Brooks gives Suny Bay the go-ahead

Both Suny Bay and Coome Hill are set to go to post for tomorrow's Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury. Charlie Brooks gave Suny Bay the go-ahead after checking the track yesterday.

The grey has been favourite for the first big staying chase of the season ever since his runaway victory in the Edward Hanmer Memorial Chase at Haydock last week.

Brooks has since hinted that he might bypass Newbury, as he was critical of the state of the going and claimed the course was more concerned with Flat racing than jumping.

But after walking the course he said: "I have had a look this morning and I am happy. Suny Bay will run on Saturday."

"It is good ground and they have had a lot of rain. I have aired some things which needed airing and I think Newbury will now address them."

"Suny Bay is fine and hasn't done much work since Haydock. He has got quite a lot of weight but he has got a decent chance on Saturday."

And Coome Hill's participation in tomorrow's feature looks increasingly likely following another satisfactory workout yesterday morning.

Walter Dennis had been edging towards sending last year's winner back to Newbury since the gelding impressed in a gallop on Wednesday.

And the Bude permit-holder is now convinced that his stable-star is sufficiently recovered from a setback he suffered when third on his reappearance at Cheltenham a fortnight ago.

"Coome Hill worked again this morning and we're reasonably optimistic," Dennis said. "All other things being equal he is going to run.

"He has had problems since Cheltenham which I have made the public aware of but he wouldn't be going to Newbury unless I was happy with him and he has now done a couple of good pieces of work.

"I am never confident and he has got a fair old weight but he's well otherwise he would not be running."

Coome Hill will have a new jockey tomorrow, with Mick Fitzgerald replacing the injured Jamie Osborne.

Fitzgerald has never sat on the eight-year-old but Dennis said: "That doesn't worry me as he is a very straightforward ride. Every jockey who has won on him had never schooled him before."

Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup betting:

William Hill: 5-2 Suny Bay, 7-1 Djeddah & Time For A Run, 8-1 Banjo and Trying Again, 101 General Wolfe, 12-1 Belmont King and Coome Hill, 14-1 Barton Bank & Eudipe (from 16-1), 20-1 Ciel de Brion (from 33-1) and Cool Dawn, 25-1 bar.

Ladbrokes: 5-2 Suny Bay, 6-1 Banjo (with a run) and Time For A Run, 7-1 Djeddah, 8-1 Trying Again, 10-1 Belmont King, 12-1 Barton Bank, Coome Hill and General Wolfe, 16-1 Ciel de Brion (from 25-1) and Eudipe, 20-1 bar.