My Way De Solzen Heading For Wetherby Showdown With Black Jack Ketchum

Grade One Ladbrokes World Hurdle winner My Way De Solzen heads to Wetherby on Saturday, October 28, for a showdown with the undefeated Black Jack Ketchum in the #40,000 Grade Two John Smith´s Hurdle (2.50pm).

The three mile, one furlong contest, one of the features of a seven-race card on bet365 Charlie Hall Chase Day at the Yorkshire course, looks set to bring together the dual Grade One-winning hurdler and last season´s champion novice hurdler in a fascinating clash.

My Way De Solzen´s trainer, Alan King, revealed today: 'He summered well and is in grand form ahead of Wetherby. Obviously we want it to keep raining but I´m very happy with him.

'I don´t know if excited would be the right word to use about the prospect of taking on Black Jack Ketchum, but it´s sure to be a good spectacle. That´s what racing is all about after all.'

The Jonjo O´Neill-trained Black Jack Ketchum has won all seven career starts including the Grade Two Brit Insurance Novices´ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and the Grade One Citroen C6 Sefton Novices´ Hurdle at Aintree.

My Way De Solzen´s three victories last term included the Grade One totesport Long Walk Hurdle at Chepstow as well as the Ladbrokes World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, which he won by a head from Golden Cross, but with a novice chase career beckoning, the John Smith´s Hurdle could be the six-year-old´s final run over the smaller obstacles.

King reported: 'The plan is to go and jump fences at some stage but whether we go to Newbury after Wetherby or whether we go on to novice chasing straight away, I´m not sure yet. We´ll take it one race at a time.'

King could also be represented at Wetherby´s bet365 Charlie Hall Meeting by Katchit, who is unbeaten in two starts over hurdles and is primed for a tilt at the #20,000 Listed Constant Security Wensleydale Juvenile Novices´ Hurdle (1.45pm) over two miles.

The three-year-old scored over an extended two miles, one furlong at Market Rasen on his debut in September and followed up over two miles, half a furlong at Chepstow on October 7, when he held the Paul Nicholls-trained Chaninbar by a length and a half.

The Wiltshire-based handler said: 'Katchit took to hurdling right away and will go for the Constant Security Wensleydale Juvenile Novices´ Hurdle. He has won two and we´ll see how we go. I´d be surprised if he´d be good enough for the Triumph Hurdle but time will tell and we´ll take it one step at a time.

'He will go on most ground but he wouldn´t want extremes. I don´t think he´d want heavy but I wouldn´t mind a bit of cut for him.'

The ground is currently GOOD at Wetherby after a couple on heavy showers this week.

Wetherby Racecourse´s bet365 Charlie Hall Meeting takes place on Friday, October 27, and Saturday, October 28, with the feature event being the prestigious #90,000 Grade Two bet365 Charlie Hall Chase (3.25pm) over three miles, one furlong on day two.

The Grade Two bet365 Charlie Hall Chase and the Grade Two John Smith´s Hurdle form part of the British Horseracing Board´s Order Of Merit.

The Howard Johnson-trained Inglis Drever won the Grade Two John Smith´s Hurdle in 2005 after securing the inaugural BHB Order Of Merit. He is one of several high-class staying hurdlers who have enjoyed victory in the prestigious Wetherby contest, which is registered as the West Yorkshire Hurdle.

Other top-class winners in recent times include the Mary Reveley-trained Cab On Target (1991 and 1995), Trainglot (1996), Pridwell (1998), who went on to conquer the great Istabraq in the following spring´s Grade One Martell Aintree Hurdle, Silver Wedge (1999), and the Mouse Morris-trained dual winner Boss Doyle (2000 and 2001)