The new season at Wetherby
kicks off on Wednesday, October 16, with the annual Spinal Research Charity
Raceday.
One of the highlights of
the seven-race card is the £10,000 Bobby Renton Handicap Chase (3.55pm) over an
extended two and a half miles. Among the 17 entries is the Anthony
Honeyball-trained Dorset Naga, who returned from over a year off with a
decisive five-length success at Fontwell on October 5.
The seven-year-old was
kept off the track by a tendon strain, but had looked a horse of considerable
potential when scoring by nine lengths on his second start over fences in a
novices' handicap chase at Fontwell in August, 2012.
Honeyball, who is based at
Mosterton in Dorset, revealed: "Dorset Naga has come out of his win at
Fontwell very well and will probably run in the Bobby Renton if the ground is
good or good to soft. He had a tendon strain, which is why he was off for a
year, and we just want to look after him.
"I don't think the
time off has done him any harm, especially mentally as he was a gassy horse in
his younger days, but he seems much more relaxed this time around.
"I think the
galloping track at Wetherby will suit and the big fences will also suit as he
jumps and stays well.
"He will be stepping
up to three miles sooner rather than later, but we thought while he was sound
and well we might as well put him in and we're pretty keen to run."
The entries also include
last year's winner Alvarado, one of two possibles for Fergal O'Brien,
the Sophie Leech-trained Owen Glendower, who was placed at the 2012
Cheltenham Festival, and last time out winner Sergeant Pink, from the
stable of Dianne Sayer.
The afternoon gets
underway with the Spinal Research Rachel Wright Memorial Hurdle (2.20pm, 16
entries), in honour of Rachel Wright who founded this Spinal Research Charity
Raceday and organised the event until passing away in 2006.
The joint-richest race of
the day is the £10,000 Follow @WetherbyRaces On Twitter Handicap Chase (2.50pm,
14 entries), in which local Grand National-winning trainer Sue Smith could be
represented by Stagecoach Pearl.
Spinal Research, the
charity which funds research into finding a cure for paralysis caused by injury
to the spinal cord, is holding the northern raceday at Wetherby for the 23rd
consecutive year. The event has raised over £415,000 during that period.
Olympic eventing silver medallist Nicola Wilson will be the guest of honour.
Wilson is an ambassador for the Spinal Research 'Saddle Up' campaign.
Ground
The ground at Wetherby is
currently: Good (watering)
Jonjo Sanderson, chief
executive and clerk of the course at Wetherby, said: "The current going is
Good and we are watering to maintain. There are showers of rain forecast over
the weekend, which, along with the irrigation programme, should keep the ground
in its current condition for racing on Wednesday.
"As we have witnessed
during the Flat season, the weather this summer has been ideal for us and the
track is in as good a condition as I have ever seen it in advance of the
opening meeting of the season. Everyone at Wetherby is ready and raring to
go."
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