As we gear up for the 2023 Coral Gold Cup – the old Hennessy to many racing fans – we take a look back at some of the best winners of the big Newbury Handicap since 2000.
2023 Coral Gold Cup: Paul Nicholls Eyes Fourth Big Newbury Win
Did you know that trainer Paul Nicholls actually rode the winner of the Coral Gold Cup (Hennessy) in back-to-back years?
Yes, Broadheath in 1986 and & Playschool in 1987 gave the champion trainer his Hennessy success in the saddle, but he’s also gone onto train three winners of the big Newbury handicap.
Two of those Nicholls wins came with the horse known by racing fans as the ‘Tank’ Denman in 2007 and 2009 – plus, before that ,took the prize in 2003 with Strong Flow.
However, since the ‘Denman Double’ Nicholls hasn’t tasted success in the Hennessy. A race that is now known as the Coral Gold Cup.
The Ditcheat stable does have a good chance of ending this 14 year dry spell this year with his 7 year-old Complete Unknown one of the fancies in the market with the best UK horse racing betting sites.
Complete Unknown was last seen winning an Intermediate Chase at Newton Abbot in October. While back in April ran second one of the Cheltenham Gold Cup fancies – Gerri Colombe – at Aintree in the Mildmay Novices’ Chase.
So, to celebrate this week’s 2023 Coral Gold Cup, we thought we’d take a look at some of the best past winners of the Newbury handicap.
A contest that’s produced Cheltenham Gold Cup winners like Native River, Bobs Worth and Denman, not to mention a Grand National winner in Many Clouds.
When Is The Coral Gold Cup 2023?
📅Date: Saturday 2nd December 2023
🕙Time: 2:50pm
🏇Racecourse: Newbury (3m2f)
💰 Winner: £142,375
📺 TV: ITV / Racing TV
Best Coral Gold Cup (Hennessy) Winners Since 2000
1st – 2009: DENMAN
‘The Tank’ won his second Hennessy Gold Cup in 2009 – winning with a monster-burden of 11st 12lbs – the same as his 2007 win. This Newbury triumph was actually Denman’s last ever success – having raced six more times after without a victory. Having won the Cheltenham Gold Cup the season before (2008) it was one of the best weight-carrying performances ever as the 9 year-old was rated 174 and giving away 13lbs+ to all the other runners. With the race being billed as one of the great performance in modern jumps racing.
Denman ended his career with 10 chase wins from 19 runs and won £1,141,347 in total prize money. The win also gave top jockey Ruby Walsh his second Hennessy winner, having won the race in 2003 on Strong Flow.
2nd – 2016: NATIVE RIVER
Trained by Colin Tizzard, this out-and-out stayer added the Hennessy Gold Cup to his CV back in 2016. The horse turned into a Newbury specialist – winning the Denman Chase at the Berkshire track three times between 2017 and 2020. Plus also added a Cheltenham Gold Cup (2018) and Welsh Grand National (2016) to his haul. He won the Hennessy as a 7 year-old, carrying 11st 1lb and ended his glittering career having banked £1,103,476 in total prize money.
3rd – 2014: MANY CLOUDS
This Trevor Hemmings-owned chaser entered the history books by taking the 2015 Aintree Grand National. However, earlier that same season also won the 2014 Hennessy Gold Cup as a 7 year-old carrying 11st 6lbs in weight. Trained by Oliver Sherwood, this staying chaser also landed the Cotswold Chase at the Cheltenham Trials Day Meeting, but it was after this race the horse tragically collapsed and died. Many Clouds, who was the second winner in the race for owner Trevor Hemmings, won 50% of his 18 chase starts. He ended his career winning £928,000 in total prize money.
4th – 2007: DENMAN
The first of Denman’s Hennessy Gold Cup wins came in 2007 – two seasons after he was runner-up in the Royal Sun Alliance Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival – now the Ballymore. While earlier that same year had won the RSA Novices’ Chase – now the Brown Advisory. Sam Thomas was Denman’s jockey this year with Denman aged 7 – winning by an easy 11 lengths.
5th – 2012: BOBS WORTH
Trainer Nicky Henderson first won the Hennessy Gold Cup in 2005 with Trabolgan but added another seven years later with the gutsy Bobs Worth. He won the race in 2012 as a 7 year-old and is another of the featured best Hennessy Gold Cup winners that carried 11st 6lbs to victory. This star chaser is also another Hennessy winner that went onto win the Cheltenham Gold Cup – taking that race in 2013. Bobs Worth also provided jockey Barry Geraghty with his first win in the Newbury race and went onto add to that with Triolo D’Alene a year later. Bobs Worth ended his career with five chase wins from 13 and winning £726,163.
6th – 2005: TRABOLGAN
Trabolgan provided trainer Nicky Henderson with his first Hennessy Gold Cup winner in 2005 and was ridden by Mick Fitzgerald. The 7 year-old’s win was impressive as he was the top-rated horse in the race (151) and as a result had 11st 12lbs to carry and gave weight away all-round. The season before, Trabolgan won the RSA at the Cheltenham Festival, but after this Newbury win got injured and was sidelined for 1120 days. He returned in 2008 after a long lay-off but was never the same horse and failed to win another race from five tries. Eventually ending his career winning just three of his 10 career chase runs and winning £204,720 in total prize money. Of which £71k came from this Hennessy success.
Full List Of Coral Gold Cup (Hennessy) Winners Since 2000
- 2022 – LE MILOS (9/2 fav)
- 2021 – CLOUDY GLEN (33/1)
- 2020 – CLOTH CAP (9/1)
- 2019 – DE RASHER COUNTER (12/1)
- 2018 – SIZING TENNESSEE (12/1)
- 2017 – TOTAL RECALL (9/2 fav)
- 2016 – NATIVE RIVER (7/2 fav)
- 2015 – SMAD PLACE (7/1)
- 2014 – MANY CLOUDS (8/1)
- 2013 – TRIOLO D’ALENE (20/1)
- 2012 – BOBS WORTH (4/1 fav)
- 2011 – CARRUTHERS (10/1)
- 2010 – DIAMOND HARRY (6/1)
- 2009 – DENMAN (11/4 fav)
- 2008 – MADISON du BERLAIS (25/1)
- 2007 – DENMAN (5/1)
- 2006 – STATE OF PLAY (10/1)
- 2005 – TRABOLGAN (13/2)
- 2004 – CELESTIAL GOLD (9/4 fav)
- 2003 – STRONG FLOW (5/1 jfav)
- 2002 – GINGEMBRE (16/1)
- 2001 – WHAT’S UP BOYS (14/1)
- 2000 – KING’S ROAD (7/1)
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