IT WAS by the skin of his teeth but Barry Geraghty kept up his record of riding at least one winner at each of the last 10 Cheltenham festivals when Bobs Worth justified a big gamble in the Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle.
After a frustrating succession of placed runs all week, there was extra spice for the Irish jockey as he bought Bobs Worth as a yearling and sold him on at four into the Nicky Henderson yard.
The Lambourn trainer also saddled yesterday’s runner-up Mossley for a much-needed pre-Gold Cup confidence boost.
“We’ve been having seconds all week long. They’ve been running well but the first day especially was purgatory because they were so close,” Henderson said.
Geraghty was as aware of that as anyone else and said afterwards: “If I’d had another winner in the week I’d have said he was a certainty today but after this week it was hard to say. The results weren’t coming our way.
“This horse is unassuming. He never gives you the impression he has all that but then away he goes. He has a lovely attitude. I’d say we got a fair price for him when we sold him and now I’m getting bonuses on his back. I’ve no complaints!”
Unlike Geraghty, it was a maiden festival success for Co Wexford-born jockey Daryl Jacob who powered the Paul Nicholls second string, Zarkandar to a Triumph Hurdle defeat of Dermot Weld’s Unaccompanied.
The regally bred winner – he is a half brother to the Arc heroine Zarkava – overcame a lack of experience to earn quotes of as low as 10 to 1 for next year’s Champion Hurdle.
Jacob had endured some narrow defeats earlier in the week and admitted: “It’s a big relief. I’ve hit the crossbar a few times so it’s nice to get a winner on the board.”
Nicholls added: “When I saw him at the Aga Khan’s, I loved him but he was very colty. Gelding him has mentally turned him inside out.”
Weld felt the winner did Unaccompanied few favours on the run to the last but predicted a big future for the Moyglare-owned filly.
“We will aim her at the Listed Salsabil Stakes over 10 furlongs at Navan and if the ground is suitable look at a Grade One at Punchestown,” he said. “She’s a big filly and will be one to look forward to over hurdles next season.”
