Carruthers all set to break the drought of the back-to-back strike in the Hennessy Gold Cup
With the Hennessy Gold Cup even closer than just round the corner, all the stables which are getting represented have one agenda or the other in mind. Some are good with only being the part of the spectacle, some have the frame of the first three positions in their mind while for some the outcome of the race will give them a fair idea about the future options of their under charge.
An altogether different approach is put forth by the connections of the nine-year-old bay gelding, Carruthers, who landed the 2011 edition of the race. The team has in mind to achieve what the mighty Arkle did, win the race twice in a row. This held true in 1964 and 1965 when Arkle defended his title successfully.
The proposition is not half bad, but then who and how long back was able to strike the impossible should also be borne in mind. The field that is all set to thunder down the distance at Newbury is the sort that gets collected once in a lifetime, and gaining triumph against such competition has to be the essence of the National Hunt season.
The Mark Bradstock trained won the Grade 3 Hennessy Chase in 2011 with jockey, Mattie Batchelor. They defeated Planet Of Sound by 3 ¾ lengths.
This time the favourite entry for the race is the Nicky Henderson trained, Bobs Worth, and the same trainer has also secured his chances with, Roberto Goldback.
The term of the Oaksey Partnership owned was a highly uneventful one and his last success remains to be at Hennessy. The connections are positively convinced that his form is impressive, it just lacks some recent practice.
"I'm really looking forward to it. I hope it doesn't dry up too much and make it really sticky ground. especially after a day's racing on Friday," his trainer Mark Bradstock told At The Races.
"He's in really good form. He's only got 10st 7lb - I'm certainly not complaining about that. The likes of Bobs Worth have got to give him about a stone. It's going to be interesting.
"He had 11st 12lb on his back in really nasty ground which we've always known he can't cope with. He is not a robust enough horse to carry that kind of weight anyway."
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