Press Release:
Bobs Worth is clear favourite at 5-1 with Sportingbet to win the 56th running of the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury on Saturday, 1 December following today's announcement of the weights for the leading pre-Christmas staying handicap steeplechase.
A classy seven-year-old, the gelding who will be bidding to give Lambourn trainer Nicky Henderson a second winner of the race following the success of Trabolgan in 2005, has been allotted 11st 6lb.
The winner of a four-runner novice chase at the Sportingbet Winter Festival last year, Bobs Worth has only had four races over fences, but underlined his potential with success in the RSA Chase at Cheltenham's festival meeting in the spring.
‘He has the same profile as Trabolgan in that he’s a young horse coming through and this will be his first test against the older horses.' said Henderson, whose three other entries in the race include Roberto Goldback, impressive when winning at Ascot at the beginning of the month and handicapped 11st 8lb.
Stablemate Burton Port shares top weight of 11st 12 with recent Wetherby winner Tidal Bay, whose high rating came as no surprise to champion trainer Paul Nicholls.
“It takes a while to work them out sometimes and we’ve tried a few different things with him at home, but we think we’ve got the measure of him now' said Nicholls, who won the Hennessy twice as a jockey and three times as a trainer with Strong Flow in 2003 and Denman in 2007 and again in 2009. Harry The Viking, part-owned by Sir Alex Ferguson and a 14/1 shot with Sportingbet, is likely to be Nicholls’ other representative.
Ballabriggs, winner of the 2011 John Smith's Grand National will carry 11st 2lb if given the green light to run by trainer Donald McCain whose other entry Weird Al has 11st 10lb.
With 10st 7lb, last year's Hennessy hero Carruthers has 3lb more to shoulder this time round, while Diamond Harry, who etched his name on the coveted trophy with a thrilling one and a quarter lengths victory under 10st two years ago, has had his weight increased by the same amount.
British Horseracing Authority senior handicapper, Phil Smith, was among guests at a special lunch held to announce the Hennessy weights in Newbury's Royal Box today. He said, “When looking at Bobs Worth the key horse in the race is First Lieutenant who he beat in the RSA Chase. I had to give him more for that and so I was stuck on 160 with him.
“It is much easier when you don’t have a Denman in the race running off 174, but it’s worth remembering that he won his first Hennessy off a mark of 161. If Bobs Worth wins the Hennessy off a mark of 160 he’s definitely a potential Gold Cup winner.”
Latest Sportingbet prices: 5-1 Bobs Worth; 8-1 The Package; 9-1 Grands Crus; 10-1 Hold On Julio; 12-1 First Lieutenant; 14-1 Tidal Bay, Michel Le Bon, Harry The Viking, 16-1 The Giant Bolster, Roberto Goldback, Time For Rupert, Teaforthree, Problema Tic, Duke Of Lucca; 20-1 Burton Port, Weird Al, Quantitativeeasing, Planet Of Sound, Wayward Prince, Shakalakaboomboom, Balthazar King, Frisco Depot; 25-1 bar.
Trends for the Hennessy Gold Cup
Bobs Worth is clear favourite at 5-1 with Sportingbet to win the 56th running of the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury on Saturday, 1 December following today's announcement of the weights for the leading pre-Christmas staying handicap steeplechase.
A classy seven-year-old, the gelding who will be bidding to give Lambourn trainer Nicky Henderson a second winner of the race following the success of Trabolgan in 2005, has been allotted 11st 6lb.
The winner of a four-runner novice chase at the Sportingbet Winter Festival last year, Bobs Worth has only had four races over fences, but underlined his potential with success in the RSA Chase at Cheltenham's festival meeting in the spring.
‘He has the same profile as Trabolgan in that he’s a young horse coming through and this will be his first test against the older horses.' said Henderson, whose three other entries in the race include Roberto Goldback, impressive when winning at Ascot at the beginning of the month and handicapped 11st 8lb.
Stablemate Burton Port shares top weight of 11st 12 with recent Wetherby winner Tidal Bay, whose high rating came as no surprise to champion trainer Paul Nicholls.
“It takes a while to work them out sometimes and we’ve tried a few different things with him at home, but we think we’ve got the measure of him now' said Nicholls, who won the Hennessy twice as a jockey and three times as a trainer with Strong Flow in 2003 and Denman in 2007 and again in 2009. Harry The Viking, part-owned by Sir Alex Ferguson and a 14/1 shot with Sportingbet, is likely to be Nicholls’ other representative.
Ballabriggs, winner of the 2011 John Smith's Grand National will carry 11st 2lb if given the green light to run by trainer Donald McCain whose other entry Weird Al has 11st 10lb.
With 10st 7lb, last year's Hennessy hero Carruthers has 3lb more to shoulder this time round, while Diamond Harry, who etched his name on the coveted trophy with a thrilling one and a quarter lengths victory under 10st two years ago, has had his weight increased by the same amount.
British Horseracing Authority senior handicapper, Phil Smith, was among guests at a special lunch held to announce the Hennessy weights in Newbury's Royal Box today. He said, “When looking at Bobs Worth the key horse in the race is First Lieutenant who he beat in the RSA Chase. I had to give him more for that and so I was stuck on 160 with him.
“It is much easier when you don’t have a Denman in the race running off 174, but it’s worth remembering that he won his first Hennessy off a mark of 161. If Bobs Worth wins the Hennessy off a mark of 160 he’s definitely a potential Gold Cup winner.”
Latest Sportingbet prices: 5-1 Bobs Worth; 8-1 The Package; 9-1 Grands Crus; 10-1 Hold On Julio; 12-1 First Lieutenant; 14-1 Tidal Bay, Michel Le Bon, Harry The Viking, 16-1 The Giant Bolster, Roberto Goldback, Time For Rupert, Teaforthree, Problema Tic, Duke Of Lucca; 20-1 Burton Port, Weird Al, Quantitativeeasing, Planet Of Sound, Wayward Prince, Shakalakaboomboom, Balthazar King, Frisco Depot; 25-1 bar.
Trends for the Hennessy Gold Cup
. I'm sure Mr Henderson is thinking the same.
