Wetherby date for Yet Always Right

Yet Always Right, a lightly-raced but highly progressive chaser, has a great chance to enhance his burgeoning reputation at Wetherby on Boxing Day.

He is one of the leading entries for the prestigious Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase as the nine-year-old, owned and trained by John Wade, looks to back up an impressive comeback win at Kelso.

Ultimately, the Grand National could be the target for this staying chaser who came to prominence by winning last season’s Grimthorpe Chase at Doncaster under Saltburn jockey James Reveley before finishing a close third to Beshabar in the Scottish National.

And the Rowland Meyrick, which dates back to 1957, remains a race of some repute despite the last three renewals being abandoned because of inclement weather – the roll of honour includes subsequent Cheltenham Gold Cup winners Forgive’ N Forget (1984) and The Thinker (1986).

“Always Right came out of his win at Kelso on the weekend fine and we were thinking about sending him to Wetherby on Boxing Day,” said Wade’s assistant Maria Myco.

“He is a class horse and he does everything that is asked of him. He’s got the speed to win over two and half miles but he’s got the stamina for the marathon distances as well. He goes on any going – he was fantastic on good ground in the Scottish National in April – and I wish that we had a yard full of horses like him.

“His point-to-point form was very impressive as a youngster. He won his races so easily and we knew then that he was a very good horse. He has been very consistent and seems to be improving with every start.

“We had the Scottish National in mind again for him at the start of the season but the Grand National has come into the thinking as well. My heart would be in my mouth watching him jump the Aintree fences but you have to go for these things because a horse like this doesn’t come along too often.”

The County Durham-based Wade string has been in superb form this season, and the stable enjoyed a double at Wetherby’s latest meeting when Moon Indigo won the One Man Novices’ Chase.

Myco added: “It’s thrown me a little bit with Always Right and the highly-rated horses John has bought from Howard Johnson’s stable coming into the yard because we have been used to running nothing special. John’s fourth in the owners’ standings at the moment and it’s fantastic that the horses are running so well.”

The one concern for the Wade camp is that they might have to secure the services of another jockey – the aforementioned Reveley is contractually committed to ride the Nick William-trained former Hennessy winner Diamond Harry in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

That race, National Hunt’s perennial mid-winter highlight, was boosted with confirmation that four-time winner Kauto Star will take his place in this year’s line-up.

The legendary chaser had looked a spent force when pulled up on his final start of last season at Punchestown, but made a brilliant return to action in the Betfair Chase at Haydock, beating last season’s King George and Gold Cup hero Long Run.

Connections have been in no rush to commit the 11-year-old to the festive showpiece, but the champion trainer has now given him the green light to join stablemate Master Minded, like Kauto Star owned by Clive Smith, at Kempton.

Kauto Star, the two-time Cheltenham Gold Cup hero, will be ridden by Ruby Walsh, while Master Minded will be partnered by Daryl Jacob.

Nicholls said: “I’ve had a chat with Clive and we’re going to run both Kauto and Master Minded. Ruby’s (Walsh) not going to get off Kauto, and Daryl (Jacob) rode Master Minded the other day and will ride him again.”

However Sam Waley-Cohen will be free to ride Long Run in the King George VI Chase – despite being hit with a 12-day riding suspension at Fakenham yesterday.

He was in a clear lead on Otage De Brion in a handicap chase when he bypassed the fence in front of the grandstand with a circuit to run, seemingly taking the wrong course.

The stewards gave him a 12-day ban, but it will not begin until January 1 because it only applies to days when there are races for amateurs.

“I thought he’d swallowed his tongue,” said the jockey. “He landed and just made a hell of a noise. He’s had an operation before and we normally have a tongue-tie on him, but didn’t today.”