Friday 28 February 2014

Henderson Eyes Further Gold Cup Glory


Nicky Henderson will be hoping Bobs Worth can add some glory to what has been a pretty disappointing season so far for the Champion Trainer. Last year’s Gold Cup winner is expected to return to the blue riband event in the sport where he is the short-priced favourite already in the Cheltenham Gold Cup betting odds to retain
his crown. In 2013 he extended his perfect record at Prestbury Park to five victories. He saw out the 3m2f trip better than any of his rivals to finish ahead of Sir Des Champs and Long Run.

Since that triumph in the feature of the Festival last year, he has only had two outings. His seasonal reappearance did not go to plan as he put in a poor display at Haydock in the Betfair Chase in November. Although the Lancashire track was not expected to suit Henderson’s runner, even his trainer was surprised with the below-par effort as he came home a long way behind the winner Cue Card in the opening Grade One of the season.

A return to action came in Ireland in the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown where Bobs Worth was back to his best. He enjoyed the testing conditions to get up in the final 100 yards of that contest.

Paul Nicholls is hopeful Silviniaco Conti can take advantage of the experience in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2013. He fell three fences from home, despite travelling well at that point of the race.

This season has gone well so far for the chaser as he won the Grade One King Goerge VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

In the Betfair Chase he finished third behind Cue Card and Dynaste but Nicholls admitted afterwards that it was a pleasing start as he had not trained his horse to peak in his first run of the long campaign.