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Charlie Hall Chase 2012

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LAST year's Argento Chase winner Midnight Chase could start his campaign in the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby on Saturday, November 3.

Trainer Neil Mulholland said: "Midnight Chase is hopefully going to run in the Charlie Hall Chase. I am delighted with him. He is in great form and looks as good as ever. He seems as good as he was before he won the Argento and he worked well at the weekend.

"The Argento is the big aim for him again this season but he will be fit and ready for the Charlie Hall because he is a lot further forward this year than he was last year. If he gets the right ground, he will run a big race.

"I'm not going to campaign him that hard because the Argento took its toll on us in the Gold Cup last year, so this year I'd rather go Charlie Hall, Argento and then try and get to Cheltenham.

"But we could also go to the Charlie Hall, Leopardstown, Argento and then miss Cheltenham and Aintree. You might only see him three or four times this season but he will be ready to rock and roll when he runs."
 
No jumps worth talking about then wetherby down royal and ascot on one day ?
 
HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER RTF% JOCKEY OR TS RPR
14 13PF- Weird Al203 9 164 150 170
7 F317- Midnight Chase232 10 163 153 168
11 31241- Silviniaco Conti204 6 R Walsh 156 157 166
3 45PP- Diamond Harry205 9 151 143 165
4 P223-4 First Lieutenant28 7 — 140 164
12 25145- Time For Rupert232 8 157 157 164
9 5/230- Planet Of Sound203 10 154 159 161
6 1R16- Master Of The Hall205 8 151 107 158
10 32887- Roberto Goldback189 10 150 115 157
8 3507-2 Mr Moonshine17 8 — 141 154
2 1334- Cappa Bleu203 10 147 147 152
1 15185- Cannington Brook203 8 145 130 150
5 616-14 Garleton7 11 145 124 150
13 P47P- Wayward Prince259 8 Jack Doyle 142 114 146
 
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Looks like it will be a decent field. TFR and FL going for it...

Paul Webber is favouring a crack at the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby over a trip to Ascot for his stable star Time For Rupert this weekend.

The eight-year-old finished a fine second in the race 12 months ago to Donald McCain's Weird Al and the two could clash again.

Having finished fifth, beaten less than 10 lengths, in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March, Webber feels he could be an even better horse this season.

"Time For Rupert has been entered in the Charlie Hall Chase and also at Ascot (United House Gold Cup), so I think we will need to take a little bit of time to look at the entries and see what's what," said the trainer.

"I think Wetherby would be the preference, having run well around there before, but it will be a day or two before we really know. We certainly intend to run him this weekend and he seems in very good form.

"He has done very well over the summer - he is a little bit stronger and heavier - and he has done plenty of work, so we are looking forward to the weekend.

"Last year was very much about getting his confidence back having bled in the RSA Chase the year before, and I think we did that.

"There aren't many bigger races than the Charlie Hall Chase as it's a Grade Two worth £100,000. The Hennessy is not worth much more and obviously we will consider that, but we lets see what happens on Saturday."
Click to expand...

Mouse Morris is leaning towards a trip to Wetherby for the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase with First Lieutenant this weekend, rather than letting him line up in Grade One company at Down Royal.

The seven-year-old beat subsequent Champion Hurdle winner Rock On Ruby in the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle at the 2011 Cheltenham Festival and went close to following up last season in the RSA Chase, when he was a good second to Bobs Worth.

He made a satisfactory return to action when fourth behind Sizing Europe at Gowran in a Grade Two and he has the option of tackling him again in the JNwine.com Champion Chase this weekend, but Morris is favouring a trip to West Yorkshire.

The handler has tasted success at the Charlie Hall meeting in the past with Boss Doyle, who won the West Yorkshire Hurdle on the same card in 2000 and 2001.

Morris said: "I'd say if you were to ask me now where I think he'll be running, it will be Wetherby. Decent ground will be a factor, although it's not bad at Down Royal.

"His first run will have brought him on a good deal, I'd expect him to strip a lot fitter for that. It was his jumping more than anything that caught him out. Davy (Russell) just said he was a bit rusty, and the trip would have been sharp enough for him but he was staying on again at the finish.

"Three miles on good ground would appear to be his optimum, so I'd expect him to run well."
Click to expand...
 
Key Charlie Hall Chase Betting Trends

9/10 – Were having their first run of the season
9/10 – Returned 7/1 or shorter in the betting
9/10 – Aged 8 or older
9/10 – Had won over at least 3m over fences before
8/10 – Had won at least 4 times over fences before
8/10 – Ran at either Ayr (3), Aintree (3) or Cheltenham (2) last time out
8/10 – Placed favourites
8/10 – Rated 151 or higher
7/10 – Aged 8 or 9 years-old
6/10 – Had run at Wetherby before (2 won)
5/10 - Finished 1st or 2nd last time out
2/10 – Winning favourites
2/10 – Ridden by Timmy Murphy
2/10 – Ridden by Paul Moloney
2/10 – Trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies
2/10 – Trained by Evan Williams
Since 1981 we've only seen 2 horses aged less than 7 years-old win the race
Since 1981 the race has been won by a previous winner six times
Nigel Twiston-Davies has won the race in 1992, 1994, 2005 & 2007
The average winning SP in the last 10 years is 8/1
 
Statto follows Dunwoody :). Rest of it here


Looking at the Bet365 Charlie Hall Chase first. This race holds some fond memories for me having landed the Grade 2 twice with the classy One Man back in the nineties and with an excellent line-up entered at this stage then there’s plenty to look forward to.

Last year’s winner, Weird Al, will be hoping to become the seventh previous winner of the race to go on and take the prize again and should he take his chance will come into the race as the highest-rated runner.

We last saw this lightly-raced 9 year-old taking a tumble in the Grand National, after being pulled up in the Gold Cup at Cheltenham the time before that, and although clearly not the easiest to train he’s a horse that goes well fresh (won first time out for the past 4 seasons) and is 2-from-2 here at Wetherby – should he line-up he’ll certainly take a lot of beating.

Wayward Prince is another that seems to like it here at Wetherby, but rather lost his way last season and, therefore, a lot has to be taken on trust, while the same can be said for Diamond Harry, who was a late withdrawal ahead of this race 12 months ago when well fancied. He’s not won since his 2010 Hennessy victory, and is another that’s had his training problems.

Time For Rupert was a 3 ½ length runner-up in the race last season, but went onto be a very respectable fifth in the Gold Cup last March and still being only 8 years-old then there will be plenty of punters out there still keeping the faith in this Paul Webber-trained horse.

If connections decide to run him then Midnight Legend is only rated 1lb below Weird Al and would, of course, be popular. He ran a decent third at the track on Boxing Day last year but it’s no secret that he seems to save his best for Cheltenham, while if previous seasons are to go on then he’s often needed his first run.

The final one worth a big mention is Paul Nicholls’ Silviniaco Conti, who we last saw winning in facile fashion at Aintree last April. This will only be his sixth run over fences, and at 6 years-old then he could in for a big season, but it is worth noting that the last time a horse aged 6 or younger took this race was in 1982! I’ve listed a load more key Charlie Hall trends to look out for below....
 
SILVINIACO CONTI, an impressive winner at Aintree last spring, has been heavily supported to make a winning seasonal reappearance in Saturday's Grade 2 Bet365 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby.

The Paul Nicholls-trained six-year-old tumbled in price from a top quote of 7-2 on Tuesday morning and is now generally 5-2 favourite, with the sponsors forecasting he will shorten still further in the run-up to the big race.

Pat Cooney, head trader for Bet365, said: "Silviniaco Conti
was 3-1 when we opened our book, and he has been backed to the exclusion of everything else, down to 5-2.

"I think the punters have seen Ruby Walsh by his name, and realised that he could have gone to Ascot for any number of good rides, yet is going all the way north for Silviniaco Conti.

"When Nicholls and Walsh combine in the feature race on a Saturday it often spells disaster for bookmakers. We have big liabilities on the horse at the moment, and I can only see them increasing as the week goes on. Punters remember Silviniaco Conti being very heavily backed at Aintree, and I am sure his price will shorten again."

Among his rivals on Saturday will be Diamond Harry who was well fancied for the race last year when ruled out on the day.

Jane Williams, wife of his trainer Nick, said: "He's got more excuses than any schoolboy with his homework but he is well and we are happy with him at the moment.

"He is very big and very fragile but on the course he is a magnificent horse. I think we have ironed out most of his problems unless he has found a new one!"
 
Saturday’s Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby sees the return of Time For Rupert, a horse that some might say has lost his way.
Rupert made his seasonal reappearance in last year’s renewal of the Wetherby showpiece, but failed that day when a heavily backed 11/8 fav. His season never did take off last term for one reason or another and he really is on a recovery*mission now.
It’s interesting to note that prior to his Wetherby exertions last October, Rupert had spent the whole of the previous year running solely at Cheltenham, culminating in a superb 2nd to Big Buck’s in the World Hurdle. It’s a course that definitely suits this fellow and it was there last March where Rupert arguably ran the best race of his career in the Gold Cup. Denis O’Regan
had taken the ride over from Will Kennedy that day, and he allowed the chestnut a free reign, bowling along right up with the pace jumping
cleanly throughout. At one point the 33/1 shot traded as low as 7/2 in running, such was the ease in which he was travelling. He finally finished a very respectable 5th, beaten only 9 lengths by Synchronised. Connections must have realised that was the real Rupert but rightly, in my opinion, resisted the temptation to run again. I believe that will prove a blessing in disguise as Rupert seemed to enjoy running fresh and I expect he'll do the same on Saturday.
As I write he has a couple of entries for the weekend but I believe he will again make the journey up the A1 and, if he does, the 7/1 freely available now will prove too big for a horse with relatively low mileage for an eight-year-old.

The Ante-Post King (Gordon Wilson)
 
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Master of the hall picked by nick dogett on sportinglife. Might get the small field Henderson says he needs but would like to know he goes here and not ascot ? Any info out there. ?
 
MOTH would have been a good antepost bet if you knew he was going ...interesting Barry goes to Ascot.
 
Silviniaco Conti looks a nice prospect for chases at around three miles but whether he should be 5/4 is another matter as he takes on some seasoned pros here.

Time For Rupert goes well fresh as he showed when finishing second to Weird Al in this race last year and his Cheltenham Gold Cup fifth is probably the pick of the form.

With top jockey Denis O'Regan developing a partnership with him he can go well but there is the lingering doubt that things can go wrong and I rate PLANET OF SOUND a much more solid proposition.

He also goes well fresh as he showed when finishing second in last year's Hennessy, one of three good efforts in handicaps last campaign.

Also placed in the Racing Post Chase at Kempton, he finished 12th in the Grand National but deserves more credit than the bare result suggests as he forced the pace for much of the race and jumped well up front.

He's the clear pick of the weights here on his old form and last season's efforts suggest he's no back number just yet. First time out could be just the time to catch him at an irresistable 11/2.
 
Wetherby 15:25 bet365 Charlie Hall Chase

Silviniaco Conti has been all the rage in the ante-post market for this, with punters believing he can build on his victory in a Grade 2 novice chase at Aintree in April which finally dispelled doubts about his stamina. Time For Rupert was runner-up to Weird Al in this 12 months ago and should be thereabouts again but Master Of The Hall probably has a bit to find at the weights and has been a little erratic over fences so far while wayward Prince lost his way last season. Midnight Chase is a reliable sort, however, and no mug as he proved when beating Tidal Bay at Cheltenham in January. His only subsequent run came in the Gold Cup. PLANET OF SOUND began last season with a second in the Hennessy so obviously goes well fresh. He's a Grade 1 winner over fences so is well treated here at the weights and should take all the beating.
 
Paul Nicholls admits it is difficult to gauge how forward Silviniaco Conti is ahead of his return to action in the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby.

With the legendary Kauto Star retired earlier this week, the champion trainer is looking for a new flag-bearer in the staying chase division and Silviniaco Conti is an obvious candidate, having signed off a promising novice campaign with a scintillating victory over three miles at Aintree.

"He worked nicely on Thursday so we'll let him run and see how we get on. We have to go somewhere and this is a good place to start him off," said Nicholls.

"He's done enough work, but some of ours are needing a run and some aren't, so it's a job to tell. He's in great form and if the ground is good to soft that will be perfect."

Silviniaco Conti faces just five opponents, with last year's winner Weird Al a surprise absentee, along with Diamond Harry. Last year's runner-up Time For Rupert is, however, among the declarations, along with Master Of The Hall, Planet Of Sound, Midnight Chase and Wayward Prince.

Donald McCain decided against running Weird Al because he believes his charge needs more time.

The Cheshire-based trainer said: "He's fine. I just think he needs another couple of weeks before we get him back on the racecourse. He could go to Haydock (for the Betfair Chase)."

The news on Diamond Harry is less positive, with the nine-year-old having suffered yet another setback.

Owner Paul Duffy said: "Unfortunately he's picked up a slight injury and it means he won't be able to go to Wetherby, I'm afraid. It's nothing serious I'm told, but the bad luck continues. It's frustrating, but I'm getting used to the phone call leading up to a race telling me he's had another setback.

"There's a chance he could go to Wincanton (for the Badger Ales Trophy) next week if he recovers in time, or he could just go straight to Newbury (for the Hennessy Gold Cup). That is on our radar."
 
Nicholls doesnt sound that positive about the favourite " will progress" etc
 
Donn The Charlie Hall Chase took a little bit of a battering at yesterday’s overnight declaration stage.

Weird Al came out, which was a bit, well, weird, given that Donald McCain had said all along that this was the race in which he wanted to start Weird Al off this season, all things being equal. Obviously, all things were not equal for Weird Al.

Nor were they equal for Diamond Harry. Not that Diamond Harry is ever a definite runner. Even when he is declared for a race and travels to the track, he still isn’t a definite runner. I received a text message from a friend this morning after declarations were made, without Diamond Harry: “Backed Harry ante post – I need my head examined.”

Silviniaco Conti is a runner though, and he is a worthy favourite. He was a high-class novice chaser last season, he got to within two lengths of Grands Crus in the Feltham Chase at Kempton on King George day and he beat Champion Court and Join Together out of sight in the Mildmay Chase at Aintree last April the last time we saw him.

However, he is young and he is short. He may have been flattered by his Aintree win – he had skipped Cheltenham whereas the second and third had both endured tough races there – and the Charlie Hall is usually won by a more battle-hardened performer than Silviniaco Conti. Only one seven-year-old has won the race since 1994, and you have to go back to Righthand Man in 1982 to find the last winner aged younger than seven.

Silviniaco Conti is six. He may have the class to get him by, he may simply have too much in hand of his rivals in terms of pure ability, but it will still be a tough test for the youngster against a couple of very capable older rivals, and you can take him on at around 2.3.

Time For Rupert is one of those older rivals, and he looks over-priced at 5.5. Paul Webber’s horse was sent off the 11/8 favourite for this race last year when he was just a second-season chaser himself, just a seven-year-old. He finished second to Weird Al that day, the pair of them clear of their rivals, and he looked set for a lucrative campaign.

Things didn’t pan out exactly like that, but he did win a graduation chase at Newbury in December, making all to beat subsequent Gold Cup runner-up The Giant Bolster, and he ran out of his skin to finish fifth in the Gold Cup himself, shaping like a possible winner when he led around the home turn.

One of the leading staying novice chasers two seasons ago, it is possible that Time For Rupert needed last year to recover from a gruelling run in the RSA Chase in March 2011 when he was found to be bleeding after the race, and he could progress significantly this term. A top class hurdler who got to within three lengths of Big Buck’s in the 2010 World Hurdle, he still has the potential to be at least as good as, if not better over fences than, he was over hurdles. His trainer reports him to be in fine form, he goes well for Denis O’Regan, and he does run well fresh. He could run a big race.
 
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