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Racing News |
Church Island Heads Strong Irish Challenge at Wetherby
29/10/09
Trainer Michael Hourigan is optimistic that Church Island can make another successful raid across the Irish Sea in the £100,000 Grade Two bet365 Charlie Hall Chase (2.55pm) at Wetherby on Saturday, October 31.
The 10-year-old was seventh behind subsequent Grade One scorer Our Vic in the three mile, one furlong, chase three years ago but ran several excellent races in Britain last season, including when taking a veterans’ handicap chase at Doncaster in February and coming a close fourth in the Grade Three bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown in April.
He has also proven himself as one of the leading staying chasers in his homeland this year, coming second in both the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse in April and the Kerry National at Listowel in September.
On his latest appearance, Church Island produced another good performance when taking fifth under top-weight in the Munster National at Limerick on October 11.
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Hourigan said: “Church Island is all set for the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase and he goes there in good form. I was actually a little disappointed with his run in the Muster National because the yielding ground went against him.
“I don’t think that will have a problem with the forecast good to firm ground but we would have a bit to find on official ratings with the likes of Tamarinbleu.
“He has made the running in the past but there are one or two other front-runners in the entries, so we would have no problem sitting just behind the pace at a course like Wetherby. He goes there in good order and I am hopeful that he can run well.”
Church Island is aiming to become the first Irish-trained winner of the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase since Sackville in 2001 and looks set to face some stiff opposition with a top-class entry of 11 including Snoopy Loopy and Tamarinbleu, who fought out a thrilling finish to the Grade One Betfair Chase at Haydock last season.
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Dual bet365 Charlie Hall Chase winner and last year’s runner-up Ollie Magern is set to return to Wetherby once more while Evan Williams, who saddled State Of Play to beat the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained chaser 12 months ago, could be represented by dual Grade Two scorer Deep Purple and Mr Robert.
Other notable contenders include the Paul Nicholls-trained trio of What A Friend, who was sixth in last season’s RSA Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, Gwanako and Just Amazing.
Saturday’s superb seven-race card also includes the £43,000 Grade Two John Smith's Hurdle (3.25pm) over three miles and a furlong, which represents the first major opportunity of the season for the leading staying hurdlers.
The action also includes the third running of the £40,000 Listed Best Odds Guaranteed at bet365 Mares’ Hurdle (2.20pm), and Co Meath-based handler Gordon Elliott is aiming his recent recruit Serpentaria at the extended two-mile contest.
The five-year-old mare was badly hampered at the final flight when coming eighth on her debut for the Grand National-winning trainer in Listed mares’ hurdle at Punchestown on October 15.
She had previously won five of her seven starts for former handler Willie Mullins, including a hat-trick of victories between two and three miles earlier this year, as well as coming second in a Grade Three mares’ hurdle at the 2008 Punchestown Festival.
Elliott reported: “Serpentaria hopefully heads to Wetherby for the Best Odds Guaranteed At bet365 Mares’ Hurdle. She’s in good form at the moment and she came out of her latest run at Punchestown in good order. She worked very well on Tuesday morning so it’s all systems go for her.
“I wouldn’t want the ground to get that much quicker and we will get someone to walk the course over the next day or so but, at the moment, she is a definite runner. She might prefer slightly further than two miles in an ideal world but a big galloping track like Wetherby would make it less of an inconvenience.”
The two-day bet365 Charlie Hall Chase meeting takes place on Friday, October 30 and Saturday, October 31, with the highlight of the first day being the £25,000 Listed bet365.com Handicap Chase (2.40pm) over an extended two and a half miles. A six-race card also features the £18,000 Listed Weatherbys Bank Wensleydale Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle (3.15pm) over two miles, half a furlong.
The ground at Wetherby is currently Good to Firm, Good in places (watering), with a GoingStick reading of 8.9
Chief Executive and Clerk of the Course, Jonjo Sanderson, commented: “Wednesday has been quite a warm day, with partial cloud cover and the forecast is for the same again on both Thursday and Friday. There remains a possibility that we might get around 5mm of rain in the early hours of Saturday morning, however, we will continue to apply water to the home bend and home straight on Thursday.”
Sponsor’s latest prices for the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase: 5/2 Deep Purple, 10/3 What A Friend, 7/2 Ollie Magern, 7/2 Tamarinbleu, 9/1 Snoopy Loopy, 10/1 Gwanako, 12/1 Darkness, 12/1 Church Island, 14/1 Just Amazing, 33/1 Mr Robert, 40/1 Canada Street (each-way 1/5 the odds 1,2,3)
Tickets are available by calling the course on 01937 582035 or online at www.wetherbyracing.co.uk
