Bobs Worth still the one to beat in Gold Cup despite sole run
Published:It has been over 20 years since a horse last triumphed in the Cheltenham Gold Cup after having only previously run once before in the same season and this is the statistic that Bobs Worth will have to overcome if is to emerge victorious this year.
Garrison Savannah was the last horse to accomplish the feat in 1991, with Bobs Worth’s sole start in the current campaign coming when landing the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury in early December.
Nicky Henderson had planned to give him one final prep race ahead of the Gold Cup, but a bad scope just days before the Argento Chase at Cheltenham meant that he was withdrawn.
Henderson is happy that this will have no real impact on his Festival chances and given that the Argento Chase became such a treacherous stamina test, it was stated that it may be a blessing that the horse missed such a gruelling battle.
Despite this setback, Bobs Worth remains the favourite in the Cheltenham Gold Cup betting at 3/1 and his imperious Festival record still makes him tough to oppose.
Bobs Worth has won on all four of his career starts at Cheltenham and importantly has triumphed at the last two Festivals, taking the Albert Bartlett in 2011 and then the RSA Chase last year.
Furthermore, he is at his best on left-handed tracks, winning on all six career starts when running in this direction.
Meanwhile, his win in the Hennessy came off an official rating of 160, only 1lb lower than Denman in the year in which he used the Hennessy as a springboard to beating Kauto Star in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
He ticks all of the boxes and must be regarded as the one to beat. If his price drifts to 4/1 or above, Bobs Worth would represent an almost free each-way bet.
All odds and markets accurate as of publication’s time and date
