| v> | | | | National after winning the Hennessy, while the |
| With the Cheltenham Festival upcoming, there | | | | 1969 winner Spanish Steps finished fourth in both |
| tends to be some confusion over Gold Cups! The | | | | 1973 and 1974, and came third in 1975. In recent |
| totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup Steeple Chase | | | | years two horses have come close to winning the |
| occurs on the fourth and final day of the | | | | National following a win in the Hennessy - Suny |
| Cheltenham Festival and is the feature event of | | | | Bay in 1997 was the runner up in the National |
| the meeting. Run over three miles two and a half | | | | while in 2002 What's Up Boys went down by only |
| furlongs, it is a Class A Grade One chase open to | | | | one and three quarters lengths to Bindaree. |
| horses five years and above. This is the race that | | | | Horses placed in the Hennessy seem to have |
| brings the best European horse to the fore and | | | | better luck in the National, a prime example being |
| cannot be underestimated in terms of its | | | | Red Rum who was a short-head runner-up in the |
| importance in the horseracing calendar of events. | | | | race before winning his second National in 1974. |
| The Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup on the other | | | | Other examples include Aldaniti who was third in |
| hand is a Grade Three race for five year olds and | | | | the 1977 race four years prior to winning at |
| over, run over a distance of three miles two and | | | | Aintree, Mr Frisk was third in the Hennessy |
| a half furlongs at Newbury racecourse in | | | | before winning the 1990 National and Party Politics |
| November. It is a prestigious handicap chase and | | | | was second in the Hennessy prior to his win at |
| is the most important race of its kind before | | | | Aintree in 1992. Other horses who didn't quite |
| Christmas. The race has been taking place at | | | | make it in the Hennessy but won the National |
| Newbury, under the sponsorship of Hennessy | | | | include Rough Quest who won the National in |
| Cognac since 1960. Interestingly, the first race in | | | | 1996, and Red Marauder who won the National in |
| 1957 was won by Madame Kilian Hennessy's | | | | 2001. |
| Mandarin, whilst a member of the same family, M. | | | | It goes without saying therefore that those who |
| James Hennessy was the French owner of the | | | | place in the Hennessy Cognac Cold Cup may have |
| last five year old to win the Grand National - | | | | a good chance of winning at the Aintree Grand |
| Lutteur III in 1909. | | | | National. Denman came first in November's |
| The Hennessy is a test of staying chasers, | | | | Hennessy Gold Cup, with What A Friend, Niche |
| consisting of seventeen fences, and can be a | | | | Market, Barbers Shop and Gone to Lunch coming |
| good guide as to who might do well in the Grand | | | | in second, third, fourth and fifth place respectively |
| National, although the winner might not be | | | | - ones to watch out for in the Aintree Grand |
| indicative. Springbok finished fifth in the 1962 | | | | National this year? |