Charlie Hall Chase: guide to the potential runners and 6-1 tip

You must travel all the way back to 2004 and front-running Grey Abbey to find the last bet365 Charlie Hall Chase winner to be older than nine years of age, but the odds looked stacked in favour of the “oldies” for Saturday’s renewal.

The first three in the ante-post betting – Protektorat, Pic D’Orhy and Hewick – are all ten-year-olds, while Sam Brown, who is 13, and Hang In There, 11, also seem likely to line up.

Ten runners are in the mix after Monday’s entry stage, but several of those - including Gordon Elliott’s pair – also have other weekend engagements.

Ground conditions could well shape the final field. With a relatively dry week forecast, goodish ground seems on the cards. Here’s a guide and an early verdict. 

Trainer: Gordon Elliott. Official rating: 153. Odds: 16-1. 

Won Grade One prizes at Fairyhouse and Leopardstown in the first half of last season, although both lacked a bit of substance and he subsequently came up short at the Dublin Racing Festival and  at Aintree. Probably wants softer ground than is expected and he’s also entered at Down Royal this weekend, so it could well be that he stays at home. 

Trainer: Venetia Williams. Official rating:  162. Odds: 8-1. 

Ended last season with a whimper, running well below-par at Cheltenham and Aintree. We also have no idea about stable form, as Venetia Williams has had just one runner this autumn (a 13-8 chance who fluffed his lines). Perhaps it’s best to focus on the fact that the youngest member of the field has a good record when fresh, seems versatile regards ground/trip and boasts form that puts him right in the mix. His highlights last term were a convincing defeat of Protektorat in the Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon, plus an emphatic success in the Denman Chase at Newbury. The seven-year-old will have a 6lb penalty to carry. 

Trainer: Jamie Snowden. Official rating:  155. Odds: 16-1. 

Won the Paddy Power Gold Cup three years ago and was runner-up in that contest last year, too. Perhaps this is a stepping stone back to Cheltenham as he’s on the same mark as 12 months ago. He’s one of those horses caught between a rock and a hard place; not being good enough to win the top Graded races and not being well enough weighted to land another big handicap. His jumping can be a mixed bag and he throws in the odd stinker. He’s also entered at Down Royal and Ascot this weekend. 

Trainer: Emma Lavelle. Official rating:  152. Odds: 25-1. 

He’s been a fabulous little horse for his stable, making it 13 wins from 46 races when scoring at Chepstow this month. However, that was a veterans’ contest and he was running off a mark of 147, so this demands a lot more. He’s likely to have his ground in his favour but that was also the case in last year’s edition, when he was never a threat and finished fourth of six runners. 

Trainer:  John Hanlon. Official rating: 158. Odds: 6-1. 

Needs no introduction, adding another chapter to his remarkable rags-to-riches story with a fluent success over hurdles at Thurles this month, albeit he was up against only two rivals. That should have put him spot on for this assignment, with his trainer suggesting on Monday he was strongly favouring Wetherby over Down Royal because of the likelihood of decent ground. The 2023 King George winner has no penalty to shoulder, with his efforts last term including bold shows in the Irish Gold Cup and Grand National. Looks to have plenty going for him, but the bookmakers cannot agree, with his ante-post odds varying between 3-1 and 6-1. 

Trainer: Paul Nicholls. Official rating: 162. Odds: 4-1. 

He’s got a fabulous wins-to-runs ratio, winning half of his 22 races over fences. And it’s easy to forget that before being unleashed over the bigger obstacles, he won a Betfair Hurdle in 2020. Overall, he’s won three Grade One prizes and six Grade Two contests, so you oppose him at your peril. However, he’s unproven beyond 2m 5f and he has run most of his races at right-handed courses like Ascot and Kempton.  That said, he’s won at the highest level at Aintree, while Paul Nicholls scooped this with Cyrname in 2020 when he had similar doubts hanging over him. Incidentally, Nicholls is one short a record-equalling sixth Charlie Hall winner. 

Trainer:  Dan Skelton. Official rating: 165. Odds: 3-1. 

He can be relentless when at his peak, such as when running his rivals into submission in the 2024 Ryanair Chase, and when dishing out a 23-length drubbing to Djelo at Windsor in January. However, he surrendered his Ryanair crown quite tamely and could not keep tabs with Jonbon in the Melling Chase the following month. The ten-year-old has not run over 3m or further for almost a couple of years, but he’s got plenty of form over staying trips and going back up in distance may well suit him as he’s probably lost a bit of pace. Bigger niggles are that he has needed his comeback run for the past couple of seasons and that his very best form has been achieved on soft ground. 

Trainer:  Anthony Honeyball. Official rating: 155. Odds: 33-1. 

He’s been placed in two previous editions, finishing third to Bravemansgame in 2022 and filling the same place behind The Real Whacker 12 months ago. He was beaten under five lengths each time, doing remarkable to get so close last year after being taken off his feet for a long way. The teenager was a game winer of a veterans’ event at Newbury in March, off a mark of 152, but, rising 14, he is surely playing for place money again at best. 

Trainer:  Gordon Elliott. Official rating: 154. Odds: 10-1. 

As with the yard’s other entry, Croke Park, tread carefully if you are considering an ante-post punt. Easy ground or slower seems important for him, and he’s been a non-runner three times when the going has officially ranged between good and yielding. If the forecast is right, it seems unlikely to be any softer than that. The mud was flying when he clawed back The Jukebox Man in the 2024 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle and his best effort as a novice chaser last term came when runner-up in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase. He’s another also engaged at Down Royal on Saturday. 

Trainer: Patrick Neville. Official rating: 156. Odds: 12-1. 

His victory in last year’s Charlie Hall was the highlight of his season, although the form looked wobbly at the time and he struggled afterwards, failing to make an impact in Grade One company at Kempton, Cheltenham and Aintree. He’s back in shallower waters and should be primed for his defence after an encouraging spin over hurdles last month, although unlike last year he has a 6lb penalty to overcome. 

This could cut up a bit, making the 6-1 that William Hill offer about HEWICK even more appealing. He looked in good heart when scoring over hurdles last month, seems likely to get the goodish ground he favours plus has no penalty to shoulder.