Irish agony: the big names from across the sea to be denied at Newbury

The luck of the Irish did not hold up once the brandy came out. The Hennessy, as it was, went to Ireland just three times, twice with Arkle and finally with Michael O'Brien's Bright Highway in 1980. With a strong raiding party assembled this year, we look back on some of the most high-profile losers in recent years.

Be My Royaldisqualified, 2002

In some ways the Ladbrokes Trophy imitates the Gold Cup more closely than any other pre-Christmas race. It takes place over three and a quarter miles, at a galloping track with stiff fences, and Willie Mullins seems inexplicably unable to win it.

Mullins, who has favourite Total Recall this year, last tried with Djakadam who was only eighth in 2014 but less than four months later finished second in the Gold Cup. His closest call came some 12 years earlier than that.

Seven came to the second-last fence with a chance in the 2002 Hennessy, including Harbour Pilot, Hussard Collonges and Gingembre, runner-up two years earlier. In a gripping finish, 33-1 shot Be My Royal picked up better than any of them and won by half a length under David Casey.

But this would be history's longest Hennessy. In January 2004, some 14 months later, Be My Royal was disqualified after morphine, which was accepted to have come from a contaminated food supply, was found in his urine sample. Mullins lodged an appeal, which was rejected that August. Gingembre had his Hennessy.

In the meantime, Be My Royal had been retired. He had reportedly suffered a tendon injury during the race which Casey reported to have "felt go" a couple of strides from the line. He would eventually return to racing, first with Tom George and then Robert Alner, but results were uninspiring.

Mullins tried again, still in the knowledge he had won the race, 12 months later with no less a horse than subsequent Grand National winner and Gold Cup second Hedgehunter from a laugh-out-loud mark of 130, but he could manage only fourth behind Strong Flow. Make no mistake, this could be a stubborn hoodoo to lift.

Commanche Courtninth, 2001

Perhaps the best horse to pass through Ted Walsh's hands, Commanche Court had won the Triumph Hurdle in 1997 and in 2000, just days after Papillon's Grand National victory, landed the Irish equivalent and the Punchestown Gold Cup in a ten-day stretch for Walsh and son Ruby, then just shy of his 21st birthday.

A fairly lean 2000-01 was highlighted by a second in the Racing Post Trophy, but it left him on a mark of 157 when he next travelled to Britain for the Hennessy in the autumn.

At the time, Commanche Court could hardly be called unlucky as he was a never-dangerous ninth behind What's Up Boys. His fire clearly still burned, though, as he sprung back to life later in the season and ended up finishing second to Best Mate in the first of that horse's three Gold Cup wins.

Cahervillahowsecond, 1993

With the possible exception of Mullins, no current Irish trainer has tried harder to win the Hennessy than Mouse Morris. His hopefuls down the years have included Boss Doyle, Foxchapel King and his Gold Cup winner, War Of Attrition.

First Lieutenant got closest for Morris, finishing third in 2012 and 2015. He was a popular chaser, partly because while he has had his share of success (three Grade 1s among them) he was best known for being the plucky loser. He only followed where Cahervillahow had led.

Cahervillahow had fewer races than First Lieutenant over fences and won more, but he still recorded his six highest RPRs in finishing second. He did so mostly in big handicaps, including the Ritz Club (behind Seagram, who won the National on his next start) and Whitbread and the spring of 1991 from a BHA mark of 159. He actually finished ahead of Docklands Express in the latter, but was demoted for causing interference.

By late 1993 Cahervillahow was rising ten and, as it turned out, less than three months from his final appearance. In a nine-runner Hennessy, he made a bold move turning in under Adrian Maguire and looked set to take the lead approaching three out only to walk through the fence. His chance was essentially gone with that error, but he stayed on for one last gallant second, chasing home the Andy Turnell-trained Cogent.

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