Knife Edge could make debut for O´Neill in Charlie Hall

Saturday´s £70,000 Grade Two bet365 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby has attracted 15 high-class chasers at yesterday´s five-day entry stage including the J P McManus-owned Knife Edge, who could have his first run for trainer Jonjo O´Neill.

J P McManus´s racing manager, Frank Berry, yesterday revealed: 'Knife Edge will probably run in the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase if he pleases us during the week.'

While the nine-year-old, who is a 20/1 chance with the sponsor, has not won since scoring in the Grade Two Newlands Chase at Naas in 2002, he has subsequently finished in the first four on eight occasions including his last three starts. The best of his recent form came when an eight-length third to Beef Or Salmon in the Grade Two Hilly Way Chase at Cork in December.

Knife Edge´s 11 jumping wins have all come on ground with a bit of cut in it.

'Knife Edge has summered well and we would be happy with him,' continued Berry. 'He definitely wants the ground yielding to soft.'

The last time the son of Kris S was seen on the racecourse was in a Grade Three Chase at Fairyhouse in January, when finding Florida Pearl 11 and a half lengths too powerful. He was representing Irish trainer Michael O´Brien that day but has now joined Jonjo O´Neill.

Explaining the move, Berry said: 'We´re just hoping that there are more opportunities for him over in Britain because he´s quite high in the handicap in Ireland and he´s struggled a bit.'

The three miles one furlong of this prestigious event represents quite a step up in distance for Knife Edge, who has not raced over further than two and a half miles on his last four outings.

'The two miles and the two and a half miles seemed to be going a bit quick for Knife Edge so we´re just hoping that with the step up in trip, he might find himself going a bit easier,' Berry added.

Nicky Henderson has already said that 2002 bet365 Charlie Hall Chase winner Marlborough is a likely contestant and other possibles include this year´s Martell Cognac Grand National hero Amberleigh House, 2004 Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up Sir Rembrandt and Truckers Tavern, who filled the same position the previous season.

bet365 have opened up a book on the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase - 3/1fav Sir Rembrandt, 5/1 Hand Inn Hand and Lord Sam, 7/1 Royal Emperor, 8/1 Grey Abbey, Marlborough and Truckers Tavern, 14/1 Royal Auclair and Turgeonev, 16/1 Artic Jack, 20/1 Knife Edge and Skippers Cleuch, 33/1 Amberleigh House, Ballycassidy and Nil Desperandum.

The £40,000 Grade Two John Smith´s Hurdle (3.25pm) over three miles about one furlong has received 11 five-day entries including the Philip Hobbs-trained Grey Report, who finished third in last season´s Royal & SunAlliance Novices´ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, Crystal d´Ainay, who filled the same position in the bonusprint.com Stayers´ Hurdle at the same event, National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup winner Native Emperor, who could revert to the smaller obstacles, and Telemoss, fourth in the Stayers´ Hurdle in 2002.

A dozen three-year-old hurdlers have been entered for the £18,000-added Listed Constant Security Wensleydale Juvenile Novices´ Hurdle (2.20pm) over two miles including McManus´s Schapiro, who is also trained by Jonjo O´Neill.

Formerly trained on the Flat by John Gosden, for whom he won a fast ground maiden at Pontefract in June, Schapiro won a juvenile novices´ hurdle at Newton Abbot on the first day of September, readily beating Incursion by eight lengths, before going down by a length and a quarter to Silencio on his last start in a similar event at Market Rasen 24 days later.

'Schapiro will run in the Constant Security Wensleydale Juvenile Novices´ Hurdle if he pleases us in his work during the week,' said Berry.

'He has come out of the Market Rasen race with no problems at all - you´d have to say that we were a little disappointed with him there on the day but we couldn´t find anything wrong with him so hopefully he´ll come out and run well on Saturday.

'With his action and everything, I don´t think that he would be inconvenienced by soft ground.'

Knife Edge also holds an entry in the £17,000-added ´Dine And View´ Handicap Chase (4pm - extended two miles and four furlongs), with 21 entries, while the other events on Saturday include the opening 10,000-added Arthur Stephenson Novices´ Handicap Chase (1.45pm - extended two miles and four furlongs), with 15 possibles, the £10,000-added Tadcaster Handicap Hurdle (4.35pm - extended two miles and four furlongs) could see 18 go to post and the concluding £10,000-added ´Book Your Christmas Party Here´ Novices´ Hurdle (5.05pm - two miles), which has an excellent 39 possibles.