Hennessy option for Mohaison

Star De Mohaison may try to emulate Trabolgan by making a winning seasonal debut in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup after also ending the previous campaign with victory in the Royal & SunAlliance Chase.

The Robert Ogden-owned gelding was withdrawn from two engagements tomorrow - the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby and Ascot's United House Gold Cup - because of unsuitable ground.

"He doesn't run at either course tomorrow - we go from one extreme to the other," said the owner's racing manager Barry Simpson.

"Soft or heavy ground at Wetherby for his first run of the season is not what we are looking for. He's not a heavy-ground horse and the forecast is for more rain so we decided not to go there.

"Sadly Ascot really seem to have a few problems. We've got firm ground and no chance of rain so we miss out, I'm afraid.

"He's entered in the Hennessy, so that is a possibility. Paul (Nicholls) has got him pretty fit so he's pretty happy with him. It's a tough call going for a Hennessy, but Trabolgan did it from a similar background last year.

"Paul would have liked to have run him (tomorrow), but we are not in any great rush. We are not going to run him if the ground is not right, that is for sure.

"Good to soft ground tomorrow would have been absolutely fine, soft ground would have been acceptable. We walked the course yesterday at Wetherby and there was water lying on the course.

"There's more rain forecast today so rather than send him on a long journey we thought there was not much point in doing it."