Gold Cup tilt looms for Bobs Worth

RACING: Bobs Worth is available at no bigger than 5 to 1 for next year's Cheltenham Gold Cup after proving his undoubted potential at Newbury.

The gelding was giving Nicky Henderson his second Hennessy Gold, and jockey Barry Geraghty, who bought Bobs Worth as a yearling, his first victory in the major winter handicap.

Bobs Worth is already a dual Cheltenham Festival winner in the Albert Bartlett and last season in the RSA Chase. The 4 to 1 favourite for the Hennessy took the race by 3¼ lengths from top-weight Tidal Bay.

“Barry has said before that he does need to go left-handed so I would say the King George is out of the equation and it’s just a matter of plotting a gentle route back to Cheltenham,” said Henderson.

Tidal Bay, and third-placed First Lieutenant, could go for the Lexus Chase next, a race suggested by Henderson for Bobs Worth earlier this week.

Tidal Bay’s trainer Paul Nicholls had earlier seen stayer Big Buck’s demolish all before him in taking his winning run to a staggering 18 in the Sportingbet Long Distance Hurdle.

The nine-year-old, ridden by Ruby Walsh, was hardly out of a canter as he took this race for the fourth successive year at odds of 1 to 12.

“That will put him right for the Grade One at Ascot in three weeks’ time (Long Walk Hurdle),” said Nicholls.

Walsh also galvanised Rolling Aces in the frootfal.co.ukSure Bet For Cashback Novices' Handicap Chase.

Tony McCoy snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle. Riding Donald McCain’s She Ranks Me (10 to 1) in the Listed heat, McCoy got a second wind out of the grey and finished a neck up after a nail-biting finish.