Fentara could step up in the
class for the £30,500 Grade Two totepool.com Towton Novices' Chase (3.20pm, 14
entries), the highlight of totepool Irish Day at Wetherby this Saturday,
February 2.
The eight-year-old mare,
trained at Sheriff Hutton by Tim Walford, has progressed in each of her four
starts over fences, placing on two occasions at Newcastle, falling when in
contention at Catterick before winning impressively last time out by 38 lengths
at Kelso on January 13.
Walford said today:
"Fentara is a possible runner in the totepool.com Towton Novices' Chase
but I want to see what the opposition is like before committing to the race.
She is rated 127 and I think you need to be rated 137 but we will see what's in
because she will like the ground.
"She is in really
good form at the moment and seems to be improving with every run, but she is
still a bit novicey. The cheekpieces helped her concentrate at Kelso and the
only mistake she made was at the last but Daryl (Jacob) blames himself for
that.
"We have got the EBF
Mares' Final at Newbury in the back of our minds for her but it's at the end of
March and we don't know what the ground is going to be like. She needs it soft
and will be put in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Chase at Cheltenham as well and we
will see what materialises."
The 14 entries for
totepool.com Towton Novices' Chase, run over three miles and a furlong, also
include Venetia Williams' Grade Two Rising Stars Novices' Chase victor Houblon
Des Obeaux, smart novice hurdler Ambion Wood and last season's
impressive Grade Two John Smith's Hurdle hero Restless Harry.
Donald McCain has a trio
entries headed by Cheltenham scorer Super Duty and Real Milan,
who has recorded comfortable successes at Carlisle and Ayr, while
Somerset-based David Pipe could saddle Exeter winner Buddy Bolero and Goulanes.
Local trainer Sue Smith
has three possible representatives, Fill The Power, Vintage Star and
Yurok, while another Yorkshire handler, Tim Easterby, has Fourjacks
engaged.
The totepool.com Towton
Chase has an impressive roll of honour, featuring good horses such as Wayward
Prince, Weird Al, Ollie Magern, Royal Emperor, Escarteifigue and Mr Mulligan,
who subsequently won the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Totepool Irish Day also
features the £18,000 Play totescoop6 At totepool.com Handicap Chase (3.55pm, 21
entries) over an extended two and a half miles and the prestigious Wilmot-Smith
Memorial Cup (1.35pm, 21 entries), one of the first significant hunter chases
of the season.
Gates open at 10.30am with
the action getting underway at 1.00pm.
The Irish-themed marquee
in the Paddock Enclosure is open to all racegoers and features the Ceilidh
House Band and dancers. Advanced bookings for the 'Irish Experience' can be
made right up to the meeting. For £22 this includes Paddock Enclosure
admission, voucher for the full-colour racecard, a pint of Guinness, a beef
& Guinness meal and a discounted tote betting voucher.
GOING
The going at Wetherby is
currently:
Soft (Heavy in places), with areas of water
standing in the back straight.
Clerk of the Course Jonjo
Sanderson said: "The course was covered in five inches of snow on Saturday
and yet by Sunday morning it had all completely thawed, which has resulted in
the water standing in the back straight.
"The forecast is for
up to 15 millimetres of rain by the close of play on Tuesday and then,
hopefully, a more settled end to the week.
"Obviously, we'll
monitor the situation with the standing water and keep everyone updated.
"Hopefully, as most
of the snow in this part of the world has thawed, the river levels will
continue to drop and the water recede from the track as the week
progresses."
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