2011 Charlie Hall Chase

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Silviniaco Conti Steps Up to Take Charlie Hall
03/11/12

1 Silviniaco Conti 11/10F
2 Wayward Prince 33/1
3 Midnight Chase 9/1
6 ran Distances: 11l, 5l, 5l
TIME 6m 8.70s (slow by 15.70s)

Silviniaco Conti justified market confidence as he ran out a wide-margin winner of the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby.

Silviniaco Conti
© Grossick Racing Photography

A Grade Two novice winner at Aintree at the end of last term, the Paul Nicholls-trained runner was sent off the 11-10 favourite against five more experienced rivals and Ruby Walsh gave him plenty of time to find his feet.

Walsh delivered his challenge approaching the second-last and he accelerated clear to claim an 11-length verdict.

Walsh said: "He was the most inexperienced horse in the field, but he didn't ride as though he was. His jumping was fantastic and at every fence I seemed to be getting that bit closer to the others.

"He had some good form last season, he won at Wincanton and then was second to Grands Crus in the Feltham and there was no disgrace in that. He ran a shocker at Ascot, but I don't think Paul's horses were quite right that day, and having missed Cheltenham he came out an won well at Aintree.

"We've always liked him and don't forget he's only six. We think he's got the potential go to the next level."

How good this race was is hard to quantify. The runner-up clearly ran his best race for some time, but he was the only one to make a fight of it as the rest of the field were under pressure quite some way out. That said this was always going to be a test for the winner on his first start out of novice company and it was one he passed with flying colours.

Paddy Power went 5-1 about his chance for the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day while Bet Victor offered 7-1.

bet365 Charlie Hall Chase (Grade 2)
Going: Good to Soft (Soft in places in the back straight)

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
2011 WEIRD AL 7/1