Wetherby Saturday Preview - 29/10/22

Wetherby's first event of the day on ITV is the bet365 Novices' Hurdle over 2m 3 1/2f and we have been waiting for Prairie Wold to be stepped up in trip.

Decent form in bumpers last term when winning two of his four events, rounding off last term when not disgraced back in ninth in the Grade Two bumper at Aintree.

Sent hurdling this time over two miles at Uttoxeter on seasonal/hurdles debut he finished a fair third behind the promising Ballyglass.

He looked off the back of that run to want further and being stepped up in trip for this event makes him very interesting.

Next up is the first big race of the day at the Yorkshire track with the Listed Mares' Hurdle over two miles seeing just five runners go to post and Nina The Terrier for Alan King looks the value in the field.

Making her hurdles debut in May 2021 at Warwick she got off the mark at the first time of asking in a 16 runner Mares Maiden, looking very impressive.

Saved for last season's national hunt campaign, she returned at Chepstow in October and again was a very strong winner giving weight away.

Again giving weight away she landed a hat-trick at Newbury when seeing off the likes of Elle Est Belle and Ahorsewithnoname, who both went on to frank the form.

After that she slightly struggled, falling next time out when taking on the same two horses in the previous race and then when stepped up in trip could only manage second.

Third behind Love Envoi when next seen, she tried to take on the mare again at the Cheltenham festival but ran no race in the Grade Two Mares' Novice Hurdle won by the former.

Seen once more last term she was a fair second at Newbury in a Grade Two event and this season she returned in similar form when second again in a good handicap hurdle behind Sonigino for Paul Nicholls.

That horse has since franked the form massively and if improving for her first run of the term Nina The Terrier is already a winner at this level and distance and should be feared.

Value play.

The first Grade Two of the afternoon from Wetherby is the bet365 Hurdle also known as the The West Yorkshire Hurdle and it sees some very familiar faces over three miles.

We are going with the youth in the field and taking a chance on the outsider Oscar Elite for Joe Tizzard, who at 25/1 could represent some big value.

A superb novice hurdler two seasons ago when winning on his first starts over timber in Maiden and Novice company by a combined 25 lengths.

He then took that form even further when a good second at the Cheltenham festival in the Grade One Albert Bartlett behind runaway winner Vanillier and he backed that up at the Grand National meeting when placing behind Ahoy Senor and Bravemansgame in the Grade One Sefton Novices' Hurdle.

Sent chasing last term it really took some time to get his jumping right, travelling well in races but constantly making mistakes that saw him throw races away.

He put it all together once last term when a close third in the Grade Three Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham festival.

Dropped back over hurdles and since receiving a wind operation, he could be primed for a big run in this.

The feature event of the afternoon from Wetherby is the Grade Two Charlie Hall Chase over three miles and this seasons renewal looks an absolute cracker with Bravemansgame taking on Ahoy Senor for a fourth time.

We are siding with the Paul Nicholls trained gelding Bravemansgame, who we think has a better record going fresh, will love the flat track and if any chance of being the King George horse they think he can be, he surely has to run well in this.

The Grade One winning hurdler took to chasing in impressive fashion at Newton Abbot on seasonal debut last term, jumping a near perfect round whilst making all from the front.

He then went to Haydock and against another experienced field went on to win easily, being eased down towards the end.

Looking to land a hat-trick over the bigger obstacles in the Grade One Kauto Star Novices' Chase at Kempton over Christmas, he out jumped and saw off the challenge of Ahoy Senor to land the spoils.

Dropped into handicap company giving a lot of weight away he prevailed again to take a decent event ahead of the Cheltenham festival.

The ground came up testing for the Brown Advisory on the second day of the meeting and he was pulled out of the race, but did finish his season off Aintree when something was amiss finishing last of the four in the Grade One Mildmay Novices' Chase behind Ahoy Senor.

The pair have met three times with the scored at 2-1 to Lucinda Russell's gelding, but although Ahoy Senor might turn out to be the better horse throughout the year, we think this will be Bravemansgame's day.

Having a superb record when first time out winning on his first start in the last two seasons, performing well on flatter tracks, he looks to have a lot in his favour.

The penultimate selection of the afternoon from Wetherby on Saturday comes in the Handicap Chase over 2m 3 1/2f and Restandbethankful catches the eye.

Trained by Olly Murphy the six year old was kept over hurdles for the majority of last term and only switched to fences in the summer, showing enough ability to suggest he could be ahead of his mark in this one.

Second of fourth on chase debut at Southwell in June behind a nice type for Fergal O'Brien, he then went to Perth and finished behind the same runner.

Seen once more over fences to date he was second again, this time behind another O'Brien runner Mortlach who possess some nice form.

Learning a lot in the summer it should have put him bang on for his winter campaign and having not been seen since August he should be fresh.

The top weighted Ashfield Paddy could be tough to beat in the penultimate race of the afternoon at Wetherby on Saturday with the handy 7lb claimer Beau Morgan taking off valuable weight.

Dropping down to a mark of 120 on his last two starts of last season he showed some of his best form to date when second on soft ground at Leicester behind Star Of Rory and then off the same mark went to Hereford up in trip to 3m1f and beat a nice horse for Henry Daly in Bretney.

Having his first ride for Michael Scudamore this afternoon and effectively running off 115, he looks extremely well in and should take all the beating.