six-length defeat of the outsider Deputy Dan. Cole Harden, the winner of last season’s World Hurdle, faded after setting a solid pace, while Whisper, a Grade One winner at Aintree in April, also ran below form.
Colin Tizzard, Thistlecrack’s trainer, was a little wide-eyed as he absorbed the success of a horse he feels will improve significantly for the run. “He’s grown into a great big, strong horse now,” Tizzard said. “I told everyone beforehand that he was going to need the run but might just be classy enough to win, and he was. He jumped well, never missed a beat and travelled so strongly. I’m sure he’ll improve massively for that.
“We thought we’d give him a couple of hurdle races and see if he was good enough for the World Hurdle and on that he deserves to go there. It was a brilliant performance.”
The poor run of Cole Harden was the only disappointment of the day for Gavin Sheehan, his jockey, who completed a 494-1 treble earlier on the card on Arzal, Aloomomo and Royal Guardsman.
At Newcastle, Identity Thief took the Grade One Stan James Fighting Fifth Hurdle despite a serious mistake at the final flight that almost handed the prize to the front-running Top Notch. Bryan Cooper, Identity Thief’s jockey, had a long run-in to work with and he ran down the leader with a few strides to spare to win by a neck.
“He did it really well and it was a super ride from Bryan,” Henry de Bromhead, Identity Thief’s trainer, said. “He missed the last but he got back up well. I thought he was beat, but he’s tough. That’s a proper Champion Hurdle trial so we can dream about that in March.”
Identity Thief is still among the outsiders for the Champion Hurdle at 33-1, in a market dominated by Faugheen, last year’s winner, at a top price of 7-4.
