Royal Auclair, generally available at 8-1, showed he is ready for Saturday’s £120,000 (€171,500) handicap chase by pleasing his trainer on the gallops today.

“He worked really well this morning and going left-handed will be much better for him,” Nicholls told At The Races.

“It’s a competitive race but he must be one of the leading players.

“I rode the winner of the Hennessy twice and we got lucky to win it last year with Strong Flow, so it would be nice to win it twice as a trainer as well.”

Nicholls revealed that an operation to cure a breathing problem has helped Royal Auclair recapture his best form.

“He was second to Grey Abbey at Doncaster last year and was just beaten by Puntal in the Betfred Gold Cup,” Nicholls went on.

“He was struggling with his breathing and showed the benefit of an operation during the summer when he won the other day at Wincanton.”

Tony McCoy believes that First Gold will still be a tough nut to crack despite being burdened with 11st 12lb.

“He is not getting any younger but he is a class horse. You would just be a bit worried that some of the lesser, more unexposed horses like Nil Desperandum or Lord Transcend are going to give him plenty to do,” the champion jockey told Racing UK.

“But he is a very high-class horse, and even with top-weight, whatever beats him would have a very hard race, I would think.

“He did seem to run a lot of his best races from in front, but they were over three miles over fast tracks like Kempton and Aintree, so we will just have to play it by ear, and I will have to speak to Mr Doumen.”

David Dunsdon – owner, amateur rider and full time-time student – is looking forward to riding his own horse Joly Bey.

“He’s schooled like a gazelle and his preparation has been very good,” he said of the seven-year-old trained by Nick Gifford.

The 22-year-old, who is studying business management at Surrey University, has been working hard to make his mount’s handicap weight but he will be unable to claim his 3lb allowance.

“I will do 10st 3lb on Saturday but I will have to negate my claim. I won’t be able to do any less,” he said.

“I’ve been pounding the miles away on the road and in the gym.

“I train a pointer at home, ride her out every day and I normally come down to Findon two or three times a week.

“Obviously it’s difficult being a full-time student but I ride whenever my schedule permits me.”

Supreme Glory, trained by Pat Murphy, makes his comeback from injury in the Hennessy in what will be his first race since he finished second in the 2003 Grand National,

“He’s fit and ready to run. I’m very much looking forward to having him back on the track,” his jockey Leighton Aspell told At The Races.

“You never know, there might be a bit of place money to be had. He’s not got a lot of miles on the clock and any time there has been a suspicion of any kind of any problem they have stopped straightaway.

“Pat has really looked after him so they could be a nice race in him.”

On the betting front, Irish raider Nil Desperandum continues to have his supporters and Ladbrokes cut Frances Crowley’s seven year-old to 5-1 from 6-1, having laid him ante-post at 25-1.

“Punters are backing him with ominous confidence,” said Balthazar Fabricius, of Ladbrokes.

Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup betting:

Ladbrokes: 11-4 Celestial Gold, 5-1 Nil Desperandum, 6-1 Joly Bey, 7-1 Lord Transcend, Ollie Magern, 8-1 Royal Auclair, 10-1 Ballycassidy, 16-1 Frenchman´s Creek, Gunther McBride, Take The Stand, 20-1 First Gold, 25-1 bar.

Totesport: 3-1 Celestial Gold, 11-2 Joly Bey, 13-2 Nil Desperandum, 8-1 Lord Transcend, Ollie Magern, Royal Auclair, 9-1 Ballycassidy, 16-1 Frenchman’s Creek, Vodka Bleu, 18-1 Gunther McBride, 20-1 First Gold, Take The Stand, 25-1 bar.

William Hill: 3-1 Celestial Gold, 6-1 Joly Bey, 7-1 Lord Transcend, 8-1 Ollie Magern, Royal Auclair, Nil Desperandum, 9-1 Ballycassidy, 16-1 Frenchman’s Creek, 20-1 First Gold, Gunther McBride, 25-1 bar.