2012 Irish Hennessy Betting Preview

What a battle we have ahead of us in the 2012 Irish Hennessy at Leopardstown on February 12. Easily some of the most talented chasers in the whole of Ireland will be pursuing this one and there's a lot to like about several of the contenders here. The field is so deep that a number of the double digit runners look quite plausible for this one so you can expect a lot of interesting swings in the ante post wagering as we draw closer to the off.

CLICK HERE FOR YOUR FREE BET ON THE IRISH HENNESSY WITH WILLIAM HILL!

Synchronised headlines the market and has been beat down as low as 9/4 by a number of punters. It's a respectable status and more than justified, both by his 155 rating and his score back in December in the Grade 1 Lexus Chase. Sent off at 8/1 on the day he now looks set to fulfil many of the expectations one would have for such a talented son of the legendary Sadler's Wells.

A Jonjo O'Neill/JP McManus combo, he had also won the Welsh National in early 2011 and a listed contest at Uttoexeter earlier in 2010 but that was about it for the nine-year-old bay. Now with that big Grade 1 score under his belt he's being expected to kick on and flash some of that quality that many of us have expected from him over his career.

Quito De La Roque lines up for Colin Murphy and was beaten by Synchronised on the day of the Lexus Chase by the better part of eleven lengths. He earned all the plaudits by disposing of last season's champion Sizing Europe in the JNWine.com Champion Chase at Down Royal on his seasonal debut and strung together a festival double with a win in the Mildmay Novices' Chase (a Grade 2 event) at Aintree before kicking on to take the Growise Novice Chase at Punchestown over the likes of Western Charmer.

He'll be looking to bounce back in this one and he carries a very enticing price that now floats around a 4/1 or 7/2 margin depending on who you're wagering with.

Quel Esprit has lots of spirit and is undefeated in both efforts so far this season. Sent off at odds-on both times, he has been selectively campaigned by Willy Mullins – who generally knows how to pick his spots. He had a really unlucky season last year and looks to have plenty left to show this year so expect him to put in a better than expected shift. However, it should be noted that he has not beat the quality that Quito De La Roque has in the past.

Diamond Harry is lining up for this one and there is a significant variance in his price with some bookmakers listing him at 9/1 and others at 14/1. A win in his seasonal debut saw him jump up to the highest echelons of chasing where he was summarily routed by a combined 32 lengths spread across the Betfair Chase and the Cotswold.