Cheltenham Gold Cup News: Henderson on Long Run and Bobs Worth

Henderson hopes cheekpieces might sharpen up Long Run

Nicky Henderson gave an update about Gold Cup favourite Bobs Worth and the 2011 Champion Long Run at his open day on Monday...

LONG RUN:

"His preparation is all going to plan. We didn't run at Newbury the other day because the ground had gone completely. Both Robert and I felt that a hard race in very, very soft ground would not achieve anything and I think that was the right decision."

"He is going to have gallop after racing on Saturday at Kempton on grass which should get him spot on. He was only six when he won the Cheltenham Gold Cup and then wasn't just at his very best last season. I cannot tell you that he is completely different this year but he is in very good order."

"Some cheekpieces might just sharpen him up - there is no point being proud - they are not the prettiest things in the world but if they make him go faster why not."

"He has regained the King George and maybe he can regain the Gold Cup."

BOBS WORTH:

"He has really got a bit to prove in that he has only really had one run outside novice chasing and that was in a handicap, so he has got to do it against the big boys. It was a good performance in the Hennessy as it was in the RSA last year."

"It is a step up and I would have liked to have run him more on the way. He had one little hiccup himself and the whole winter has been the same - the ground has been desperate. His one opportunity to run came when the ground was bottomless and I am glad we did not go for that.

"He is a horse who is a bit more fragile than some of them and he wouldn't want a hard race in heavy ground beforehand."

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