RACING: Jonjo O'Neill's Joss Naylor was well backed yesterday for Saturday's Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury.

Ladbrokes have made the Jackdaws Castle inmate 9 to 1 for the feature race from 12 to 1 after some steady support while Coral go 8 to 1 from 14s.

The eight-year-old has not run since finishing unplaced in the William Hill National Hunt Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

However, recent rain at Newbury has seen the ground turn in Joss Naylor's favour and punters have been keen to get on.

The ground at Newbury is now good, good to soft in places after some substantial rain in the last day.

Clerk of the course Richard Osgood said yesterday: "We are good, good to soft in places at the moment. We had 18 millimetres of rain overnight but it stopped raining at about 10 this morning and it has been bright since then.

"From Friday to Monday we had 43 millimetres but we are taking it well as we've not had much rain over the summer."

Further rain is expected nearer the weekend and Osgood expects the ground to stay on the easier side. "More rain is coming on Friday with four to eight millimetres predicted and then some more on Saturday," he added.

"I don't think we'll be far off good to soft ground on Saturday but that, of course, depends on how much rain we get."

Coral are also reporting some good support for the recent Cheltenham winner Shardam and Willie Mullins's raider Hedgehunter.

Shardam won the Open Trophy Handicap Chase in impressive style earlier this month while Hedgehunter has been off the course since finishing second at the Punchestown Festival in April.