2012 Charlie Hall Chase

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Harry Topper Takes Charlie Hall
02/11/13

1 Harry Topper 5/1
2 Wayward Prince 50/1
3 Unioniste 13/2
7 ran Distances: nk, 4l, 32l
TIME 6m 4.20s (slow by 13.20s)

Long Run was nowhere to be seen as Kim Bailey's Harry Topper battled all the way to the line to take the Charlie Hall Chase from Wayward Prince.

Harry Topper
© kimbaileyracing.com

Bailey has had lean times since he saddled winners of the Grand National, Cheltenham Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle in the 1990s, but has been enjoying a renaissance in recent seasons.

In Harry Topper (5-1) he has a chaser who could take him back to the big time as he held last year's runner-up Wayward Prince by a neck under Jason Maguire after a thrilling battle in the closing stages.

Long Run, the 4-5 favourite, was a big disappointment and the 2011 Gold Cup hero never looked like taking a hand in the finish after making a bad mistake down the back.

Bailey said: "I've always hoped for big things from him, but he's had a problem with his jumping. He doesn't want soft ground for his jumping but he needs soft ground to help slow the others down a bit.

"He's like Master Oats in that he's all guts. I hope I did the right thing by missing Cheltenham last year but we took him to Kelso for an easy race and he fell. Then he was brought down in Ireland and that knocked him back mentally. He's not easy to train, he's a box walker but he's got guts and Jason knows him well.

"I've always had to be patient with him. He was in a field two years ago and I'm here a year earlier than I expected. I don't know where we go from here because even though Long Run ran it wasn't the real Long Run and the second is an exposed 11 -year-old, so the form at the minute doesn't look great."

Sam Waley Cohen could offer no excuse for Long Run and said: "I was happy enough with him for three-quarters of the race and he was galloping away nicely, he just didn't come up the straight."

Jack Doyle, rider of Wayward Prince, said: "He loves it around here and he could end up being a National horse."

Paul Nicholls, trainer of third-placed Unioniste, said: "I was thrilled with that. I thought he was just a few kilos heavy and that's how it's proved. In a month's time he should be where we want him to be and I'll talk to John (Hales, owner) but it will probably be the Hennessy Gold Cup."

Bet365 Charlie Hall Chase
£100,000 added, 5yo plus, 3m 1f, Class 1
7 ran
Going: Soft

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
2012 SILVIANCO CONTI 11/10F