Irish Contenders at Wetherby On Saturday One of the first major jumps meetings of the season in the north of England takes place this weekend as Wetherby hosts their Charlie Hall Meeting. The West Yorkshire layout boasts the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase on Saturday afternoon (2.57), the Grade 2 contest identified as the first of the major staying chases in Britain in the National Hunt season. One of Ireland's favourite performers is making the journey to Wetherby, with Hewick set to contest the big race, and he's joined by two more Irish raiders. We're assessing their hopes below. 2.22 — bet365 Hurdle — Winter Fog Now in the care of Willie Mullins, Winter Fog will be rising to 12 years of age in the New Year and is in the twilight of his career. He last won over hurdles in the summer of 2024, taking the Grade 3 Grimes Hurdle at Tipperary, but he ran some cracking races in Grade 1 company last season both in Ireland and Britain, including finishing third in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham. He'll now join the winner of that race, Golden Ace, at Wetherby where Jeremy Scott's mare features in the Listed bet365 Mares' Hurdle (1.50) earlier on the card. Winter Fog won on the Flat at Tramore in August over 2m and was far from disgraced with ninth in the Cesarewitch at Newmarket (2m2f) since off a mark of 85. He has won over three miles before and Brian Hayes' partner cannot be discounted here despite the fact Strong Leader will likely head the betting for Olly Murphy, and Potters Charm is an intriguing contender for Paul Nicholls on his first start since the Cheltenham Festival as he goes up in trip now in open company. 2.57 — bet365 Charlie Hall Chase — Hewick Hewick is one of the grandest of servants to jumps racing and Shark Hanlon's Grade 1-winning bargain buy is set to tackle this race for the first time. The 2023 King George winner at Kempton, that remains his most recent success over fences, though he was second to Envoi Allen in the Champion Chase at Down Royal on this weekend last season and ran an honourable eighth in the Grand National at Aintree in the spring. He returned from his summer break to win a minor hurdles contest at Thurles recently, as he was entitled to on ratings. He faces some useful rivals here — including last year's winner The Real Whacker as well as Pic D'orhy, Ga Law, Djelo and Protektorat — but it's never a good thing to write Hewick off and he's likely to be in the mix for the Shark and Gavin Sheehan. 3.30 — Never Ordinary at bet365 Handicap Hurdle — Half A Chance Later, the Shark and son Paddy Hanlon (claiming 5lb) will team up with Half A Chance in the Class 3 handicap hurdle over two miles. The six-year-old Beat Hollow gelding won a maiden at Limerick over this sort of trip in May 2024 but hasn't added to his tally in nine subsequent starts over timber. He has been knocking on the door in recent starts at the likes of Downpatrick, Listowel and Tipperary but isn't done any favours in having to compete here off a 7lb higher mark of 116 which makes his task tough, even allowing for his rider’s claim.
