Charlie Hall meeting kicks off at Wetherby with plenty of Swagger expected - selections

One of the big weekends of the calendar at Wetherby Racecourse marks the unofficial start of the British jumps season – the two-day Charlie Hall meeting.

Day one of the meeting on Friday has a seven-race card on offer for punters heading to the track, kicking off at 12.45pm and rounding off at 4.10pm.

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The opening contest on the card sees a field of ten head to the start for the two-mile and three furlong novices’ hurdle in class three (12.45). Kart D’Estruval for trainer Dan Skelton, who landed this race last year and in 2020, is very high on the shortlist here having been recruited from France following a win and a third at Fontainebleu.

Battle Born Lad placed in three bumper starts and made the perfect start over fences when scoring at Hexham last month so rates the main danger.

Wetherby Racecourse hosts the Charlie Hall Chase meeting on Friday and Saturday (Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe)Wetherby Racecourse hosts the Charlie Hall Chase meeting on Friday and Saturday (Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe)
Wetherby Racecourse hosts the Charlie Hall Chase meeting on Friday and Saturday (Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe)

Race two on Wetherby’s card (1.15) is a class three novices’ chase with a small field of four taking on the three-mile trip. Skelton holds a big hand to bring up a quickfire double to open the meeting with West Balboa, despite being turned over when odds-on at Worcester on chase debut last time out but should improve for that run at least for a yard that has won this race in two of the last three years.

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A seven-runner handicap hurdle marks race three (1.50) and of the seven runners set to start, the aptly-named Lucky Seven looks to be the one to beat having belied a 15-month lay-off to secure a win on hurdles debut at Perth last time out with a performance that belied the eventual narrow margin of victory for trainer Nicky Richards.

Seven runners will take on the two-mile trip with a cool £22,780 up for grabs to the winner of the Listed Wensleydale Juvenile Hurdle at 2.25. Liam Swagger lived up to his name when winning at Market Rasen on hurdles debut so sets a pretty good standard here for trainer James Owen.

Of his rivals, Model Approach is another who has made a bright start to his hurdling career for the Adrian Keatley team.

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The class one bet365 Handicap Chase marks race five and is the second race with £22,780 heading to the winner - though it’s a very competitive heat to decide who will get it. Plenty of cases can be made for each of the five-runner field but the slight nod goes the way of Prairie Wolf, trained by Sue Smith, a three-time winner since swapping to fences last term.

A spin over hurdles earlier this month should have blown any cobwebs away and he is taken to get the win ahead of Galop De Chasse, a last time out winner of a very competitive Newbury handicap for trainer Venetia Williams.

Queen’s Venture is a very fast improver for the Skelton yard, too quick for the handicapper to keep pace, so she is the selection in the penultimate race on Friday to complete the hat-trick off the back of a dominant win at Southwell last time out.

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Global Eclipse could be the one to side with for the Skelton team in Friday’s finale, a brother to French 2¼m hurdle winner Quiniland.

Preview via Sporting Life.

Wetherby selections - Friday

12.45 - Kart D’Estruval

1.15 - West Balboa

1.45 - Lucky Seven

2.25 - Liam Swagger

3.00 - Prairie Wolf

3.35 - Queen’s Venture

4.10 - Global Eclipse

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