COURSE
& DISTANCE WINNER WAYWARD PRINCE ON COMEBACK TRAIL
Wetherby Racecourse stages
its best race of the season tomorrow, Saturday, November 3 - the £100,000
bet365 Charlie Hall Chase (3.25pm). The Grade Two contest is staged over three
miles and a furlong and forms the penultimate leg of a prestigious seven-race
card at the West Yorkshire venue that also includes the £32,000 Grade Two John
Smith's Hurdle (2.50pm) and the £20,000 Listed OLBG.com Mares' Hurdle (2.15pm).
Six horses are set to go
to post in the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase including Wayward Prince, who
is a 16/1 chance with the sponsor. The course and distance scorerwill be having
his first start for Gloucestershire-based Hilary Parrott, who owns the horse in
partnership with her husband John. Wayward Prince was previously trained by Ian
Williams and joined Parrott at the end of last season.
The eight-year-old
finished fourth last season in the Betfair. Don't Settle For Less Rowland
Meyrick Chase on Boxing Day. He was top-class novice hurdler, winning the Grade
One Grand Sefton Novices' Hurdle at Aintree in April, 2010, and translated that
form to fences with a comfortable win over the course and distance in the Grade
Two totepool.com Towton Novices' Chase at Wetherby in February, 2011. He will
be partnered Jack Doyle tomorrow.
Parrott revealed today:
"Wayward Prince seemed to lose his way last year and we have a farm with a
superb gallop so we thought we would try and freshen him up. He is very happy
but tomorrow will really tell us how he has taken to the change of scenery.
"I have had him here since
the end of last season and he has summered well. He is working nicely and it's
no reflection on Ian (Williams) that he has joined us. He goes through the
woods daily and has a bit of fun here so hopefully I've freshened him up.
"We couldn't really put
our finger on why he didn't perform last season and I suppose it's just one of
those things.
"The bet365 Charlie
Hall Chase is hopefully a nice starting point for him and it's going to be a
very good race but on his past form he is a good horse - we just need to find
that sparkle again.
"It is going to be
good jumping ground at Wetherby tomorrow and that will be fine for him. I hope
there are no excuses and I would love to see him go well and show us the old
Wayward Prince."
Heading the market at 5/4
with bet365 is Silviniaco Conti, from the stable of champion trainer
Paul Nicholls and the mount of Ruby Walsh. The six-year-old won twice in Grade
Two company last season and took the runner-up spot behind Grands Crus in the
Grade One Feltham Novices' Chase at Kempton Park.
Time For Rupert, who finished second in
the 2011 bet365 Charlie Hall Chase and was last seen out when fifth in the
Cheltenham Gold Cup, is a 9/2 chance while Planet Of Sound, runner-up in
last season's Hennessy Gold Cup, is next in the betting at 5/1.
Cheltenham specialist Midnight
Chase finished third in last season's Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase over
the course and distance and is 6/1 with bet365 while Nicky Henderson is
represented by 7/1 chance Master Of The Hall, who posted impressive
victories at Kelso and Aintree last season.
bet365 Charlie Hall Chase,
bet365 bet: 5/4 Silviniaco Conti; 9/2 Time For Rupert; 5/1 Planet Of Sound;
6/1 Midnight Chase; 7/1 Master Of The Hall; 16/1 Wayward Prince
The £32,000 John Smith's
Hurdle (2.50pm) takes place over three miles and a furlong and has attracted a
field of six. Restless Harry sauntered to an impressive 20 length
victory 12 months ago over Fair Along, the winner in 2009 and 2010, and
the pair meet once again tomorrow. The Paul Nicholls/Ruby Walsh combination is
represented by the talented Tidal Bay, who was last seen out when taking
the Grade Three bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown Park in April while Alan King runs Smad
Place, who was third behind the mighty Big Buck's in the Grade One World
Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. Cape Tribulation won
hugely-competitive handicap hurdles at both the Cheltenham and Aintree
Festivals last season and the field also includes Crack Away Jack,
who chased home Big Buck's in the Grade One Liverpool Hurdle at Aintree in
April.
Six runners also line up
in the £20,000 Listed OLBG.com Mares' Hurdle (2.15pm) over and extended two
miles, including last year's heroine Alasi and Une Artiste,
triumphant in the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at last season's
Cheltenham Festival.
Action gets underway at
12.35pm with the bet365.com Novices' Chase (5 runners) and the cracking raceday
also includes the Download The Free Racing Plus App Novices' Hurdle (1.05pm, 10
runners), the bet365.com Novices' Chase (1.40pm, 7 runners) and the concluding
bet365.com Handicap Hurdle (4.00pm, 15 runners).
GOING
The going at Wetherby
remains: Good to Soft
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