WITH the Cheltenham Festival now 7 days away, the Sun Racing team will be bringing you their ‘Festival 50’ every day between now and 10 March.
We will salute the Prestbury Park heroes that made us fall in love with the Festival, all the way until the ‘Cheltenham roar’ signals that the wait is finally over.
Number 7: Bobs Worth
Not many horses make Nicky Henderson smile as much as the legendary Bobs Worth does.
It was always apparent the king of Seven Barrows had a smart one on his hands from the early days.
But no one could have expected the heights the bay did reach, with the history books re-written following his memorable Gold Cup win in 2013.
He became the first horse since the black and white days of Flyingbolt to win three different races in a row at the Festival.
The first of his hat-trick was at the end of a novice hurdling campaign full of promise.
On his way to the Festival he beat the likes of Sire De Grugy and Rock On Ruby. Henderson had a smart one on his hands and punters agreed.
He’d go off 15-8 favourite for the Albert Bartlett and he gave Barry Geraghty little to worry about bar a final hurdle wonder, with a cosy enough win.
Fences were always going to be where he made headway though and he’d be tucked away for a long summer before Henderson would unleash him again.
He’d reappear in the Grade 2 Berkshire Chase at Newbury, a sign of confidence in itself.
A head-to-head with Cue Card went his way that afternoon, but he’d then be beat in the Feltham at Kempton and then the Reynoldstown at Ascot in the build-up to the Festival.
But as all champions do, you just knew he’d come good when it really mattered.
Grade 1 winner and Big Buck’s bridesmaid Grands Crus was seemingly the one to beat after a blistering start to life as a chaser.
But as the old saying goes, a horse doesn’t know its price and David Pipe’s star would fall away on the long run in.
It was left to Geraghty and Davy Russell on First Lieutenant to eyeball each other in front of the grandstand.
Bobs Worth was keen as mustard and pulled away in the closing stages. He was a taking winner and had fully announced himself as a Gold Cup contender.
Henderson knew it too and off a mark of 160 he’d win the Hennessy the following year as a well-backed 4-1 jolly. The scene was fully set.
Straight back to Cheltenham it was – where he remained unbeaten in four outings – and again confidence was high.
But Geraghty wasn’t in his usual rhythm on the horse and where the pair would normally be up with the pace as it quickened, a Silviniaco Conti fall left Bobs Worth in fourth and with close to a dozen lengths to make up on Dawn Run.
But out of shot the horse began to realise where he was and ‘Bobs Worth is eating up the ground’ came the cry.
Still fourth approaching the second last, that would change with a huge leap and he soon powered into the lead.
His head carriage says it all. He was pulling Geraghty to a famous win and only Sir Des Champs could keep tabs on him towards the line.
If his career was to end there, he’d have gone down as a true great of Prestbury Park.
A chequered record the next few years would tarnish his reputation with some, but winning three of the biggest races in the fashion he did just can’t be ignored.
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