Strong Entry For Wetherby St Stephen's Day Feature

Truckers Tavern heads a four-strong Sue Smith entry, among 30 possibles for the skybet.com Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase

The skybet.com Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase, the feature event of Wetherby racecourse´s prestigious Boxing Day card and race 20 in the BHB´s Order of Merit, has attracted a quality 30-strong entry.

Among the high-class potential contenders for the three mile, one furlong Grade Three contest are several leading chasers including Grey Abbey and El Vaquero from the Howard Johnson yard and the Richard Guest-trained Our Armageddon.

The Ferdy Murphy-trained Scottish Grand National winner Joe´s Edge joins four from the Sue Smith yard, including last year´s victor Truckers Tavern.

The ten-year-old gelding - second to Best Mate in the 2003 Cheltenham Gold Cup - was trained by Ferdy Murphy when capturing the #50,000 contest last term by three quarters of a length from the Keith Reveley-trained Malek, who could reoppose on Monday, December 26.

Truckers Tavern moved across Yorkshire to join Smith for the current campaign and made his debut for the yard when an encouraging third of 15 in a three-mile handicap hurdle at Bangor earlier this month.

Smith revealed: 'Truckers Tavern is in great form - we just need the ground to remain good and soft. He went home for his summer holiday and then came to us in training. We kept going with him slowly until he ran the other day and he seems to have come out of his race very well. We´ll take it as it comes with him

'He´s in the three-mile hurdle race as well so it all depends, but he´s a strong possibility for the Rowland Meyrick. I can´t say for certain because in another couple of days, if the temperature drops again, then we could be a bit snookered.'

Smith intends to run the Keith Nicholson-owned St Matthew who won the Listed Weatherby´s Bank Handicap Chase over two miles, four and a half furlongs at the track in October. He followed that with victory in a valuable handicap hurdle at Haydock before disappointing in the Hennessey Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury.

The High Eldwick handler commented: 'We´re northern people and the chaps that own these horses like to go to their local courses around Christmas time so St Matthew is in the Rowland Meyrick as well.

'He´s in great form with himself. He´s had a little break since the Hennessey and he´s really doing well. He had a hard race the week before Newbury when winning the hurdle race at Haydock and, looking back, the Hennessey probably came a bit quick for him.'

Mister McGoldrick, a winner of six from seven starts at Wetherby is also a possible, though he is more likely to bid for a second successive victory in the #50,000 skybet.com Castleford Chase at the course the following day.

Smith revealed: 'Mister McGoldrick is also in the skybet.com Castleford Chase so he´s by no means sure to run in the Rowland Meyrick. It depends on the weather this time of year as well and we don´t have a lot of options with him if we miss the Castleford Chase day.

'I was very pleased with his last run in the Rehearsal Chase because that came on the back of a quick run at Huntingdon and I think he was feeling the effects from that, plus he was top-weight, carrying two stone more than the winner at Newcastle.'

Smith continued: 'We don´t have a huge number of choices with him and the Castleford Chase and possibly the Rowland Meyrick are the obvious options at Wetherby - but after winning the Castleford there last year, you´ve got to go back for it again and the horse is in very good form.'

Smith also has progressive chaser Ross Comm entered for the skybet.com Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase but his first choice engagement is the Welsh National at Chepstow.

The trainer said: 'Ross Comm is in very good form with himself. He´s also in the Welsh National but at this time of year the weather can go one way or the other, so at the moment he´s more likely to go for the Welsh National.

'He was going extremely well in the Hennessey, he just seemed to do the splits in front on landing but other than that he seems to be fine.'

Ground

The ground at Wetherby is currently GOOD TO SOFT.

Chief Executive James Sanderson reported today: 'The ground is good to soft at present.

'Looking ahead, the forecast looks as if it will be kind to us over the next few days. Daytime temperatures are set to be around the 8 - 9 degrees mark while at night they should not go below around 3 or 4 degrees.

'We are also forecast a drop of rain here and there and so I would think the ground will remain good to soft for the Sky Bet Christmas Meeting.