RACING:Trainer Nick Mitchell insists The Listener retains all his old ability as he bids for back-to-back victories in Sunday's Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Leopardstown.
The grey is under orders for a third consecutive appearance in the Grade One feature after winning the race last February and finishing second to Beef Or Salmon in 2007.
The 10-year-old was in the care of Robert Alner for his two previous attempts but is now with Mitchell, who was Alner’s assistant.
He also has a change of jockey as Andrew McNamara replaces Daryl Jacob, who had been The Listener’s regular partner for the last two years.
He fell on his last start in the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown and has had a refresher course with jumping guru Yogi Breisner.
“The horse is fine after his fall and he has done some schooling with Yogi Breisner,” said Mitchell.
“Andrew came over last Tuesday and got on with him really well and he’s in good form. We also went to Wincanton last Thursday for a racecourse gallop and it went very well.
“He showed his old zest and I think he retains every inch of his ability. With luck and a clear round on Sunday and the ground has come in his favour, he should show the old sparkle.
“I think that I have him in as good a form as (when he won) last year.”
The Listener is one of four British-trained possibles among eight horses standing their ground at the confirmation stage.
Connections of the Jonjo O’Neill-trained Exotic Dancer have had this race in mind since his win in the Lexus.
However, he also holds an alternative entry in the Aon Chase at Newbury on Saturday — a race which could see the reappearance of Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Denman.
“The plan is to go to Ireland on Thursday, but we are also looking at the Newbury situation as well,” said Barry Simpson, racing manager to owner Robert Ogden.
“The plan has been to go for the Hennessy for some time. It’s a race that would be suitable for him.
“We put him in the Aon as a precaution as that was the other race we had always targeted along with last month’s Cotswold Chase for him to run in.
“We’ve had it in our minds to go to Ireland again this weekend because of the success we had there last time.
“We’ll keep an eye on the weather but the ground looks like being heavy at Newbury and Leopardstown. We’ll just have to take it a step at a time.
“The horse is in good form and we’re happy with him. Jonjo has been kept relatively free weather-wise and has been able to continue working with the horse, so everything is on schedule.”
Completing the British quartet are the Paul Nicholls-trained Neptune Collonges and Air Force One from Charlie Mann’s stable.
The home team consists of Welsh National hero Notre Pere, trained by Jim Dreaper, Noel Meade’s Afistfullofdollars, Tom Mullins’ Chelsea Harbour and Liam Burke’s Thyne Again.
Dreaper admits Sunday’s race will decide where Notre Pere will be running for the rest of the campaign.
“He came out of the Welsh National fine and we’ve just kept him ticking over since then and he’s fit and ready to go this weekend,” said Dreaper.
“The Troytown was really hard work in desperately heavy ground, which suits him best as it just takes the pace off some of the opposition.
“He just appears to be progressing because he did it well at Chepstow on ground that was soft but not Irish soft.
“It will be tough in handicaps but they’ll be proper horses in the Hennessy, horses who have proved themselves in graded company, but we need to pitch him in and it will tell us what we should be aiming at afterwards.
“The ground will be in his favour, he’ll be more effective over further than three miles but the ground should make it a long three miles.
“If he runs a big race the Gold Cup would have to come under consideration, he needs to show us on Sunday if we should be thinking about it,” added Dreaper.