Bet365 Charlie Hall Chase |
|
| Grade 3 Handicap, Wetherby 15:15 £100,000 added, 5yo plus, 3m 1f, Class 1 |
|
| Saturday 1st November 2014 | |
1 Menorah 8/1
2 Taquin Du Seuil 10/3
3 Double Ross 11/1
7 ran Distances: 4l, shd, ½l
TIME 5m 46.10s (fast by 4.90s)
Menorah takes the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase under Richard Johnson for trainer Philip Hobbs
 |
Menorah gave the Philip Hobbs team a second consecutive Saturday big-race triumph when running out a ready winner of the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase.
The 8-1 chance sprang a small surprise in the staying feature after the stable's success with Wishfull Thinking in the Old Roan Chase last weekend.
Silviniaco Conti, the evens favourite, set out to make all but was collared at the second-last fence and faded out of contention as Richard Johnson drove Menorah out to score by four lengths from Taquin Du Seuil, who just pipped Double Ross for second spot.
Hobbs was at Ascot, where he said: "Delighted. He's a fantastic horse, he's a Cheltenham Festival winner and he's won plenty of other races.
"I think it's the first time he's won over three miles. I suppose you have to think about King Georges and races like that. That wasn't the first thought this morning, but we're going to have to go that sort of route, I'd have thought.
"I suppose we needed Silviniaco Conti to run below par for us to have a chance, which he has. Anyway, he's run fantastic."
Johnson added: "He's always been a good horse, winning a Supreme Novices' Hurdle, and Philip has got his horses in fantastic form at the moment. With Wishfull Thinking winning last week and this lad today, we've had a great few days.
"He jumped well and travelled nicely today. I just had to steer him. I took him wide so that he could get a clear view of his fences. On this nice ground he stays three miles well, but I definitely think he's better on a flatter track."
 |
Paul Nicholls expects Silviniaco Conti to improve for the run.
He said: "He is just getting a bit lazier. Noel (Fehily) said he got very tired. What he needs now is a real end-to-end gallop like he'll get in the King George. He needed a race to tighten up and he should improve for the run.
"Basically, he has run OK. He'll go Betfair, King George and Gold Cup."
MansionBet gave Menorah a quote of 10-1 for the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.
Bet365 Charlie Hall Chase
£100,000 added, 5yo plus, 3m 1f, Class 1
7 ran
Going: Good, Good to Soft in places
| Dist | Horse SP Jockey | Weight | Trainer | Age | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Menorah (IRE) 8/1 R Johnson |
11-10 | P J Hobbs | 9 | |
| 2nd | 4 | Taquin Du Seuil (FR) 10/3 A P McCoy |
11-5 | Jonjo O'Neill | 7 |
| 3rd | s.h | Double Ross (IRE) 11/1 Adam Wedge |
11-6 | N A Twiston-Davies | 8 |
| 4th | ½ | Medermit (FR) 9/1 W Hutchinson |
11-0 | A King | 10 |
| 5th | 3½ | Silviniaco Conti (FR) Evsf N D Fehily |
11-10 | P F Nicholls | 8 |
| 6th | 21 | Wayward Prince 25/1 D C Costello |
11-0 | Mrs H Parrott | 10 |
| 7th | 19 | The Giant Bolster 20/1 J M Maguire |
11-10 | D G Bridgwater | 9 |
