Helpston, runner-up in last year's
renewal of the Betfair. Don't Settle For Less Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase,
could bid to go one better in this year's £40,000 contest at Wetherby on
Wednesday, December 26, the first day of the Welcome To Yorkshire Christmas
Meeting.
The eight-year-old, who is
trained by his owner-breeder Pam Sly, has failed to complete in two runs this
season but was well in contention at Doncaster last Saturday (December 15) when
falling at the 13th fence.
Sly revealed: "The
Betfair. Don't Settle For Less Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase is definitely a
race I am looking at for Helpston.
"He was travelling
well at Doncaster last time when he fell and I think that maybe was a result of
jockey error - asking him to take off a stride too soon.
"Obviously, the horse
ran a great race at Wetherby last year in the Rowland Meyrick when he was
runner-up. Gina Andrews rode him last year and I have promised she can have the
ride on him at Wetherby again this time around."
Trainer Fergal O'Brien
could be represented by improving performer Alvarado, who is unbeaten in
two starts around Wetherby.
The seven-year-old made an
impressive return at the West Yorkshire track when powering home to win the
Bobby Renton Handicap Chase in October and was last seen coming home fifth in a
competitive handicap chase at Newbury on November 29.
O'Brien said: "The
Betfair. Don't Settle For Less Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase is a race we are
looking at for Alvarado.
"He is very well and
has been in good form since his run at Newbury. It was a good run there and he
was staying on nicely at the finish. He definitely wants three miles and better
ground but there isn't much of that around at the moment.
"He has a good record
at Wetherby and he won nicely there first time out so we are looking forward to
getting him back out again."
Alvarado's first success
at Wetherby came in a novice chase in January, 2011.
The Betfair. Don't Settle
For Less Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase, run over three miles and a furlong,
was first staged in 1957 and boasts an excellent roll of honour with subsequent
Cheltenham Gold Cup winners Forgive' N Forget (1984) and The Thinker (1986)
among the winners.
Yahoo, who chased home
Desert Orchid in the 1989 Cheltenham Gold Cup, scored in 1987, while the Ferdy
Murphy-trained Truckers Tavern, second to Best Mate in the 2003 Cheltenham Gold
Cup, took the spoils in 2004. Local handler Malcolm Jefferson captured last
year's renewal with 33/1 chance According To Pete.
An exciting six-race card
on Boxing Day, day one of the Welcome To Yorkshire Christmas Meeting, gets
underway at 12.35pm and also features the £10,000 Read Donald McCain's Column
On Betfair Handicap Chase (2.55pm) over an extended two and a half miles.
The £16,000 Castleford
Handicap Chase (2.20pm) over two miles is the highlight on Thursday, December
27, 2012, the second and final day of the Welcome To Yorkshire Christmas
Meeting. Gates open at 10am on both days.
There will be a real
Christmas atmosphere on both days of the Welcome To Yorkshire Christmas Meeting
with mulled wine and mince pies on offer for the early birds, as well as live
music from LA Jazz Band and Endeavour Ceilidh Band.
Racegoers will also have
the opportunity to interact with reindeer on both days courtesy of Rigmore
Reindeer & Co, while, 12 months on from his 'official' retirement, Mister
McGoldrick will return to his beloved Wetherby, where he won eight races during
a glittering career, thanks to locally-based racehorse retraining centre New
Beginnings.
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