Ante Post Focus - Charlie Hall Chase

This weekend see's the first big race of the National Hunt season, the Bet365 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby Racecourse, the lovely Yorkshire venue just off the A1. The ground looks like being decent jumping ground, not quite the bog last year's winner Harry Topper would want but not quick enough to scare any of the big guns away. The market is headed by Paul Nicholl's Silviniaco Conti at around about 5/4, miles too short for me given the stable form. Some of the stable seem to massively need the run whereas some of them look fit as a fiddle first-time up, and while the trainer has said his charge is plenty fit enough for this weekend I'm loath to take such a short price given my concerns about the yard, and the fact that this is certainly a prep run for the Betfair Haydock Chase in 3 weeks time. I'm definitely swerving the favourite here.

Wednesday saw trainer Mouse Morris declare his horse, First Lieutenant, for the big race at Down Royal at the weekend, meaning he would not be travelling over the Irish Sea to Wetherby and thus depriving the race of it's 2nd favourite in the market. This move saw Taquin Du Seuil shorten into around 4/1, and with race fitness on his side after his re-appearance run at Newton Abbot plus the fact he receives 5lbs from the favourite many people will see this as a good bet. Indeed if Taquin is to develop into the Gold Cup horse the stable hope he can be he should be going very close this weekend. I don't see the step up in trip being an issue, certainly last year he looked like appreciating a trip, and his jumping should stand him in good stead here. The champion jockey AP McCoy is back in the saddle on Saturday and if Taquin had turned up at Wetherby without his prep run at Newton Abbot he would probably be a deal shorter after his impressive Cheltenham success the time before. Instead he is around the 4/1 mark, rather than the 5/2 he would probably be otherwise, and you are getting a horse with a prep race on his side...ideal! Jonjo's charge certainly appeals more than Silviniaco Conti as an outright win bet in the Charlie Hall.

However I've got myself an e/w bet that I am most keen on for this race, and that's in the shape of 10/1 shot Medermit from the Alan King stable. King has his yard in flying form and I'm really keen on his admirable 10 year old especially given Medermit's record fresh; 2 out of his last 3 first time out appearances have resulted in victory. Furthermore we know this grey gelding gets the 25 furlong trip he will face on Saturday well after he rounded off last season with a commendable 4th in the Punchestown Gold Cup, something that isn't guaranteed for Taquin at a much shorter price. Finally Medermit gets 5lbs from Taquin, 6 from Double Ross and 10 from the likes of Conti and Menorah! At 10/1 I think medermit rates as a knocking e/w bet Ante-Post with 3 places on offer, especially given the likelihood of the field reducing in numbers come raceday which could lead to only 2 places on offer.

Advice

Medermit e/w 10/1