Sue Smith targets Boxing Day success for Wakanda at Wetherby

Sue Smith's Wakanda, the mount of Danny Cook and pictured nearside, edged out Fago to win at Wetherby in October 2015.

The High Eldwick trainer, who won the 2013 renewal with stable stalwart Cloudy Too, is hopeful the eight-year-old has a competitive handicap mark for the three mile-plus chase.

Owned by Ray and Margaret Scholey, the horse shot up the ratings following high-profile successes at Wetherby, Newcastle and Ascot towards the end of 2015. Since then, Wakanda’s best performance came 12 months ago when Danny Cook’s mount chased home Brian Ellison’s top class performer Definitly Red in this race.

“Wakanda goes to Wetherby. Hopefully he’s in good order and will run a good race,” Smith told The Yorkshire Post.

“It’s two years since he had a win – they don’t make it easy – but he likes it round there and his owners are keen to run.”

Smith has also entered Delusionofgrander and Vintage Clouds, but both have alternative engagements.

Owned by the Leeds-based McGoldrick Racing syndicate, Delusionofgrandeur is also under consideration for Haydock’s long distance Last Fling Chase on Saturday week and the North Yorkshire National at Catterick next month.

Though the stout stayer has winning form at Wetherby, Smith says the horse is particularly suited by Catterick.

As for Vintage Clouds who runs in the colours of multiple Grand National-winning owner Trevor Hemmings, Chepstow’s marathon Welsh National next Wednesday is the priority – subject to the grey making the cut.

The same also applies to the Nicky Richards-trained Baywing.

Winner of Wetherby’s Grade Two Towton Novices Chase in February, Ryan Day’s mount needs extreme distances, and heavy ground, to be seen at his best and the Chepstow race is  traditionally one of the most arduous of the National Hunt season.

Meanwhile, Might Bite, Bristol De Mai and defending champion Thistlecrack feature among 10 horses confirmed for Boxing Day’s feature King George VI Chase at Kempton.

Nicky Henderson’s dual Grade One winner Might Bite is favourite while the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Bristol De Mai bids to follow up his successes in Wetherby’s Charlie Hall Chase and haydock’s Betfair Chase.

Malcolm Jefferson’s talented chaser Waiting Patiently is close to returning to action.

A horse good enough to beat subsequent Tingle Creek hero Politologue as a novice, he made a winning return at Carlisle last month before missing three high-profile races following a minor setback.

“He’ll run anything between the next two to six weeks. There are options for him at Cheltenham, Ascot and Haydock,” said Jefferson’s daughter and assistant, Ruth.

“We just got held up when he had a little cough which was a shame because now there’s no obvious race to aim at.

“No one is holding a gun to our heads, though, we’re under no pressure. We’ll go when we think he’s firing and when the race is right.”