Bobs Worth bids to regain Hennessy

Despite the absence of current Cheltenham Gold Cup holder Coneygree, there is still one winner of the blue riband in today's Hennessy Gold Cup field, with the well-backed Bobs Worth running for Nicky Henderson.

The 2012 Hennessy hero will be ridden by Nico de Boinville in Coneygree's absence and warmed up for a return to Newbury with an uplifting triumph over hurdles at Aintree earlier this month.

Henderson said: "We've come in on an odd preparation, if you like, in that we've given him a run over hurdles, but it was always in my mind that would amuse him and it was good. I don't know what sort of a race it turned out to be, but it was perfect for what we wanted to do with him."

The Seven Barrows handler went on: "He's got a race under his belt that he has enjoyed. He's won this before in 2012, but he's in a different place nowadays to where he was then, so it's probably going to be tougher.

"He's very special, he's very loved and he has a fantastic team of owners. He's fallen down the pecking order a bit, but our job is to get these horses back and what we were doing at Aintree the other day was part of the plan.

"He's had some very hard battles and they show, at the end of the day. If he could come back and win a race like this it would be very special."

Fingal Bay, who was pulled up in the race when well fancied 12 months ago, is one of two runners for Philip Hobbs.

Jockey Richard Johnson told At The Races: "He had a really good run, I thought, at Kempton behind Smad Place on level weights that day and in the Hennessy we're getting 9lb. You'd like to think wherever Smad Place finishes, we won't be far away.

"I think he's got a live each-way chance, but it's probably made it even more open now Coneygree has come out.

"We could never get to the bottom of why he wasn't right last year. He didn't run from February until Kempton a few weeks ago and he wanted to get on with it. He jumped nicely and he's bound to have improved for the run as he's a big, stuffy horse.

"He's 9lb lower than last year, but he had two very poor performances last year so it was fair enough for the handicapper to drop him."

Hobbs also saddles the JP McManus-owned If In Doubt, who will be partnered by Barry Geraghty.

The Minehead handler said: "He's a backward horse and he's in particularly good form, but the main problem has been his jumping."

Neil Mulholland is another trainer with two live chances through The Druids Nephew and The Young Master, runner-up to Saphir Du Rheu at Carlisle.

"They both deserve to be there, they are obviously in good form so it's fingers crossed," he said.

"The Young Master has been pleasing us. He had a nice reappearance run over two and a half miles and we've been very happy. He's a progressive horse and I hope he continues that way. He's only six and this is just his second season as a chaser.

"I definitely think Saphir Du Rheu is a classier horse, but we are meeting him on better terms than Carlisle and we are definitely more of a stayer. We're not going there saying we are going to win, but they should both be competitive.

"Soft ground would be a concern for The Druids Nephew. There are other options for him so it doesn't have to be about Saturday, but he has been trained for it."

First Lieutenant finished third to Bobs Worth three years ago and though he has struggled to show his best of late, trainer Mouse Morris is not without hope.

Morris said: "He is grand after his run in Clonmel and there is not a bother on him. We left the headgear off there because he was just starting back and I thought it was a very good run. He is showing me a bit of sparkle and I feel there is still a good bit of ability there if I can get him back."

Colin Tizzard's Theatre Guide, representing a yard in red-hot form, is at the bottom of the weights.

"He has done a lot of work since he finished third at Wetherby," said Tizzard.

"Of all the horses we have run this season, he definitely needed his first run the most. He has been working with Cue Card, although he has not been keeping up with him.

"He has been placed in the Hennessy before (two years ago) off a higher mark and I think he is a better horse now."