Suny Bay will not attempt a Hennessy double on Sunday week, for trainer Charlie Brooks reported yesterday that the grey will miss Leopardstown's Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup.
Brooks said: "He won't run at Leopardstown. We would have to rush him to get him ready in time."
Suny Bay won Newbury's Hennessy in November and is currently an 8 to 1 chance for the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Brooks added that Haydock's Greenalls Chase three weeks after Leopardstown could now be Suny Bay's Gold Cup warm up. Following the news that Suny Bay will be an absentee, Coral now bet: 15-8 Doran's Pride, 5-2 Imperial Call, 7-2 The Grey Monk, 5-1 Danoli, 14-1 bar.
On Garda instructions, the capacity of Leopardstown's reserved enclosure will be limited to 13,000 on Hennessy day.
To date 9,000 tickets have been allocated to annual badge holders, leaving 4,000 currently on sale.
Danoli's win in last year's Hennessy had a 17,500 attendance and the Leopardstown management are estimating an attendance of up to 20,000 this time to witness a likely clash between Imperial Call, Dorans Pride, Danoli and possibly The Grey Monk.
The same traffic arrangements in use at Leopardstown over Christmas will again be in operation on Hennessy day.
Trainer Tommy Carberry was yesterday fined £100 by the Turf Club appeals and referrals committee after the prohibited substance Procain was found in a sample taken from Sorry About That after the Nenagh Handicap Chase at Thurles on December 12th.
Martin Pipe celebrated his assistant Chester Barnes' 51st birthday with a double at Leicester yesterday. The pair came courtesy of Iranos and Ask The Butler, both horses carrying the colours of the trainer's long-standing patron Brian Kilpatrick. The application of blinkers worked the oracle for Iranos, who gained a comfortable victory in the opening Stonesby Novices' Hurdle.
In front from the outset, the six-year-old had a commanding advantage turning for home and coasted 20 lengths clear of Hadidi from the second-last to justify 1110 favouritism.
