Poignant win for McCain

As Weird Al powered up the Wetherby straight, and confirmed his reputation as a leading player in next month’s Hennessy Gold Cup – and this season’s Cheltenham Gold Cup – McCain’s thoughts turned to his redoubtable father who died six weeks ago.

“I gave him a visit yesterday,” said McCain after Weird Al’s imposing win in the most competitive renewal of the three-mile bet365 Charlie Hall Chase for a decade. “I wouldn’t be where I am without the old man. It is obviously down to him and he is very missed.”

McCain’s modesty, however, masks his own reputation – and that he has only trained the injury-prone Weird Al for less than two months since the horse, the winner of last year’s Grade Two Towton Novice Chase at Wetherby, was switched to his yard from the stables of Ian Williams.

Proven course form was clearly a factor – the 7-1 shot was a popular winner with the 10,100 crowd which was 15 per cent up on last year, and shows that the public will support top class racing.

And, while the race lost some of its lustre with the withdrawal of 2010 Hennessy hero Diamond Harry who was discovered lame hours before the race, nothing should detract from the consummate ride given to Weird Al by Timmy Murphy who was deputising for the injured Jason Maguire.

He settled the horse while Nacarat, last year’s victor, and the favourite Time For Rupert battled for the lead, before Weird Al eased into contention on the second circuit. As the field turned for home, there was only going to be one winner, with the victor – the beneficiary of a wind operation since breaking a blood vessel in the Gold Cup – winning by three lengths from Time For Rupert.

Such was the first two’s superiority that they were 30 lengths clear of the third-placed Chicago Grey and Nacarat. The Paul Nicholls-trained Poquelin, running over three miles for the first time, did not stay under Ruby Walsh.

“They’re two Gold Cup horses,” ventured Chicago Grey’s jockey Tom Scudamore.

But Murphy, who won the 2006 Charlie Hall on Our Vic, was more circumspect.

“He’s still a big baby. You would hope there’s plenty of improvement,” the winning rider said.

“He has done it well but he has to improve again to enter the Gold Cup picture. I would like to see him get a run of races under his belt first.”

While Time For Rupert may take on this year’s Gold Cup winner Long Run in Haydock’s Betfair Chase next month, McCain is unsure whether Weird Al will line up in next month’s Hennessy, the Newbury handicap dominated by Denman in recent years. “He’s been out in the paddock and is fine, no problems,” said the handler as bookmakers listed Weird Al as the Hennessy’s new ante-post favourite.

“I don’t know about the Hennessy. I need to talk to the owners and have a chat about it. He’s a horse that needs some managing so we have to do what’s best for him. He’s a class horse. It was a good performance and we want to do the job right.”

As well as being a race to remember for McCain, it was also a dream day for Henry Oliver, the journeyman jockey who is assistant trainer at Sue and Harvey Smith’s Bingley yard.

He won the novice hurdle on No Planning for his employers an hour after landing the John Smith’s Hurdle on Restless Harry who had pulled well clear of Rhys Flint on the hat-trick seeking Fair Along.

Oliver acquired the ride on Restless Harry when previously based in the Cotswolds, and Restless Harry was only competing in the three-mile hurdle because Stratford-based trainer Robin Dickin has been unable to school his stable star over fences because of the firm ground.

“I haven’t had a day like this for a good while,” said Oliver. “I’m grateful for connections of Restless Harry sticking by me.

“The plan is to go novice chasing, but the ground is too fast. From his point of view, the softer the better. He could pick up some nice prizes.”

Saltburn jockey James Reveley’s miserable day – he had been due to ride Diamond Harry – was completed when his father, Keith, said his top chaser Tazbar will not run for a second successive season.

Tazbar, who has been sidelined since February 2010, was building up towards a return to action when a niggling leg injury resurfaced following a workout.

“He was doing some fast work and pulled up lame. It’s still only a minor problem, but enough to keep him out for this year anyway. We’ll try again.

“He’s too good a horse to give up on, so we’ll have another go,” said Reveley senior.

A dual Grade Two winner over hurdles, Tazbar had also won three of his four starts as a novice chaser, and his only defeat came at the hands of subsequent King George and Gold Cup hero Long Run at Kempton on Boxing Day 2009.

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