Alner has grounds for optimism

The rain came down heavily at Newbury overnight and in doing so raised hopes that Robert Alner can help punters land one of the biggest antepost gambles of the season with Sir Rembrandt in the Hennessy Gold Cup.

Dorset-based Alner already has one potential star chaser on his hands in the fast-improving Kingscliff and is taking the bull by the horns as he tries to land Saturday's big handicap with a horse who has had just four runs over jumps and only two over fences.

The seven-year-old has been backed from 20-1 to as short as 7-1 to land the Hennessy on his first run for almost a year, but Alner has warned punters that none of the money has come from his direction.

He said: "Sir Rembrandt had heat in a leg after winning at Cheltenham last year, so we've looked after him, but he stays and jumps very well and seems to like Newbury.

"Where the money has come from God only knows, but he seems in great shape and I do think that he's the right type for the race."

Connections of other leading fancies like Irish Hussar and Joss Naylor were also delighted to hear that further rain had fallen at Newbury, where estate manager Richard Osgood reports the ground as "on the easy side of good and likely to get softer." He added: "We had more than half an inch of rain overnight and it has carried on raining for most of the morning.