Crowley cautious about Nil Desperandum

NIL DESPERANDUM has been the gamble of the Hennessy Gold Cup in recent days but although Frances Crowley reports him to be “as fit as I can get him”, she is concerned about the horse trying to defy a seven-month absence from the racecourse at Newbury this afternoon.

A useful but lightly-raced novice chaser in the early part of last term, the seven-year-old picked up the Grade One Drinmore Chase at Fairyhouse in terrific style exactly a year ago before being ruled out until April from an overreach sustained during that race.

Mrs Crowley would have liked to have got a run into him, but various other problems have conspired against her, and although Nil Desperandum is well-weighted on 10st 8lb, he has not been seen since his last of four to Lord Sam at the Punchestown Festival.