Trabolgan heads Hennessy field

Ante-post favourite Trabolgan will carry top weight of 11st 12lb in Saturday’s Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup after 19 horses were declared for the Newbury feature.

The seven-year-old, owned by Trevor Hemmings and trained by Nicky Henderson, will be making his reappearance in the £125,000 handicap chase over an extended three and a quarter miles.

As expected all three horses above last season’s Royal & SunAlliance Chase winner – Martin Pipe’s pair Celestial Gold, Our Vic and the Irish-trained Forget The Past – have been withdrawn.

Betfred Gold Cup hero Jack High and Double Honour were the only other absentees.

Pipe, who sent out Celestial Gold to win 12 months ago, will still be doubly-represented by Comply Or Die and Iris Bleu.

Two northern-based trainers have two runners – Ferdy Murphy saddling Scottish Grand National victor Joes Edge and Tribal Venture and Sue Smith responsible for Ross Comm and St Matthew.

Paul Nicholls, who has won the race both as a jockey and a trainer, has three runners – Cornish Rebel, Colourful Life and Red Devil Robert while the Francois-Doumen-trained L’Ami will bid to win the race for France.

The field is completed by Ballycassidy, Lord Of Illusion, Run For Paddy, Redemption, Kandjar d’Allier, King Harald, Distant Thunder and All In The Stars.