Jonjo O’Neill

The nine-year-old had been tagged a mudlark in the past, but he impressed on good going at Leopardstown over Christmas when he won the Lexus Chase.

The Welsh National winner heads the betting for the Hennessy, but his participation in next weekend’s race is seemingly in some doubt.

Synchronised will be worked on the gallops before a final decision is made, but connections remain hopeful that he will run at Leopardstown.

Frank Berry, racing manager for owner JP McManus, said: “At the moment the intention is for him to run, but it all depends on how he works next week. 

“We obviously want to run him back at Leopardstown.”

Connections will also have one eye on the Cheltenham Festival for Synchronised (10/1 – Betfred Gold Cup 2012), who has won eight of his 18 career starts to date.

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Rubi Light

The seven-year-old romped to victory in the two-and-a-half-mile contest 12 months ago ahead of a third-place finish behind winner Albertas Run (10/1 Winner or E/W) at Cheltenham.

Rubi Light is well fancied to improve on his 2011 placing following a victory in the John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown and second spot in the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown on his first try over three miles.

As a result, Hennessey sees no reason to deviate from the proven route of running his charge at Gowran on February 18, just under four weeks before Cheltenham.

He said: “He won it last year and the weather forecast is bad for the foreseeable future, so I imagine the ground will be testing which would play to his strengths.

“After that we’ll just keep him ticking over for Cheltenham. He doesn’t need long coming out of his races.”

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David Pipe’s charge is leading the ante-post betting for the RSA after impressing when winning the Feltham at Kempton on Boxing Day.

That success was Grands Crus’ third in as many starts over fences and he is expected to be the one to beat in the RSA.

The seven-year-old, who is also entered in the Betfred Gold Cup at this stage, will not run in Saturday’s Argento Chase at Cheltenham as Pipe assesses how best to prepare the horse for what will be a challenging few months.

Nicky Henderson’s Bobs Worth, who was only narrowly beaten by Grands Crus at Kempton over Christmas, is the current second favourite at 5/1 while Paul Nicholls’ highly thought of Silviniaco Conti is on offer at 12/1.

Grade One winner Last Instalment is a 7/1 shot and double Cheltenham chase winner Join Together is currently priced at 10/1, ahead of Bog Warrior (12/1), First Lieutenant (14/1) and Mossley (20/1).

The Cheltenham Festival, featuring the Betfred Gold Cup on the Friday, runs between March 13-16.

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Stan Cosgrove,

The five-year-old was named as one of the 27 entries for the highlight race on the first day of the festival in March after his success at the Istabraq Festival Hurdle at Leopardstown on December 29.

The race at Cheltenham on March 13 should be the second time Unaccompanied and Hurricane Fly go toe-to-toe this year, with the Willie Mullins-trained favourite set for a run out at the Irish Champion Hurdle on January 29.

Hurricane Fly’s form since winning the Champion Hurdle by a length and a half has made him the overwhelming 2/1 favourite to become the first horse since Hardy Eustace to win back-to-back Champion Hurdles.

The eight-year-old won a ninth Grade One race at Punchestown last May, but despite his formidable form Unaccompanied’s camp are confident of causing an upset.

Last year’s JCB Triumph runner-up is trained by Dermot Ward and owned by Moyglare Stud, a winning combination on the Flat traditional having guided Refuse To Bend and Go And Go to big wins in the past.

Cosgrove is confident Unaccompanied can help them pick up a third Grade One win, although much could depend on her run at the Irish Champion Hurdle.

“Unaccompanied is due to run in the Irish Champion Hurdle and then she will hopefully head on to Cheltenham. I think that Dermot is confident that she can run well against Hurricane Fly and we have to take him on at some point,” said Cosgrove.

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Long Run

Paul Nicholls’ star is the only horse to have ever regained the Gold Cup title and will be bidding to do it for a second attempt on the back of victories in the Betfair Chase and the King George VI Chase. If Kauto manages it, Nicholls’ charge will go down as one of the greatest-ever horses, although those revenge successes recently over Long Run have not overturned the odds for the Festival.

What A Friend, who finished fourth last season, returns for another tilt for Nicholls, alongside Poqueline, Tidal Bay and The Minack.

David Pipe has entered his leading novice chaser Grands Crus, who is priced at 8/1 for Gold Cup glory, although he is also the 5/2 favourite to land the RSA Chase at 5/2.

“Long Run and Kauto Star currently head the market for the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup after their epic tussles in both the Betfair Chase and King George this season but Grands Crus is an extremely interesting entry and punters can now back David Pipe’s novice safe in the knowledge that they will get their money back should the horse take up an alternative entry at the Festival,” said Betfred spokesman George Primarolo.

Lexus CHase victor Synchronised is next best in the betting at 10/1, ahead of Captain Chris at 16/1, while Weird Al, Quito De La Roque and Time For Rupert are all on offer at 20/1.

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Nicky Henderson’s star charge cantered to victory as he defended his Cheltenham & Three Counties Race Club Hurdle on New Year’s Day.

Having won on the bridle at Prestbury Park at the start of the year his chances of success at the festival look to have greatly improved.

Defending champion Big Buck’s is currently the 4/7 favourite and still looks to be at the top of his game after a 14th consecutive victory at Ascot in December.

Despite the calibre of the opposition Geraghty believes there is a chance Oscar Whiskey could upset the odds when he makes the step up to three miles for the first time at Cheltenham.

“He is top class at two and a half, as he showed when winning at Aintree, and has the potential to stay three miles, which will bring in the World Hurdle,” said the jockey.

“He would have a realistic chance of the three-mile crown in March but anyone would have to have the greatest respect for Big Buck’s, but you can’t be afraid to take him on.”

Despite Geraghty’s comments Oscar Whiskey’s participation could depend on how he comes through the defence of his Welsh Champion Hurdle at Ffos Las.

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King, who has saddled two winners of the four-year-old hurdling championship, was speaking about his strong hand with regards to candidates qualified to feature in the Cheltenham race.

However, it seems Grumeti will be pitched in following his impressive outing at Taunton last week, while Vendor, at 25/1 Winner or E/W for the Triumph Hurdle, battled hard for a determined win at Newbury on Saturday.

King said in the Telegraph: “Grumeti is likely to run again at Cheltenham at the end of the month, while I think Vendor is very good, as well. He’s got a lot of scope.”

However, King dismissed the possibility of Balder Succes featuring in the same race despite the French import’s victory in front of a bumper holiday crowd at Plumpton on Monday.

He added: “He’s a very likeable horse, but I don?t think he?s a Triumph Hurdle horse. He didn’t run on the Flat, and he may not have enough experience for that type of race.”

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Nicky Henderson

Big Buck’s remains a strong 4/7 favourite to make it a quartet of World Hurdle triumphs later this year but Henderson is in bullish mood over his charge’s chances, after he eased clear of Poungach in the two and a half mile contest at the weekend.

The Seven Barrows trainer confirmed that Oscar Whisky will go to Ffos Las to bid for the Welsh Champion Hurdle, but is targeting the World Hurdle rather than the Champion Hurdle in which he finished third to Hurricane Fly (9/4 favourite to repeat) last year.

“I hope he wins the Welsh Champion Hurdle again and that would be fair enough, but I suspect that won’t tell us that he can win the Champion Hurdle,” Henderson said.

“Part of me says he’s not a two-mile horse but we’ll go to Ffos Las again and then let’s have a go at Big Buck’s.

“This horse will travel away and I think he’ll get three miles. He has a fair bit of toe.

“After he comes back to have a crack at Big Buck’s, Aintree’s the obvious place for him. That race is ideal.”

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Willie Mullins

Last year’s Champions Hurdle winner has not been seen in action since winning at Punchestown in May having being ruled out of last month’s Morgiana Hurdle.

And, questions were raised about Hurricane Fly’s wellbeing when Mullins decided to withdraw him from this week’s action in Ireland.

However, the trainer revealed that he was not sufficiently impressed with his recent pieces of work to risk throwing him into action.

As a result, Mullins will leave Hurricane Fly off the racecourse until he feels he is ready, although he does want him to race before defending his title in Cheltenham in mid-March. Therefore, the next option could be the Irish Champion Hurdle on January 29.

Mullins said: “He’s fit and well but he just hasn’t worked well enough to run tomorrow.

“He worked against Thousand Stars (14/1 Champion Hurdle 2012 Winner or E/W) on the Curragh last week over a mile and two furlongs and he needed it badly. After that I wasn’t happy I had him in order.”

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The 11-year-old has won the Gold Cup twice and is the only horse in history to regain the trophy in the blue riband event at the Cheltenham Festival.

After a disappointing campaign last season, Kauto Star’s participation in the 2011 King George VI Chase looked in doubt. However, he has put his retirement on hold with wins in the Betfair Chase at Haydock in November and now at Kempton in the feature race over the festive period.

Nicholls feels these two performances this season have earned his stable star favouritism for a crack at his third Betfred Gold Cup in March.

“The star still burns bright and he should be favourite for the Gold Cup on this year’s form,” he said.

“I’ll never train another like him and a lot of people wrote him off last year. He wasn’t right at any stage last year and I knew if he ran today like he did at Haydock he’d be there.”

Nicky Henderson’s Long Run (5/2 to win the 2012 Betfred Gold Cup) was second to Kauto Star at Kempton, with the pair set to do battle at Cheltenham once again in 2012.

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