The Charlie Hall Chase

Charlie Hall Chase Preview
By Red

Red looks forward towards the big race at Wetherby

Aaah, proper racing. Get yer flat caps and tweed ready boys and girls, we're going jumping. The big one this weekend is the Charlie Hall Chase and I've had a look at the contestants.

And nowhere better to start than the Charlie Hall itself. It's the first real clash of the titans for the season ahead and we could be in for a real treat if there's sufficient rain for Coneygree to turn up. Entered only 'in case the ground gets soft' the 2015 Gold Cup winner does catch the eye at the top of the card. But there will remain questions about his fitness and apparently frailty and I'd be happy to swerve him, especially with the trainer's comments about his participation. 

Indeed, you'd much rather look to last year's winner and superstar, Cue Card. Did perhaps everything right, except for being too exuberant at three out in the Gold Cup. I'm still convinced he would have ran Don Cossack very close and possibly even beaten him, but who is to say. He made fairly light work of the field last year and you'd expect him to take the same route to the Cheltenham show-piece this year. I don't think the years will be counting against him just yet and he should have too much for this field. If Coneygree turns up it's a different story, but even then, I'd rather be with Cue Card than Mark Bradstock's charge, considering the ground is more likely to be in the former's favour.

The only lurker in the field is last year's RSA winner, Blaklion. Again, he's probably one that will want a bit more rain to come, but he's certainly not to be underestimated. If he quite has the ability to compete with Cue Card remains to be seen, but he is a C&D winner (in the Towton last year) and he could be an exciting addition to the open company bracket. 

The Last Samuri could run a decent race, having finished second in the Grand National, but he's another who perhaps wants more ran and a little further on that showing. He has been very good since joining Kim Bailey though, so don't rule him out all together.

As for the others, Menorah and Dynaste are not top class any more and will fidn younger horses improve past them. Saphir Du Rheu looks set to take up a hurdling option earlier in the week. Wakanda has a decent Class 1 record, having won a hattrick of listed races last season, but he was pulled up in both his Graded starts and has a bit to find. Irish Cavalier needs to find a big improvement from his run at Chepstow (and I can't see that). Sausolito Sunrise is probably a top handicapper, but not quite good enough for this. Finally Virak has ground to make up with Wakanda, never mind the others and I couldn't see him competing here, despite the Nicholls stable form.

Cue Card then looks the most likely winner of the Charlie Hall and it will be interesting to see how he goes with regards to the stable targets. There's a decent horse in orange and black in the same yard and as of Saturday, Tizzard could well have the first two in the Gold Cup market.

It could be an interesting race in behind though and there might be an eye-catcher or two there for some of the other big races this season.