Supporting Card At Wetherby

The Charlie Hall Chase is the undoubted feature but the supporting card is very strong as well.

The opening Novice Chase is difficult to weigh up until the bookies price it up but the three of interest are Round Tom, Cloudy Too and Helpston. Round Tom looks the one with most improvement and rates the best of them provided his prices isn't silly short. With the Walsh/Nicholls combination teaming up it might well be.

Nicky Henderson does particularly well in these mares hurdle races and he send Whoops A Daisy as his sole representative here. He did have A Media Luz entered but places his hopes on this one instead. She racked up a hatrick in minor events before disappointing when well fancied for the mares final last year. This is easier and she looks capable of improvement. The return to 2 miles will also be in her favour. Top rated is the Paul Webber trained Alasi. She was 4th in the Mares Hurdle at the Festival behind the brilliant Quevega. She sets the standard but perhaps lacks the scope for improvement of Whoops A Daisy. Again it is difficult to draw firm conclusions without the bookies' prices but the Henderson horse looks the one.

Fair Along has taken the John Smith's Hurdle for the last two years and bids to make it a hatrick in 2011. The top rated is Ashkazar but he's a tricky one to work out and preference is for Carlito Brigante. He was on a sharp upward curve last year culminating in an impressive win in the Coral Cup at the Festival. He then found Big Buck's and Quevega too good at Aintree and Punchestowns but faces nothing of their calibre here. Still has scope to improve further and he is fancied to take this at 5/1. What A Friend, 4th in the Gold Cup is an interesting contender but dropped to hurdles he is opposable with bigger targets ahead of him. Again, the comments of Paul Nicholls will be very informative in the morning. I advise you wait for that information before 'wading in'. But, as he admits himself, trainers never quite know where they stand, so using the information as guidance is crucial.

In the Novice chase Havingotascoobydo looks to have just the fences between him and victory but he couldn't negotiate them safely last time. He should be a clear cut winner with a clear round but, as we saw with the Old Roan last week, these three runner affairs can offer up some curious results. He will be a deservedly short price but a surefire winner with a clear round, surely?!