Silver By Nature relying on rain in Newbury Hennessy betting

The timing of any rain will have the biggest impact on whether Silver By Nature heads to Newbury for the Hennessy Gold Cup or to Haydock to tackle the Betfair Chase.

Stamina is the leading attribute of Silver By Nature and therefore trainer Lucinda Russell is keen to run her grey in the race where the ground is going to be at its most testing.

Any rain in the coming days will mean a run against last year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Imperial Commander at Haydock, but if the showers stay away then it will be the Hennessy.

Russell said: “With Kauto Star not running in the Hennessy we are leaning a little bit more towards that, but the main thing we have to consider is the ground.

“Our horse is much better on soft and heavy ground. Ultimately the weather is going to play a part in where we go. All we need is a lot of rain at Newbury.”

Silver By Nature is 20/1 in the ante-post Newbury Hennessy horse racing betting odds, but has not run since winning at Haydock in February because of a leg injury.

If any rain does fall at Newbury in the coming week then the eight-year-old must see his price drop in the horse racing betting odds, given his previous performances in stamina-sapping races on dire ground.

The Hennessy Gold Cup is run over 3m2f and Silver By Nature has not been out of the first two in his last three starts, which have all been run over at least this trip.

Furthermore, the ground on each occasion has either been soft or heavy.

With Denman and particularly Carruthers also entered into the Hennessy there is a strong chance that the pace will be quick, which may also play into the hands of Silver By Nature when stamina becomes even more essential in the latter stages of the race.

Denman is the 4/1 favourite in the Newbury Hennessy horse racing betting. See the full ante post Hennessy winners betting odds market.