Racing's annual medicinal shot of brandy

The introduction of the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup Handicap Chase on November 16, 1957 marked the second instance of commercial race sponsorship from outside the sport - the Whitbread Gold Cup, run at Sandown the previous April, was the first. The 59 years between then and now make the Hennessy brand the longest-running commercial sponsor in British racing.

The first Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup was run at Cheltenham, with prize-money of £5,272 to the winner (that season the Cheltenham Gold Cup was worth £5,788 to the winner), and was won, suitably, by the great Mandarin, owned by Peggy Hennessy, a member of the sponsoring family. The first Hennessy was run over 3m1f; the following year the distance was increased to 3m 3f 100y.

In 1960, following representations to Hennessy by Newbury clerk of the course Geoffrey Freer, the race was moved to the Berkshire track, to its current date in the last week of November, and to its current distance of 3m1f214y. Its vacant slot at Cheltenham was filled by the Mackeson Gold Cup, a different sort of drink but just as intoxicating a race.