RESTLESS HARRY BIDDING FOR BACK-TO-BACK WINS IN JOHN SMITH'S HURDLE AT WETHERBY

Restless Harry won the £32,000 Grade Two John Smith's Hurdle (2.50pm, 11 entries) in tremendous style last season when scoring by 20 lengths and the eight-year-old is on course for a repeat bid in the three mile, one furlong contest at Wetherby on Saturday, November 3, 2012, day two of the bet365 Charlie Hall Meeting.

Warwickshire-based Dickin said today: "Restless Harry is very likely to run in the John Smith's Hurdle. He is very well and he has been working very well. I would say he has strengthened up over the summer and he is a lot more grown up in his head than he was.

"On September 1, we moved stables and definitely all the surroundings and turn out really suit him - he is very calm and relaxed now.

"I was very pleased with how he performed last season and in jumping terms you would have to say Big Buck's is the long distance hurdling Frankel - which he is, make no mistake about it.

"Restless Harry is probably a bit unfortunate to be around at the same time as Big Buck's but he has been placed in races behind him. Big Buck's doesn't get the credit he deserves. I have been racing 42 years now and I have never ever witnessed anything like it - he is just incredible.

"Our horse tipped up on his final start last season at Aintree but he schooled over hurdles and fences since then and there is no way that has put him off.

"He is as fit as a flea and I was astonished by the way he won last year. If he repeats that performance, by God they have all got to go some to beat him, even under a penalty.

"We will also look to explore the chasing route with him again this season. I disagree with the critics - I think he jumped very well in both his starts last season and the horse that beat him at Chepstow, Teaforthree, won the four miler at Cheltenham and is obviously a very smart horse.

"I don't think anyone can look at the form book and say he has run badly over fences because he has not."

Other notable entries in the Grade Two contest include Alan King's World Hurdle third Smad Place, Cheltenham Festival and Aintree Grand National meeting handicap scorer Cape Tribulation and Tom George's Liverpool Hurdle runner-up Crack Away Jack.

Also among the entries is last year's runner-up Fair Along and last season's Bet365 Gold Cup winner Tidal Bay, trained by Paul Nicholls.

An exciting seven-race card at Wetherby on bet365 Charlie Hall Chase Day begins at 12.35pm and is headlined by the £100,000 Grade Two bet365 Charlie Hall Chase (3.25pm).

A total of 14 entries include last year's comfortable winner Weird Al, trained by Donald McCain, Grade Two John Smith's Mildmay Novices' Chase scorer Silviniaco Conti and Cheltenham Gold Cup fifth Time For Rupert.

Other possible starters include Mouse Morris' RSA Chase runner-up First Lieutenant and the Neil Mulholland-trained Grade Two Argento Chase hero Midnight Chase.

Run over three miles and a furlong, the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase has been won by some top-class staying chasers including Wayward Lad (1983 & 1985), Burrough Hill Lad (1984), Forgive 'n Forget (1986), Barton Bank (1993 & 1995), One Man (1996 & 1997), See More Business (1999 & 2000) and Our Vic (2006).

The two-day bet365 Charlie Hall Meeting gets underway with a six-race card on Friday, November 2, headlined by the £23,500 Listed bet365 Handicap Chase (2.00pm, 26 entries) over an extended two and a half miles and the £15,000 Listed Weatherbys Hamilton Insurance Wensleydale Juvenile Hurdle (2.35pm, 13 entries) over an extended two miles. The first race is due off at 1.00pm.

GOING

The going at Wetherby remains: Good to Soft (7.0)

Wetherby's Chief Executive and Clerk of the Course, Jonjo Sanderson, reported today: "The going remains Good to Soft, with a GoingStick reading of 7.0.

"We have had just 0.5mm in the last 24 hours; however, there is still a band of rain expected during the night tonight, heavy at times, which will clear in the morning, leaving us with a dry run through to the end of racing on Saturday. 

"In terms of quantity, the forecasters are telling me to expect up to 10mm, which the ground would easily take."