Life after Kauto as Paul Nicholls stable eyes Charlie Hall prize
9:56am Saturday 3rd November 2012 in Sport
By Tom O’Ryan, Racing journalist
Paul Nicholls, who this week called time on the brilliant Kauto Star by announcing the retirement of the chaser who rewrote the record books, can clinch top honours at Wetherby this afternoon.
The Somerset trainer saddles Silviniaco Conti in the £100,000 bet265 Charlie Hall Chase and the talented gelding is fancied to account for a small but select field, spearheaded by Time For Rupert and Midnight Chase, for Wetherby’s showpiece event.
Unbeaten in his first five races over hurdles, which embraced two Grade 2 events, Silviniaco Conti was not far behind the leading novices over fences last season when he ended the campaign with a resounding 13 lengths triumph over Champion Court in a Grade 2 event at Aintree.
Still only six years old, Silviniaco Conti is an exciting horse and the fact that Ruby Walsh is making a rare visit to Wetherby to ride him this afternoon has to be a positive.
He is selected to come out on top in what promises to be a fascinating race.
Norton trainer Malcolm Jefferson sends out Cape Tribulation for the £32,000 John Smith’s Hurdle, another Grade 2 affair, following a narrow defeat on the Flat at York three weeks ago.
Last season, Cape Tribulation enjoyed a terrific time, winning major handicaps at Cheltenham in March and at Aintree in April.
Those two Festival wins have now earned him a crack out of handicap company, and with his fitness assured after his latest Knavesmire outing, he should produce a bold bid.
Channel 4 cameras will be covering a third Wetherby race in the shape of the OLBG.com Mares’ Hurdle, in which Une Artiste can take the honours, provided she is on her best behaviour.
Nicky Henderson’s talented charge refused to race at Punchestown on her final start last season, but she had earlier won the Fred Winter Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and also a Listed race on the same course.
She has the ability to score in this Listed event, so long as she does everything right.
Lordofthehouse is another talented but quirky character.
He was a useful stayer on the Flat with William Haggas, but he developed a tendency to start slowly and in the Cesarewitch Handicap at Newmarket three weeks ago he failed to start at all.
It is to be hoped that jumping will provide him with a new lease of life and, if so, he should be hard to beat in the Download The Free Racing Plus App Novices’ Hurdle for Tom George and Paddy Brennan.
Wetherby’s seven-race programme kicks-off with the bet365.com Novices’ Chase, which sees Overturn tackling fences for the first time in public.
A top-notch hurdler, who also won the Chester Cup and Northumberland Plate on the Flat, Donald McCain’s popular gelding promises to be a sight to savour over the major obstacles.
Jumping action continues tomorrow at Carlisle, where one of the feature races is the £18,000 Colin Parker Memorial Intermediate Chase.
Mr Moonshine won this race last year and Sue Smith’s bold jumping gelding is fancied to produce an encore, after a recent runner-up effort over hurdles at Wetherby.
Tony McCoy has good prospects aboard Jonjo O’Neill’s Valley View, winner of three of his six chase starts, in the £18,000 Betfred Cumberland Handicap Chase.
The nap vote goes to Brian Ellison’s Fine Kingdom, a good second at Kelso last time, and expected to go one one better in the George Harrow Memorial Novices’ Handicap Hurdle.
Racing selections
Wetherby (today)
12.35 Overturn, 1.05 Lordofthehouse, 1.40 Fill The Power, 2.15 Une Artiste, 2.50 Cape Tribulation, 3.25 Silviniaco Conti, 4.00 Willow’s Saviour.
Today’s other meetings: Ascot, Newmarket and Ayr.
Carlisle (tomorrow)
1.00 Fine Kingdom (NAP), 1.30 Vintage Star, 2.05 Ifyousayso, 2.40 Mr Moonshine, 3.10 Valley View, 3.45 Some Lad, 4.15 Biggins Boy.
Tomorrow’s other meeting: Huntingdon.
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