Bobs Worth to give Grands Crus a challenge in RSA Chase
Published:Grands Crus is the obvious main player in the RSA Chase, but there are a host of reasons to suggest that the smarter money may be on Bobs Worth at 3/1 to triumph to claim successive victories at the Cheltenham Festival.
Bobs Worth was victorious in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham 12 months ago and is now aiming to tread the same path that Weapons Amnesty followed in 2010 when landing the RSA Chase in the following year.
Meanwhile, Bobs Worth clearly has a soft spot for Cheltenham, having won all of his three starts at the demanding course.
He is not so prolific elsewhere, as he showed when only managing third behind Grands Crus in the Feltham Chase at Kempton over Christmas.
However, the flat track would not have played to his battling strengths and Bobs Worth will also appreciate the return to going left handed at Cheltenham, as he is known to edge slightly left at times with his jumping.
Furthermore, the 17 Feltham Chase winners that have attempted to land a lucrative double in the RSA Chase have all been beaten, which is a major statistic that Grands Crus has to overcome.
He may be more proven ahead of his visit than the likes of Joe Lively and Long Run were, but with the serious prospect that he will run in the Cheltenham Gold Cup instead, 5/4 is a short price for a horse not certain to appear.
Of the other market leaders, Invictus has suffered a setback in his final preparations and this has left him a big doubt for Cheltenham.
Meanwhile, with seven-year-olds winning the last six renewals, this does not bode well for Sir Des Champs and all of the last 48 winners had run in the same calendar year, ruling against First Lieutenant.
