Irish Hennessy Gold Cup

The Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup is usually referred to as the Irish Hennessy to avoid confusing this important Grade 1 steeplechase with the handicap race of the same name run annually in the United Kingdom.

The Irish Hennessy Gold Cup is run during the month of February at Leopardstown Racecourse. The event is run over a distance of 3 miles, and features 17 fences. Entry to the race is restricted to 5-year-old and above national hunt racehorses.

The Irish Hennessy Gold Cup is regarded as one of the most important Grade 1 chases in the Republic. The race usually attracts the top rated chasers in Ireland, along with several quality chasers from the United Kingdom. The Irish Hennessy Gold Cup is also an important stepping stone to the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Irish Hennessy Gold Cup Betting Tips

• When betting on the Irish Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup keep an eye on the older entries in the race. Racehorses over the age of 9 have dominated the Irish Hennessy Gold Cup over the last decade.
• The Irish Hennessy Gold Cup is a good race for punters looking to back market favourites. The antepost favourites have a 60% success rate in this race over the last decade, although this trend has been influenced by the brilliant performances put in by Beet And Salmon and Florida Pearl.

Irish Hennessy Gold Cup History

The Irish Hennessy Gold Cup dates back to 1987. The inaugural race was run under the title ‘the Vincent O’Brien Irish Gold Cup’ to commemorate the contribution of the legendary trainer to Irish national hunt racing.

In 1992 the Hennessy company took over sponsorship of the Vincent O’Brien Irish Gold Cup, with the event renamed the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup. By this stage the race had already established itself as an important Irish trial of the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

The Irish Hennessy Gold Cup has been won by a number of the greatest chasers of recent history. The legendary Florida Pearl won the Hennessy Gold Cup four times during his career, while local hero, Beef or Salmon took the title three times.

Jodami and Imperial Call are the only Irish Hennessy Gold Cup winners to go on to victory in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.