RACING:It's 19 years since Jim Dreaper won a Hennessy Gold Cup with the enigmatic Carvill's Hill but the Co Dublin trainer hasn't ruled out an attempt on Sunday's Leopardstown feature with another exciting novice in Notre Pere.
Already a Grade One winner at the track over Christmas, Notre Pere is as low as 12 to 1 in some ante-post lists for the Hennessy, although he also holds an entry in the Dr PJ Moriarty Novice Chase over two and a half miles on the card.
Dreaper intends postponing a decision on which race he will target until tomorrow morning's final declaration stage but hasn't ruled out taking on the established stars in the Hennessy.
"If it cuts up to four or five runners then you never know," he said yesterday. "At the moment I have no idea what we'll do. He needs three miles to be at his best but that means taking on the older and better horses."
The main English hope The Listener continues to be the Hennessy ante-post favourite at a general 5 to 2 but there was support for the Michael Hourigan-trained Mossbank, who was cut to 3 to 1 by Paddy Power yesterday.
Along with the other English entry, Turko, he has been backed while most of the other 10 entries have drifted in the markets.
One of those in the Powers lists is Snowy Morning, one of three Willie Mullins hopes, who is a likely runner as he continues his preparation for the Aintree Grand National for which he is now favourite.
"I will have to talk to his owners but I would be keen enough to run and get some experience into him against these type of horses. There's a lot of prizemoney, even for finishing third or fourth, and it would be nice to have him jump around a big track like that," Mullins said yesterday.
"At the moment Rule Supreme and Hedgehunter will run and Rule Supreme is in great form. I was disappointed how he performed at Thurles but that was two and a half miles and he needs three. He is an out and out stayer.
"He's not the best jumper but he has his own way of doing it and I just hope we can get a jockey who will be able to accept that. If he loses half a length at each fence, so what? If he stays up he has a chance of winning and he has a huge engine in testing conditions at a long trip," he added.
Mullins also confirmed star mare J'y Vole is an intended runner in the Moriarty which sets up a mouth-watering clash with the double Grade one winner Sky's The Limit and the exciting Baileys Arkle hero Thyne Again.
"The trip should be fine on Sunday and we're hoping for a big run," Mullins said.
The Leopardstown authorities are still holding out hope for yielding ground on the chase course on Sunday although the extent of forecast rain on Friday could hold the key to that.
"It's hard to be precise but what we are being told is that the weekend will be dry. If we get a good, dry weekend, things could improve a bit," said the Leopardstown manager Tom Burke yesterday. "We're currently yielding on the hurdles course and yielding to soft on the chase."
Improved going will be good news for Cork All Star, who heads the Deloitte Novice Hurdle entries on Sunday and his jockey Barry Geraghty said yesterday: "I schooled him during the week and he seems to be in good form. I'm looking forward to him."
HENNESSEY GOLD CUP BETTING(Paddy Power): 5-2 The Listener, 3 Mossbank, 5 Nickname, 6 Snowy Morning, 7 Beef Or Salmon, 8 Turko, 9 Mister Top Notch, 20 Rule Supreme, 33 Notre Pere and Hedgehunter.
