[1] Bula was a brown gelding sired by Raincheck, who had run unplaced in the 1951 Derby and was a son of Prix du Jockey Club winner Tourbillion.
Bula was bought by Captain Bill Edwards-Heathcote in Dublin in 1968 for 1,350 guineas, and subsequently put into training with Fred Winter in the summer of 1969.
Among field of nine, the smallest since 1953, were Persian War, that horse’s old rival Major Rose, Moyne Royal and Dondieu, and Bula was rated the 15/8 favourite.
[5] Bula confirmed his dominance over his contemporaries by winning the Welsh Champion Hurdle under 12 st from True Luck (receiving 16 lbs) and Persian War back in third.
[8] Bula suffered a defeat on his return in the Autumn, finishing second by a neck to I’m Happy in the Woolton Hill Hurdle at Newbury after making a mistake at the last flight.
[9] He returned to winning ways in the Skeaping Trophy Hurdle at Sandown,[9] but badly bruised a foreleg in the process and missed nearly four months of racing.
[10] Bula returned to racing in February and, despite the layoff, won the Kingwell Hurdle for the second time by four lengths hard held from Irish Sweeps winner Kelanne.
By virtue of his record, Bula was a short-priced favourite to win the race, and all bar one tipster made him their selection ahead of Comedy Of Errors.
[3] In the race, both fancied horses were held up at the back of the field, but while Comedy Of Errors made smooth progress to overtake the leaders, Bula was under pressure from some way out and finished fifth behind his rival.
[3] He then followed that up with a five-length defeat of Royal Relief and Arkle Trophy winner Canasta Lad in a two-mile chase at Sandown.
Bula then stepped up in trip to three miles in the Fairlawne Chase at Windsor, where he defeated Royal Relief and Manicou Bay by eight lengths.
The heavy going took its toll on the field, and as Captain Christy and former Gold Cup winner The Dikler were pulled up, Bula made a vital mistake at the last and finished third by six lengths to Ten Up and Soothsayer.
[15] Bula returned in the Sundew Chase over three miles at Haydock, triumphing by eight lengths from Royal Relief and Grand National winner Red Rum.
[17] In the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day, he lost to old rival Captain Christy, who led the whole way and finished thirty lengths clear of the field.
[17] The 1976 Gold Cup experienced a slight dearth of top-class staying chasers after Captain Christy and Pendil were injured and withdrawn.
On better ground than the previous renewal, Bula was made the 6/4 favourite, but he laboured throughout the race and finished sixth to up-and-coming chaser Royal Frolic.
[18] Bula again won his season debut, the Jack White Chase at Market Rasen, by a distance from the Arkle winner Broncho.