Character removed from 55-strong Hennessy field

John Quinn’s Character Building has been scratched from the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury a week on Saturday after sustaining a minor problem.

Winner of the Kim Muir at Cheltenham this year, the smart stayer was third to Denman in the race back in 2007.

Quinn said: “He’s had a very slight setback – it’s something over nothing really.

“But he’ll still miss a week’s work so we’ll have to give it a miss.

“I don’t know what we’ll do next as he wouldn’t want a slog over three miles, five furlongs in heavy ground – like in the Welsh National.

“He seems a better horse in the spring anyway.”

There were 55 horses left in the entries for the Hennessy, with 29 in all removed from the famous handicap.

Many of those were already doubtful, while the sidelined Air Force One and Trafford Lad were also taken out.

Denman remains the top weight as he looks to regain his crown in the race, ahead of 2008 hero Madison Du Berlais and the classy Irish horse Notre Pere.