Quel Esprit’s price for this Sunday's Hennessy Gold Cup shot up
Champion trainer W P Mullins’ gelding, Quel Esprit, has been declared as the 6 to 5 favourite by BetVictor and Stan James for Sunday’s Hennessy Gold Cup, which includes 7 runners in total.
Initially, the eight-year-old was sitting at 11 to 10 starting price, but it shot up suddenly last night.
In the 3 mile long Grade 1 race of February 12, the star runner will compete against Bostons Angel, China Rock, Follow The Plan, Magnanimity, Rober To Goldback, and Treacle.
Bostons Angel is the second favourite horse with a starting price of 7 to 2, while the 5 to 1, China Rock holds third spot on the betting card.
Magnanimity is the 7 to 1 choice while Follow The Plan’s price is 40 to 1.
Quel Esprit is set to register a hat-trick by winning tomorrow’s high-profile event.
Earlier, the Red Barn Syndicate owned gelding won the Become A Naas Annual Member Chase on November 12, 2011, followed by another victory in the Beamish Stout Phil Sweeney Memorial Chase on January 7, 2012.
Mullins seems to be greatly confident of his trainee’s success in the weekend’s thriller, claiming that the contest is an acid test for the gelding.
Talking to the media a few days back, the legendary conditioner said:
“Sunday is definitely the acid test for him, but Cheltenham is definitely on the cards if everything goes well. That's the plan. On the ratings, he looks as if he'd have something to do, particularly with Quito De La Roque, but he's a horse I always thought
a lot of and we'll see.”
During PJ Moriarty Chase of the same card last year, Quel Esprit fell while crossing the second last fence.
Mullins now claims that it was not the runner’s fault, just bad luck.
He told:
“To be honest, we couldn't believe it when he fell twice as we wouldn't have a horse who jumps better than him at home.”
Making his debut in March 2008, the dashing sprinter has won 7 out of his total 14 races so far.
His fifty percent success ratio speaks volumes of his inherent talent and skills. The gelding is likely to strike again tomorrow, and end up with a decent victory.
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