Grade One winners set to clash at Wetherby's bet365 Charlie Hall Meeting

This year's £100,000 bet365 Charlie Hall Chase is shaping up to be a real treat for jump racing fans with Grade One winners Long Run, Benefficient and First Lieutenant heading 11 entries for the highlight of Wetherby's bet365 Charlie Hall Meeting on Saturday, November 2.

Long Run, 11/10 favourite with bet365, has proved to be one of the best chasers of recent times, winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2011 and capturing Kempton's King George VI Chase in both 2010 and 2012.

The Nicky Henderson-trained eight-year-old has yet to finish out of the first three in 26 appearances and is set to make his first start since chasing home Sir Des Champs in the Punchestown Gold Cup in April.

First Lieutenant (4/1) was third behind Long Run at Punchestown and Mouse Morris's charge had previously captured the Grade One Aintree Bowl, while the Tony Martin-trained Benefficient (10/1) scored in the Irish Arkle Novice Chase at Leopardstown and the Grade Two Jewson Novices' Chase at the Cheltenham Festival last term.

Paul Nicholls sent out Silviniaco Conti to victory 12 months ago and the trainer could be represented this season by another up-and-coming chaser, Unioniste (4/1), who was an authoritative winner of a Grade Three handicap chase at Cheltenham in December.

Wayward Prince (25/1) is set for a second crack at the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase after chasing home Silviniaco Conti last year for owner/trainer Hilary Parrott. The nine-year-old subsequently won a Listed chase at Aintree before coming home seventh in the Cheltenham Gold Cup and sixth in the Aintree Bowl.

He warmed up for the current campaign with a spin over the smaller obstacles, finishing fifth in a Newton Abbot handicap hurdle on October 11.

Parrott, who trains in Gloucestershire, revealed: "Wayward Prince will run in the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase as long as the ground is not bottomless. Good to soft ground would be fine, but he doesn't like a slog.

"I ran him at Newton Abbot just to sharpen him up. He has come out of that in good form and has been working nicely.

"He went all right on his last run over fences at Aintree, but he is a bit of enigma and his best two performances were in last season's Charlie Hall and when he won at Aintree.

"He would have a chance of making the frame if he could reproduce that run behind Silviniaco Conti, but it is shaping up to be a very hot race."

Cape Tribulation (8/1), representing Malton handler Malcolm Jefferson, was successful in the Grade Three Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase at Wetherby last season before going to triumph in a Grade Two chase at Cheltenham.

The Giant Bolster (8/1) has finished second and fourth respectively in the two most recent renewals of the Cheltenham Gold Cup for trainer David Bridgwater, while Harry Topper (10/1), who is trained by Kim Bailey, beat Benefficient in a Newbury Grade Two novices' chase last season.

The entries are completed by Big Fella Thanks (25/1), Master of The Hall (50/1) and Billie Magern (33/1), a full-brother to dual bet365 Charlie Hall Chase hero Ollie Magern.

bet365 Charlie Hall Chase - bet365 latest prices:

11/10 Long Run, 4/1 First Lieutenant, Unioniste, 8/1 Cape Tribulation, The Giant Bolster, 10/1 Benefficient, Harry Topper, 25/1 Big Fella Thanks, Wayward Prince, 33/1 Billie Magern, 50/1 Master of The Hall

each way 1/5 odds, 1-2-3

bet365 spokesman Pat Cooney commented: "We are delighted to see Long Run in the entries and he is clearly the one to beat'

"However, it may not be a straightforward task to win this on his seasonal debut, as there are some talented rivals in opposition on Saturday, notably Paul Nicholls' exciting five-year-old Unioniste, who has the potential to be a Gold Cup contender.

"There's no doubt though that Long Run is the star of the show and it would be great if he can win in front of a packed Wetherby crowd."

The £36,500 Grade Two bet365 Hurdle (3.00pm) has re-opened until 11am on Tuesday, October 29. Tidal Bay captured the extended three-mile contest last year and the Paul Nicholls-trained 12-year-old is set to make his seasonal return in the race alongside dual Grade One scorer At Fishers Cross, from the stable of Rebecca Curtis.

Saturday's seven-race card also includes the £22,500 Listed OLBG.com Mares' Hurdle (1.50pm), and the 10 entries for the extended two-mile contest are headed by the Alan King-trained L'Unique, who won the Grade One 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle at Aintree's Grand National Meeting.

Day One of the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase Meeting on Friday, November 1, features a six-race card headed by a pair of Listed contests.

Grands Crus, a Grade One winner over fences,heads 21 entries for the £25,000 bet365.com Handicap Chase (2.10pm), while 13 contenders for the Weatherbys Hamilton Insurance Wensleydale Juvenile Hurdle Race include exciting French imports Keltus, Ainsi Fideles and Cadoudoff.