December has arrived and this means the Hennessey Cognac meeting at Newbury with the undoubted feature being the 3m2f Hennessey Gold Cup.  A Chase with a rich history which is almost certainly won by a horse of very high calibre.  A horse that fits this bill is Champion trainer Paul Nicholls’ unbeatable novice from last season Denman.  Talked up in the papers for weeks as the only horse that could usurp Kauto Star in the Gold Cup come March, if he puts in a performance to win this strongly contested race under top weight he might just be that horse.  However down at the other end of the handicap is where the winner could be lurking in the shape of Abragante.  The DA Johnson owned son of Saddlers’ Hall could not have won any easier in the Badger Ales Chase at Wincanton. Timmy Murphy did a fine impression of a statue in the saddle, meaning he could be potentially exceptionally well weighted on 10st4lb.  The loss of Timmy Murphy to suspension shouldn’t be seen as the end of the horse’s chances and replacement Davy Russell is no slouch in the saddle as shown on many occasions, for example Mossbanks’s Clonmel Oil Chase victory in November. The first leg of the WBX.com millionaires hurdle series is run at Newcastle this weekend with the Fighting Fifth Hurdle.  This race couldn’t be any more intriguing.  It sees the return of the mercurial Harchibald, high-class dual purpose Blythe Knight, the magnificent Katchit, the potentially useful Mephisto and the unexposed Irish hurdler Clopf.  Katchit mullered his opponents on his seasonal reappearance at Aintree and looks to have a grand chance of winning this race.  He is racing against older horses for the first time but should have the  class to  give at least a very good account of himself if nothing else.  Kempton hosts a typically moderate card with the only highlight being the 1m4f Listed Wild Flower Stakes.  Dansant has done nothing but progress this season and can follow up his latest listed success over course and distance.

 Selections – 2.40 Newbury, Abragante