Wetherby Saturday Preview - 30/10/21

The first selection of the day from the Yorkshire track comes in the Class 3 Handicap Chase and the top weighted Tanarpino for Jennie Candlish could run a big race.

The 10 year old has been very up and down during this summer but last time out when dropped to a mark of 121 went on to land a very nice event at Bangor.

He has gone up 5lb for that event but in the past has ran well off this mark and having much better proven form than most in Class 2/3 company he is worth taking an each way chance on.

Next up is the Dan Skelton trained Molly Ollys Wishes who makes her seasonal debut in the Listed Mares Hurdle on Saturday and she could be a big player for the yard in graded company this term.

The consistent mare has been ran frequently over the last few years appearing eight times since January 2020 and she has gone on to win four events, whilst also placing in another.

She hit her peak through last season between November and February, when landing a hat-trick of races at Hereford, Kempton and Warwick, when taking out nice handicap events and going up in the weights to then landing a Listed event.

She was last seen finishing a fair third in the Grade Two National Spirit Hurdle behind top talents in McFabulous and Brewin'upastorm.

Now dropping back into Listed company and not having to take on the likes of those horses she could be tough to beat at the weekend.

One the best events on the card is the Grade Two bet365 Hurdle and we can't look anywhere else than the superstar stayer Paisley Park.

Paisley Park showed he is back to his best last season after a superb second behind the young pretender Thyme Hill in the Grade Two Long Distance Cup at Newbury on his seasonal debut and then backed that up by reversing the form in the Grade One Long Walk Hurdle.

He was then sent back to the Cheltenham festival looking to reclaim his Stayers' Hurdle title but had to settle for third, coming from a long way off the pace.

The gelding finished the season on a sour note when being pulled up in the Aintree Grade One Stayers' Hurdle, with him having plenty of excuses.

When it comes down to the facts of this race, Paisley Park is the best stayer in the race that has proved he can give weight away to a field.

If performing to the same level as his best runs last term he wins the event.

The feature race of the day in the UK from Wetherby is the Grade Two Charlie Hall Chase and Shan Blue for Dan and Harry Skelton should go close.

Having been a fair hurdler, last season he took his form to the next level by making his chase debut at Wetherby in October over 2m4f going on to win by 14 lengths.

Off the back of that he went back to Wetherby over the Charlie Hall Chase course and distance for the first time in his career and went on again to win by 16 lengths.

He showed clear stamina that day and his biggest asset is how well he jumps a fence, which made the Skelton's happy enough to send him to Kempton for the Grade On Kauto Star Novices' Chase.

He took on some nice horses including The Big Breakaway and blew them away in the final stages, jumping his rivals into submission.

Next time out he was pitched back into Grade One company at Sandown in the Scilly Isles Chase and although jumping well was outstayed by Sporting John.

Shan Blue went to the Cheltenham festival in the Marsh Novices' Chase and although jumping well to start with and going from the front he was easily passed and outclassed at the shorter trip, with maybe his early season endeavours catching up with him.

He was last seen at the Aintree Grand National meeting when finishing a long way back in second behind Chantry House.

The gelding looks a horse that does his best work at the start of the season and having form over this course and distance could be key to his chances.

The penultimate selection of the afternoon from Wetherby comes in the 2m4f Handicap Hurdle and Mackenburg for the inform Donald McCain should not be far away.

The six year old gets a helping hand from the talented 5lb claimer Theo Gillard which overall sees him effectively 7lb lower than his last winning mark.

Last season the gelding started his campaign off at Cartmel when winning a 10 runner event and then finished a close second over two miles at this track.

He put up another nice third at Aintree behind some classier horses, but used that to win a jumpers bumper in the new year at Newcastle.

Mackenburg was then stepped up in class for the Grade Two Dovecote Novices' Hurdle at Kempton and struggled, but off the back of that jumped back down into Class 3 and 4 handicap events, to finish second and sign off with a win in his final event.

He looks the obvious choice at the weights and have proven form going well fresh he can't be overlooked.

Trainer is operating at 32% strike rate for the last two weeks.

The final event on the card is the Class 4 Handicap Chase over three miles and the Tom Lacey trained Quick Draw should build on his seasonal debut.

The gelding was a nice hurdler last season, with the penny really starting to drop before the end of the season when a nice event at Chepstow and then backing that up with a good third at Perth.

Sent chasing by the experienced trainer this term he ran a credible race when finishing a good third behind the impressive Your Darling for Ben Pauling.

Running off the same mark, the step up in trip looks to be just what he needs and his first try over the bigger obstacles should have tightened him up for this event.