Hennessy has six appeal

Just six horses, including In Compliance and The Listener, have been declared

for Saturday's Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Leopardstown.

The Grade One Chase sees the return of Robert Alner's The Listener, who scored

a rare British jumping victory on Irish soil when depriving Beef Or Salmon of a

fourth victory in the Lexus Chase over course and distance over Christmas.

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The Michael Hourigan-trained Beef Or Salmon also returns having won this race

twice before - including last year when he beat Hedgehunter, who is missing

after Willie Mullins warned he was not 100% satisfied with his well-being.

Hourigan could also run the useful Hi Cloy, who would be stepping up in trip

from his usual distances.

But of more interest are In Compliance and Forget The Past, both trained by

Michael O'Brien and owned by Sean Mulryan.

The former showed his obvious potential by defeating Cheltenham Gold Cup

winner War Of Attrition in the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase in

December.

Last year's Gold Cup third Forget The Past has also been in fine form this

season, winning well at Thurles last month.

The novice Patsy Hall completes the sextet.

Alner is adopting the same approach as in the Lexus by getting the long journey

from his Dorset base to Dublin out of the way early.

He reports Alner's mud-loving eight-year-old to be in fine form and said:

"He's very much on course and is going over there tomorrow.

"We did that last time, as the ferry would not go on Christmas or Boxing

Day.

"It is quite early to go but it worked out then, so why change it?

"Everything has gone fine with his preparation and they tell me the ground is

yielding to soft and they could be forecast a bit of rain, so it should be

fine.

"I haven't looked at the race closely but the bookmakers seem to be saying In

Compliance is the big danger.

"But that's fine by us, we'll just run our race."

Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup

- William Hill bet: 5-4 In Compliance, 7-4 The Listener, 3-1 Beef Or Salmon, 6-1

Forget The Past, 20-1 Hi Cloy, 25-1 Patsy Hall