Wetherby set to stage famous Cheltenham trial the Cleeve Hurdle

The move comes as weather continue to plays havoc with the jump racing programme as trainers begin to finalise plans for next month’s National Hunt Festival.

This sees the Cleeve Hurdle, which had been due to be staged at Cheltenham last Saturday, switched to Wetherby.

Entries close at noon today but indications were that Emma Lavelle’s Paisley Park, the 2019 Stayers’ Hurdle hero, will head stright to Cheltenham next month.

He had been due to be the Cleeve Hurdle’s headline act before the Cheltenham course was left under water.

Meanwhile the Cotswold Chase – Cheltenham’s Gold Cup trial race – is due to be held at Sandown this Saturday.

It was due to feature, amongst others, the 2018 Gold Cup hero Native River; Grade One winner Bristol De Mai and the resurgent Yorkhill for Scottish Borders trainer Sandy Thomson.

However conditions will have to improved markedly at Sandown where parts of the track are currently saturated – one option is an all-chase card.

Meanwhile Wetherby’s card has attracted 14 potentially high-class entries for the Grade Two Towton Novices’ Chase, one of the track’s feature races of the year.

A stepping stone to Cheltenham for three-mile novice steeplechasers, entries include David Pipe’s Remastered who won at the track on December 27; The Ferry Master for the aforementioned Thomson; Colin Tizzard’s highly-regarded The Big Breakaway and Nicky Henderson’s Dame De Compagnie.

Others include the Fergal O’Brien-trained Hurricane Harvey who has won two of his three chasing starts to date, kicking off with victory over the well-regarded Emitom at Uttoxeter back in October.

“We were delighted with him last time and we have been delighted with him all year, from his first win at Uttoxeter,” said the in-form trainer

“It was good to get a nice win on the board with him the last day, and he’s a great horse for his owners.”

O’Brien said Wetherby is the first preference for Hurricane Harvey who also holds an entry at Sandown on the same day as he, and other trainers, look to cover all bases due to the weather – and proximity of Cheltenham.

Meanwhile there was dismay that Sedgefield was forced to abandon yesterday’s meeting after a fourth inspection of the course which took place at 12.30pm, the initial scheduled time of the first race.

Some trainers present were surprised, given how parts of the track were frozen, that the inevitable decision was not made earlier by the County Durham track.

Today’s jumps meeting at Exeter has been abandoned while an inspection this afternoon will determine prospects for tomorrow’s fixture at Warwick.

Meanwhile Ben Pauling will give serious consideration to supplementing The Cob for the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival following his impressive victory at Doncaster.

The seven-year-old made a flying start to the current campaign with back-to-back wins at Uttoxeter and Haydock, but came up short in his hat-trick bid at Newbury over Christmas.

However he returned to the form by winning Saturday’s Grade Two Albert Bartlett River Don Novices’ Hurdle in dominant style under Daryl Jacob to leave connections dreaming of Festival glory.

Pauling said: “I was delighted with him, and he seems in great form.

“Was it a big shock? I think he was under-estimated at the prices, but I can’t say I expected him to win in that fashion.

“The step up to three miles has obviously brought out the best in him – he’s handled the ground and he’s got a decent engine.”

Cheltenham has therefore entered the equation. “It’s just over £4,500 to supplement him for the Albert Bartlett,” added Pauling. “We don’t have to supplement him until March 13, so we can train him up to that day – and if he’s in bang-on form then I think we will supplement him.

“I didn’t enter him originally because I probably thought he was 10lb short of being worthy of an entry. Over two and a half miles, he might have been, but going three miles has clearly made a big difference to him. I think he deserves to have a go at the Albert Bartlett now, particularly because it looks a very open race.”

More immediately, the trainer is eyeing big-race success with Shakem Up’Arry in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury on February 13. Runner-up to the brilliant Shishkin in a novice hurdle at the Berkshire track last season, the Harry Redknapp-owned horse was last seen chasing home Metier in the Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown.

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