Timeform Charlie Hall Preview: Seuil destroyer to lay down Gold Cup marker By Joe Rendall -- published 28th October 2014 Joe Rendall previews the first major jumps race of the season, the Grade 2 Charlie Hall Chase from Wetherby on Saturday. The wait is over. Although this weekâs spell of unseasonably warm weather will make it a little harder to banish thoughts of the turf season from your mind, the Charlie Hall meeting at Wetherby means the National Hunt season is finally back. It has delivered an underwhelming start to the jumps season proper on more than one occasion in recent times, but not so this year. Jonjo OâNeill, a heavy investor in young horses over the summer months and a genuine contender for the Champion Trainerâs title, takes the rugs off two of his most exciting prospects in More of That and Taquin du Seuil. It is the latter-named which we will concentrate on as he tackles three miles for the first time in the feature contest. The trip is really the main question when assessing Taquin du Seuilâs chances for Saturdayâs race. Itâs not necessarily if he will stay the 25-furlong trip, but whether it will bring about the requisite improvement heâll need to get the better of Silviniaco Conti and the rest. Those suggesting Taquin du Seuil wonât get the extra distance will most likely point to his tendency to travel strongly, but that trait has subsided slightly as he has grown older and become accustomed to life over fences. At Timeform we believe the way in which Taquin du Seuil has shaped both at Haydock (21 furlongs, heavy ground) and when last seen winning the JLT suggested he shouldnât have a problem with the step up in trip. His Cheltenham victory put a long-held theory he was better on soft going to the sword too, another positive given weâre likely to get something in the region of good ground on Saturday. The doubters may point to his underwhelming reappearance at Newton Abbot three weeks ago, but it could have some welcome effects. The first is on Taquin du Seuilâs fitness. It may be that he was slightly more in need of the run that connections would have expected, but he will strip a lot fitter for it and it may even give him an edge on those having their first outings of the season. The second is his price, as you can be sure heâd be at least half the odds of those currently available if heâd come straight here as a Festival winner. Add in to the mix heâll be re-united with regular jockey AP McCoy, and at 7/1 he looks the outstanding bet in the race. There is, however, a fairly sizeable obstacle in the way in the shape of King George winner Silviniaco Conti. Winner of this race two years ago and twice victorious in Grade 1 company last season, it is fairly obvious that he sets a clear standard on form and deserves to be favourite. Heâs well clear on Timeformâs weight-adjusted ratings, even in concession of weight to the vast majority of his rivals. Thereâs also the fact that all his best form has come on flat tracks, which Wetherby most certainly is. Why, then, are we looking anywhere else? The first reason is that Silviniaco Conti will have to concede 5 lb to Taquin du Seuil who is completely unexposed over this trip. That will be no mean feat if he pulls it off. The second is a more general concern regarding the wellbeing of Paul Nichollsâ string, with some looking a lot fitter than others first time up. Despite bullish reports from Ditcheat, just how much heâll need the run is a major concern for backers, especially once itâs considered that he has a more significant engagement in the Betfair Chase three weeks hence. Therefore 7/4 looks far too short for an ante-post proposition when you take the above caveats into consideration. There are plenty of others who merit discussion on their best form, but as is usually the case with these early-season graded races, fitness will have a big say in the result. First Lieutenant has the least to find with Silvinaco Conti on adjusted Timeform figures and aside from the fact it seems in his nature to always find one or two too good, he has usually needed his first run of the season and doesnât appeal at 4/1. Menorah was last seen making his belated Flat debut at Sandown, but he carries the maximum penalty for winning a listed race over jumps at the same track back in April and as a result may find this task beyond him. The Giant Bolster would be a threat on his best form but he tends to save that for the big days and it is unlikely David Bridgwater will have him fully firing first time up. He also shoulders 11st 10lb and doesnât appeal as a betting proposition as a result. The one who could run well at big price is Medermit, who represents an Alan King stable which is in red-hot form. He has an excellent record fresh and only has four lengths to find on First Lieutenant based on his run at the Punchestown Festival last season. Given heâs available at four times the odds, those looking for an each-way play in the race could do a lot worse than to keep him on side at 16/1. Providing the market principals take their chance itâs fair to say this will be one of the more compelling renewals of the Charlie Hall. With the young improving chaser taking on the established star, it whets the appetite for the innumerable enthralling clashes that are set to come as the season gathers momentum. If Taquin du Seuil can realise his potential as a possible Gold Cup contender we even have a decent bet in prospect. Recommended bets: 1 pt win Taquin du Seuil 0.5 pt e/w Medermit
Appears that FL is running at Down Royal...All to do with the Giggenstown shuffle..I'm sure Mouse Morris is less than pleased. It is however a better race and a G1 but I would have thought a firmer surface would have suited FL...his trainer has said that several times in the last few days. Actually surprised SC isn't off to NI for the G1 that Nicholls has won before.
LMAO @ how it is a better race.....why....because the Irish call it a Grade 1? Boston Bob top rated on official figures at 164. Hardly on a par with the best staying chasers in the UK is it. Maybe Nicholls thinks he can win it with Rocky Creek. The Charlie Hall is a penalty kick for SILVINIACO CONTI if they don't mind him having a toughish race and First Lieutenant is wise to avoid him! He wont be my weekend banker though!
He will be mine Stick, absolutely love the horse even though I have backed him 4 times in his career and they coincide with the 4 times he was beaten in recent years. I had him in a great bet when he fell in the CGC which would have paid four figures. Left him alone in the King George, backed him again for Cheltenham and I think Fehily went to soon on him as he was worried about Bob's worth's staying power. I firmly believe this horse is a CGC winner and hope he proves me correct this year. He has a good mix of speed and stamina and if they hold on to him just that little longer I am certain he will power away from them up the hill. This weekend is a bit of a pipe opener for greater targets but he won it in 2 years ago and even at 90% will be to good for these. At 6/5 currently he his an amazing bet and my first proper bet of the jumps season
Isn't this race normally won by something out of left field? Or is it just that I can never find the winner so I've unconsciously filed it under "Too Difficult-expect freak result"?
A G1 is by definition a better race than a G2 and carries more prestige,gravitas and in this case a bigger purse. The JN CC has been won three times by Kauto Star.Nothing of his calibre has ever won the CH in recent times if ever. BTW On His Own is joint top rated on 164 and since he finished second in the CGC,with SC et al behind,I think he is comparable to the best staying 'chasers in the UK.Also Boston Bob is only 2 points off favourtism for next years Gold Cup in most antepost lists. Tomorrows race isn't vintage,I'll agree to that,but more than decent and won't be the weakest G1 run this year in the very open and transitional staying division. I don't think you like Irish racing!
Sorry stick but I do feel obliged to defend my local racetrack here slightly and in particular the comparison of the 2 races which has you laughing your backside off! Since 2008 the JNwine Champion Chase winners were Kauto Star The Listener Kauto Star Quito de la Roque Kauto Stone Roi du Mee In the same period the Charlie Hall Chase winners were State of Play Deep Purple Nacarat Weird Al Silviniaco Conti Harry Topper Going back further in the Down Royal race history of winners includes the legenday Beef or Salmon (how cool they named a horse after me ) and vanquished animals include Sizing Europe (twice) and Gold Cup winners War of Attrition and Kicking King! I know which race I think has the much stronger record... In respect of this year's races I think Silviniaco Conti does look a 'shoo in' at Wetherby but that speaks volumes for the lack of depth in the race. The Down Royal has more depth imo, with Boston Bob who you mentioned rated at 164 but you forgot the top rated one on 165, On His Own, this year's Cheltenham Gold Cup second?! Perhaps you've managed to erase that race from memory based on your pre-race Gold Cup assertions...
Irish Grade One staying chases can generally be defined as egg and spoon races. The freak CGC result apart its a division that the Irish have been weak in for a number of years. BEEFORSALMON won how many at home and how many away? Case rested!
The Charlie Hall has a certain 'egg and spoon' look about it too, based on some of the things that have won it I personally think the staying division just looks poor, full stop.
Lets be fair here, if you have a top table horse, then both races are probably egg and spoon races for you. They sent KS over to Down Royal because it was a training run in all but name, whilst the Charlie Hall would be fodder for anything of his quality. I think it shows that bar the big races (Haydock, KG etc) most graded chases in UK and Ireland aren't filled with top quality fields. Smallish fields and generally weaker runners are the order of the day as more horses get wrapped in cotton wool.
The pattern race calendar is saturated with far too many Graded,Conditional and the ridiculous Intermediate 'chases. In Ireland there are 40% more G2 steeplechase races than G3's!...try squaring that graded rhombus!..also 10% of all races run in the Irish NH calendar are Graded or Listed events.Our calendar isn't much better and it allows the top horses to pick and chose soft options on the way to the Festival without meeting any relevant competition. When they get to the Festival they can then pick some more soft options with the expanded fixture base..how long until we have a 2m4f G1 Hurdle plus a 2m2f and a 2m6f G1 'chase. Of the four Irish G1 3m 'chases the Lexus and Hennessy stand up robustly to scrutiny re competitiveness and quality,as does the P'town GC,it's just that given it's scheduling at seasons end it throws up plenty of boil overs.
Can't let that go unchallenged. It's just an opinion, but I reckon if his trainer hadn't run him in the GC in his novice season, Beef Or Salmon would have cleaned up over here too. His fall at Cheltenham arguably knackered him for UK racing. Kicking King and War Of Attrition weren't long ago either.
Stick. I most certainly am if you have performed a 180 degree U turn after reading the last paragraph of my previous post!
This is some really good debate on here and I fully agree about the pattern race calender. I do, however, have a novel solution to try and redress this somewhat. I would make entry to the big Championship races at the Cheltenham festival dependent on having run in a certain number of qualifying races during the season - a bit like Pertemps for Grade 1 animals. So, for example, to run in the Gold Cup, your horse must have run 2 of the following (and you can play tunes on the number of races etc): Charlie Hall / Haldon Gold Cup / Betfair Chase / King George / Denman Chase possibly even have some of the big handicaps as qualifying races eg Hennessy, PPGC. You would have a similar number of qualifying races for the Irish horses (maybe the John Durkan / Lexus / Irish Hennessy etc). Same for the Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother (God bless her) Champion Chase, Ryanair Chase and World Hurdle. You would force connections to stop mollycoddling their stars and it would be great for the sport as we would get to see the better horses competing against each other more often.
Good idea, but flawed and couldn't possibly work. What if a horse is injured and can't run until march is one reason. Would a 'self certificate' be sufficient in this case? But the major point is, why would Cheltenham racecourse care if horses ran at other tracks at other times in the year? They have the blue ribbons, it's up to other courses to entice the horses.
