Saphir gets top billing for Gold tilt

His participation in the prestigious handicap chase had been under a cloud following a small setback but the hope over the last few days was that he might be able to run.

The schooling session was the acid test under regular jockey Nico de Boinville but trainer Mark Bradstock and his wife, Sara, were not happy enough with his jumping to let him take his chance.

“I’m afraid we’re not running. He just didn’t school well enough. He over-reached which he’s never done before which suggests he’s not comfortable,” said Sara Bradstock.

“He didn’t jump badly but for him, it wasn’t him. We’ve always said if there was any residual pain left we weren’t going to take a risk.

“He definitely wasn’t himself.

“Obviously the prime thing is to get him feeling absolutely on top of the world and not worrying about his foot.

“We’ve got a month to either the King George or the Lexus.

“I think all will be well. It’s a timing thing.

“We’re just worried about it. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if we haven’t flared it and he wasn’t lame on it again tonight.

“It’s just his foot, it’s not structural damage.”

Coneygree’s absence means the weights will rise by 9lb, leaving Saphir Du Rheu as the new top weight and clear ante-post favourite in his absence.

The pair had been vying for top spot at around 7-2. Now Saphir Du Rheu is clear market leader.

The Paul Nicholls-trained six-year-old is 3-1 with Betfair, who are to refund all Hennessy ante-post bets on Coneygree.

Spokesman Barry Orr said: “The ‘will he/won’t he?’ nature surrounding the Gold Cup winner’s participation and subsequent confirmation of his withdrawal has prompted us to refund all ante-post bets and let punters bet with some degree of certainty now he has been removed.

“Unsurprisingly, Saphir Du Rheu is now clear favourite at 3-1 and he has been a very popular choice since his seasonal reappearance.”

The ride on 2012 Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Bobs Worth is still up for grabs.

Now a 10-year-old, Nicky Henderson coaxed him back to winning form over hurdles last time out, his first success since winning the Lexus Chase in December, 2013.

As a result of that winless streak, Bobs Worth has plummeted down the weights and finds himself able to run this weekend off a mark some 27lb below his career high.

Having won the Hennessy in 2012 off 160, he will run off just 153 on Saturday.

However, with usual partner Barry Geraghty likely to be required by his boss JP McManus and Nico De Boinville, who rode him at Aintree, on last season’s Gold Cup winner and top weight Coneygree, Henderson needs to put his thinking cap on.

‘There are a lot of ifs and buts before we decide who rides,” said Henderson.

Micky Hammond was in flying form at Sedgefield yesterday, saddling a 43-1 double, and he looks to have leading claims in the Last Day racinguk.com/freetrial Handicap Chase with Yorkist.

The former Brian Ellison inmate kept decent company last season, culminating in a solid second to the smart Duke Of Navan in a Listed chase at Ayr.

After switching trainers over the summer, he did not exactly cover himself in glory on his reappearance at Aintree, finishing a well-beaten fifth, but that came in a class 2 contest and the slight drop in grade could help.

It may also be telling that Middleham-based Hammond has recruited the services of Sam Twiston-Davies to ride and a repeat of his last effort in Yorkshire, when winning by 23 lengths at Catterick last time, could be enough to get back to winning ways.

Another one to look out for at Wetherby is Milansbar, who is one of just four runners for the Last Day Racing UK Free Trial Beginners’ Chase.

Neil King’s gelding was a hugely progressive type over hurdles last season, progressing from a relatively lowly handicap mark of 112 to winning a Kelso contest off 29lb higher in March.

Although he has to concede the edge in terms of experience to Towton Novices’ Chase runner-up Kaki De La Pree, that rival was not quite up to the same level over timber so Milansbar could get the better of what promises to be an intriguing battle.