Wetherby success for Skelton brothers as Pic D’Orhy wins Charlie Hall Chase
Veteran chaser Pic D’Orhy cruised to success in the £100,000 Grade 2 bet365 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby on Saturday – on a day that belonged to the all-conquering Skelton brothers.
Harry Skelton piloted the 11-year-old, 10-11 favourite, to a hugely-impressive success, part of a 12-1 four-timer for the jockey, who finished third in the other two races he rode in.
Brother Dan trained the big race winner and also saw Kateira (6-4) follow up last year’s win in the Listed bet365 Montagu Mares' Hurdle, ridden by Harry.
But it was Pic D’Orhy’s victory over the three-mile test which stood out for the big crowd on a lovely, warm autumnal day at the course.
He went one better than last year on his stable debut after moving from Paul Nicholls, showing his experience by surviving one blunder on the back straight before breezing alongside the leading group four out.
There he joined Yorkshire hope The Real Whacker (9-2) and Brian Hughes and they pressed on pursued by Ben Pauling’s Handstands (9-2) and Ben Jones along with the other Skelton runner Riskintheground (28-1) and Robbie Dunne.
Pic D’Orhy took over two out and raced away from the fence leaving the rest in his wake before clearing the last to cruise to a six-and-half-length success over Handstands, with Riskintheground, third, and a tired The Real Whacker, fourth.
It was a first win in the race for Dan Skelton who said: “He was a bit keen, but I think that is a bit how he runs and I don’t think there’s an extra two miles per hour you are not seeing.
“He hit the first down the back straight very hard and you don’t often see a horse do that and stay up, but that’s 11 years of experience that helped him get away with that.
“It’s great for the horse, he’s an 11-year-old, done a fabulous job and come in here with his ears pricked. It was brilliant and he’s a great old horse.
“We’ve inherited him, everyone knows that and we’ve just got him fit for today and it was his race to lose, but the good old boy didn’t.”
Harry Skelton rode Minella Hollow (2-7 fav) to the bloodless win his odds suggested in the opening novice hurdle for John Nallen.
Sean Bowen won the other Grade 2 feature, the bet365 Hurdle, as Strong Leader (13-8) defied a drift in the market to claim back-to-back successes in the race under a fine ride.
He made it in a double in the concluding bet365 Handicap Chase on Sledgehammer (4-5 fav) for Adrian Keatley and owner JP McManus.
It was some consolation for the Norton-based trainer who suffered an agonising defeat in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Keeneland on Friday night.
There, his Hell Of A Spin (33-1) and Mikey Sheehy were denied a famous victory thanks to a brilliant ride by champion jockey Billy Loughnane on Libertango (6-4 fav), who flew down the outside to snatch victory by a length-and-a-quarter.
Richard and Peter Fahey’s Mussab (10-1) was third under Oisin Orr.