After Kauto Star’s narrowest of wins in the Betfair Chase at Haydock at the weekend, trainer Paul Nicholls now has his eye on Saturday’s Newbury Hennessy Gold Cup.

He has the leading light in top weight Denman who won the race two years ago, also carrying 11st 12lbs, and What A Friend, owned by Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, who would love nothing better than to taste Hennessy success.

Many of Nicholls' horses have needed the run first time this season and Denman is a hard sort to get fit.

For that reason he is opposable with stablemate What A Friend who gets a massive 22lbs from Denman.

A second-season novice, What A Friend has a light weight of 10st 4lbs.

All the early money has been for Nicky Henderson’s Barbers Shop, cut from 16-1 to 7-1 third favourite following the defection of Notre Pere and Madison du Berlais.

Barbers Shop was beaten by just under three lengths by Imperial Commander in receipt of 3lbs in last year’s Paddy Power Gold Cup so the form is there for a big run.

The bet for the race, however, has to be 7-4 Nicholls to train the winner as he also has My Will, third in last year’s Grand National and second in the |JNwine.com Champion Chase behind The Listener at the Down Royal Festival earlier this month, in the line-up.

The Ditcheat handler is 6-1 to make it a 1-2 and 16-1 for a 1-2-3 in Newbury’s big race.

Meanwhile, Kauto Star looks nailed on for Kempton on Boxing Day after that dramatic Betfair triumph over Imperial Commander at Haydock — a gutsy display which will leave him cherry ripe for the King George VI Chase. The 10-11 is good value as he will certainly not drift in the betting unless something untoward happens.

For the Gold Cup, he remains unchanged at 7-4, but Imperial has been slashed from 12s down to 6-1.

Kauto is chasing a unique fourth consecutive win in the King George and a third Cheltenham Gold Cup. Hill’s go |100-30 that he will do the double again.

That is a special bet as bookies will not allow you to do a double at the current odds because if he wins easily at Kempton, then he will probably be no better than a 5-4 chance for the Festival.

Another Nicholls horse at the centre of attention is Master Minded, following his seasonal start and defeat at Cheltenham.

He is out of the Tingle Creek at Sandown and, indeed, may not run for the rest of the season, which makes Well Chief a good bet at 8-1 for the Champion Chase next March.

Well Chief should also be backed at 5-2 for the Tingle Creek for which Big Zeb is 6-4 favourite and who was just beaten by Master Minded last March while Well Chief mastered Minded a fortnight ago.