Wetherby Racecourse

2006 race

racing_news/

My Turn Now One of 17 for The Grade Two John Smith's Hurdle 30/10/07

A superb seven-race card features the prestigious extended three-mile £40,000 Grade Two John Smith’s Hurdle, which last year saw the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Redemption defeat subsequent Grade One Irish Independent Arkle Trophy winner My Way De Solzen.

The Charlie Mann-trained My Turn Now was one of the 2006/2007 season’s leading novices, winning six of nine starts and heads to the John Smith’s Hurdle in good heart.

Mann revealed today: “My Turn Now is definitely running in the John Smith’s Hurdle. There is nothing else suitable because he is so high in the handicap.

“We will find out on Saturday how good he is. He has been ready to run for the last fortnight and if he is good enough to contest conditions races then I hope he might end up as a Ladbrokes World Hurdle horse.

“The great thing with him is that he goes on any ground, he has won on fast and soft and it was heavy when he ran a good race in the Tolworth Hurdle.”

Inglis Drever took the prize in 2005 and Howard Johnson’s dual Grade One Ladbrokes World Hurdle winner is one of four entries for the County Durham trainer along with 2005 Grade One Royal & SunAlliance Novices’ Hurdle hero No Refuge, Crocodile Dundee and Key Time.

Jonjo O’Neill has engaged brilliant Grade One winner Black Jack Ketchum, while James Moffatt could run Grade One Citroen C6 Sefton Novices’ Hurdle winner Chief Dan George and Alan King has entered last season’s Grade Two Cleeve Hurdle winner Blazing Bailey.

Monkerhostin is a possible for the contest as well as the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase, while Ireland could be represented by recent Chepstow winner Sonnyanjoe, trained by Tom Hogan. Lough Derg, from the David Pipe yard, was runner-up to Mighty Man in the Grade One BGC Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot in December and is also entered.

The exciting two-day bet365 Charlie Hall Chase meeting commences on Friday, November 2, with a competitive six-race card featuring the £23,000 Listed bet365.com Handicap Chase (3.25pm) over an extended two miles, three furlongs, which has attracted 21 entries including the Ferdy Murphy-trained L’Antartique, winner of the Jewson Novices’ Handicap Chase at Cheltenham in March, and Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Chase hero Cloudy Lane, trained by Donald McCain.

Friday also features the £16,500 Listed Weatherbys Bank Wensleydale Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle (2.50pm) over two miles.

Bet365 Charlie Hall Chase Day, Saturday, November 3, kicks off at 12.45pm with the bet365 Call 08000 322 365 Beginners’ Chase over two miles and concludes at 4.05pm with the competitive Daniel Garth Homes Handicap Hurdle over an extended two miles, three furlongs.

GROUND UPDATEs

The ground is currently good to firm and watering of the new section of the course is taking place today and tomorrow. The going stick reading is 8.6.

James Sanderson, Chief Executive and Clerk Of The Course at Wetherby, said: “I am expecting that we will race on going which is good to firm, good in places on Friday and Saturday.

“Despite anything people may have read, I am extremely happy with the racing surface, which is very safe. The inspector of courses, Chris Dennis, shares my sentiments about the state of the course.”