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Charlie Hall Chase 2011 |
Weird Al Lands Charlie Hall Chase
29/10/11
1 Weird Al 7/1
2 Time For Rupert 11/8F
3 Chicago Grey 7/1
NR: Diamond Harry
7 ran Distances: 3½l, 27l, 1½l
TIME 6m 1.20s (slow by 8.20s)
Weird Al landed the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby on his first start for Donald McCain.
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Time For Rupert, having his first run since the RSA Chase at Cheltenham in March, tried to make most and was still in front as the race began in earnest going to four out, having had Nacarat for company on the second circuit.
All the while Weird Al (7-1), himself not seen since pulling up in the Gold Cup, was travelling strongly in behind for Timmy Murphy, and with Time For Rupert untidy at the second-last, the writing was on the wall. A fine leap at the last sealed a three-and-a-half-length success for McCain's eight-year-old.
Weird Al was formerly in the care of Ian Williams, and McCain said: "I'm absolutely thrilled. It would be wrong for me to take all the credit. He looked a million dollars when he came to me about six to eight weeks ago. The owners felt he needed a change. Ian's a good friend and has been a help.
"This race had been the target before he came to me. I can't certainly take all the credit that's for sure."
Paying tribute to Murphy, McCain said: "On his day Timmy's as good as anybody. We just said he'd sit fourth or fifth and let the race happen. Timmy's given him an absolute peach and said he picked up really well and he idled in front a bit.
"The horse's problems have been well documented. He had a fracture before the SunAlliance (2010) and had his problems last year. He's in the Hennessy, but there's a bit of a question as to how long he needs between his races. I'm still learning about him so we'll go quietly and see."
Murphy added: "He's a very nice horse and he's so lightly raced you don't know how far he can go. If you look after him he'll repay you. He barely came off the bridle today and idled after the last."
The race lost some gloss with the withdrawal of Diamond Harry, but Time For Rupert went down with all guns blazing and his trainer Paul Webber said: "He'll tighten up a hell of a lot for that. Today was either going to find a chink in his health or his fitness and I'm glad it's the latter. We'll go to Haydock next for the Betfair."
Tom George said of last year's winner Nacarat, who had to settle for fourth this time: "The ground was too holding for him and he couldn't get away from them. The ground will dictate where he goes. He wants good ground and three miles at Kempton."
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Position |
Horse Trainer |
Jockey Weight |
Starting Price Beaten Distance |
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1 |
Weird Al D McCain Jnr |
T J Murphy 11st 6lbs |
7 - 1 Winner |
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2 |
Time For Rupert P R Webber |
W Kennedy 11st 3lbs |
11 - 8 3 1/2 lengths |
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3 |
Chicago Grey G Elliott |
T Scudamore 11st 3lbs |
7 - 1 27 lengths |
|
4 |
Nacarat T R George |
S Thomas 11st 10lbs |
6 - 1 1 1/2 length |
|
5 |
Poquelin P F Nicholls |
R Walsh 11st 6lbs |
3 - 1 8 lengths |
|
6 |
Chief Dan George James Moffatt |
K Mercer 11st 0lbs |
33 - 1 47 lengths |
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7 |
Acrai Rua K M Prendergast |
F Keniry 11st 0lbs |
200 - 1 29 lengths |
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NonRunner |
Diamond Harry Nick Williams |
J Reveley 11st 6lbs |
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THE bet365 CHARLIE HALL CHASE - ROLL OF HONOUR
YEAR WINNER AGE/WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP RAN
1969 ARCTURUS 8-11-10 Neville Crump Pat Buckley 11/4 3
1970 KILDRUMMY 5-11-07 Bill Crawford Ron Barry 100/30 8
1971 Abandoned - snow & frost
1972 COXSWAIN 7-11-10 Arthur Stephenson Mr Graham Macmillan 4/5F 8
1973 DUNROBIN 6-11-05 Bill Crawford S P Taylor 4/5F 6
1974 TAMALIN 7-11-09 Gordon Richards Jonjo O’Neill 9/4 7
1975 DAVY LAD 5-11-07 Mick O’Toole IRE Dessie Hughes 2/5F 5
1976 DH SET POINT 8-11-09 Lady Herries Tommy Stack 20/1 6
DH CURRENT GOLD 5-11-07 Gordon Richards David Goulding 4/1
1977 GOOLAGONG 7-11-09 Neville Crump Mr Harry Orde-Powlett 8/1 8
1978 FIGHTING FIT 6-11-09 Ken Oliver Ridley Lamb 6/5F 5
1979 SPARKIE’S CHOICE 6-11-09 Neville Crump Colin Hawkins 9/2 8
1980 MANTON CASTLE 6-11-09 Maurice Camacho Gordon Holmes 16/1 9
1981 GAY RETURN 6-11-10 Edward O’Grady IRE Tommy Ryan 12/1 11
1982 RIGHTHAND MAN 5-11-07 Michael Dickinson Graham Bradley 11/10F 10
1983 WAYWARD LAD 8-11-10 Michael Dickinson Robert Earnshaw 1/3F 3
1984 BURROUGH HILL LAD 8-11-09 Jenny Pitman Phil Tuck 10/11JF 4
1985 WAYWARD LAD 10-11-06 Monica Dickinson Graham Bradley EvensF 4
1986 FORGIVE’N FORGET 9-11-10 Jimmy FitzGerald Mark Dwyer 5/2 6
1987 CYBRANDIAN 9-11-02 Peter Easterby Chris Grant 7/4 4
1988 HIGH EDGE GREY 7-11-02 Ken Oliver Tim Reed 13/2 10
1989 DURHAM EDITION 11-11-02 Arthur Stephenson Alan Merrigan 33/1 7
1990 CELTIC SHOT 8-11-02 Charlie Brooks Peter Scudamore 7/4F 7
1991 CELTIC SHOT 9-11-10 Charlie Brooks Graham Bradley 4/5F 6
1992 TIPPING TIM 7-11-02 Nigel Twiston-Davies Carl Llewellyn 11/4 7
1993 BARTON BANK 7-11-02 David Nicholson Adrian Maguire 12/1 7
1994 YOUNG HUSTLER 7-11-10 Nigel Twiston-Davies Carl Llewellyn 8/1 7
1995 BARTON BANK 9-11-02 David Nicholson Adrian Maguire 8/15F 3
1996 ONE MAN 8-11-10 Gordon Richards Richard Dunwoody 8/11F 4
1997 ONE MAN 9-11-10 Gordon Richards Richard Dunwoody 4/7F 4
1998 STRATH ROYAL 12-11-03 Owen Brennan Martin Brennan 14/1 5
1999 SEE MORE BUSINESS 9-11-12 Paul Nicholls Mick Fitzgerald 11/4JF 6
2000 SEE MORE BUSINESS 10-11-12 Paul Nicholls Mick Fitzgerald 1/3F 4
2001 SACKVILLE 8-11-05 Frances Crowley IRE David Casey 5/1 9
2002 MARLBOROUGH 10-11-00 Nicky Henderson Mick Fitzgerald 7/2 8
2003 BALLYBOUGH RASHER 8-11-00 Howard Johnson Graham Lee 40/1 6
2004 GREY ABBEY 10-11-06 Howard Johnson Graham Lee 5/1 6
2005 OLLIE MAGERN 7-11-05 Nigel Twiston-Davies Carl Llewellyn 11/4F 8
2006 OUR VIC 8-11-10 David Pipe Timmy Murphy 6/1 10
2007 OLLIE MAGERN 9-11-00 Nigel Twiston-Davies Paddy Brennan 11/4 7
2008 STATE OF PLAY 8-11-00 Evan Williams Paul Moloney 5/2F 6
2009 DEEP PURPLE 8-11-05 Evan Williams Paul Moloney 9/2 5
2010 NACARAT 6/1
