Micky Hammond’s Geryville fancied at Wetherby as Burrow Seven prepares for second run

Of and running: Leeds Rhinos great Rob Burrow and former team-mate Barrie McDermott were at Catterick to see Burrow Seven run for the first time last month. The gelding is due to race at Wetherby today. Picture: Simon Marper/PA Wire.

The horse looks to be a shrewd acquisition for the Hammond yard and can get back to winning ways in the Wetherby Racecourse Handicap Chase at the West Yorkshire track.

Previously trained in France by Francois Cottin where he was a winning hurdler, he was picked up for 40,000 euro and it already looks money well spent.

His new connections will certainly have recouped some of their outlay if they had backed him on his British debut in any case.

Good chance: Middleham trainer Mickey Hammond's Geryville is fancied to run a big race at Wetherby today. Picture James Hardisty.

Sent off an unconsidered 40-1 chance at Wetherby in October from a mark of 109, he slowly warmed to his task at the rear of the field before coming through with a strong late run.

He powered clear to win going away by 10 lengths, earning a 10lb hike from the handicapper which he went close to defying back at Wetherby in early December.

It is the form of this race which gives him outstanding claims, though, as even in being beaten by Sidi Ismael, he enhanced his promise.

The David Pipe-trained winner beat him from a mark of 118 yet over Christmas went to Market Rasen for the Lincolnshire National where he won off 127 and is now rated 135. That shows the size of the task faced by Geryville, who has gone up 2lb himself, but he clearly lost little in defeat.

The penny seemed to have really dropped for Readysteadybeau when he won at Haydock last time out.

Lucinda Russell’s six-year-old had shown promise in his four previous outings, even finishing second twice, but he looked a different proposition last time.

Brought with a steady late run, he relished the step up to three miles and testing ground was not a bother to him. He should take all the beating in the Follow @RacingTV On Twitter Handicap Hurdle.

Meanwhile, Burrow Seven makes his second appearance on a racecourse, when he runs in the bumper and will be hoping to build on a promising debut.

The five-year-old gelding, trained by Jedd O’Keefe, finished fifth on his long-awaited racecourse debut at Catterick last month.

He will again be ridden by 5lb claimer Oakley Brown in the We’re Racing Next on 15th January Open NH Flat Race.

The gelding is owned by the Burrow Seven Racing Club, which was launched in November 2020 to raise money for former Leeds Rhinos rugby league star Rob Burrow’s motor neurone disease Fight Back Fund.

Profits raised from the club are split equally between the MND Association and Leeds Hospital Charities, with funds raised so far for the two totalling more than £100,000.