Aces Four Heads To Wetherby For The bet365 Charlie Hall Chase

Ferdy Murphy is looking forward to starting off exciting second season chaser Aces Four in the prestigious #90,000 Grade Two bet365 Charlie Hall Chase over three miles and a furlong at Wetherby on Saturday, November 3.

The eight-year-old marked himself as a chaser of great potential when enjoying a fantastic novice campaign last term, easily winning the Grade Two John Smith's Mildmay Novices' Chase at Aintree on April 13, before taking a crashing fall at the last when leading in the Grade One Ellier Developments Hanover Quay Champion Novice Chase at Punchestown 11 days later.

Murphy revealed this morning: 'Aces Four runs in the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase. Graham (Lee) has done plenty of schooling with him and we are very happy with the way he has been working. He will come on for the run as all of ours do, so we would not be expecting to win it but it is a nice race to start him off in and it will give us a nice idea trip-wise as to which way we are going with him.

'He has had about five, maybe six, school mornings and we have been really, really pleased with his jumping. Punchestown was just one of those things. He made a mistake in the Royal & SunAlliance Chase at Cheltenham as well but overall he is a very good jumper and it is not something to worry about.

'At Punchestown the crowd was very near the fence and there was quite a bit of shouting and he just took his eye off it and half guessed. It looked horrendous so we were just glad to get him back.

'Graham said that he would probably learn from that fall. In a novice year, you probably would not go there but he has to move up again this season, so it was a matter of going to Ireland to get more experience into him.'

The Leyburn handler is not concerned by the recent lack of rain, saying: 'The going won't be an issue and he can rattle off fast ground, so he will run at Wetherby.'

Aces Four could lock horns in the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase with last season's top novice Denman, winner of the Grade One Royal & SunAlliance Chase at Cheltenham. Murphy's charge was the only horse able to match strides with the Paul Nicholls-trained winner that day before a blunder three out cost him vital ground and saw him finish a creditable fourth.

This year marks the fifth time that leading internet betting company bet365 has generously sponsored the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase.

The bet365 Charlie Hall Chase is one of the season's premier totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup trials and always attracts a high-class field. Last year's renewal went to the David Pipe-trained Our Vic who defeated subsequent Grade One Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup hero Neptune Collonges.

The bet365 Charlie Hall Chase has a distinguished history and other recent winners include the great Gordon Richards-trained One Man, who scored back-to-back victories in 1996 and 1997 under Richard Dunwoody, while Cheltenham Gold Cup hero See More Business took the Wetherby prize in 1999 and 2000.

Grey Abbey, hugely popular for trainer Howard Johnson, captured the 2004 renewal on his first start after taking the previous season's Scottish Grand National, while 2006 saw the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Ollie Magern defeat a high-class field that included subsequent Grade One Betfair Chase winner Kingscliff and 2005 Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up Take The Stand.

The two-day bet365 Charlie Hall Chase meeting commences on Friday, November 2, with a competitive six-race card featuring the #23,000 Listed bet365.com Handicap Chase (3.25pm) over an extended two miles, three furlongs and the #16,500 Listed Wensleydale Bank Juvenile Novices' Hurdle over two miles.

Bet365 Charlie Hall Chase Day, Saturday, November 3, kicks off at 12.45pm with the bet365 Call 08000 322 365 Beginners' Chase over two miles. The seven-race card also features the prestigious extended three-mile #40,000 Grade Two John Smith's Hurdle (2.20pm), which last year saw the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Redemption defeat subsequent Grade One Irish Independent Arkle Trophy winner My Way De Solzen.

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James Sanderson, Chief Executive and Clerk Of The Course at Wetherby, reported today: 'The course is in good condition ahead of the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase meeting and the ground is currently good to firm.'