The Charlie Hall Chase: Opinions and Comments
Derek Fox Excited for Ahoy Senor’s Return in the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase
Jockey Derek Fox is eagerly anticipating the reunion with Ahoy Senor as they prepare to compete in the highly anticipated bet365 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby. Despite a disappointing last season, where Ahoy Senor finished last as the favorite at Grade Two event, the horse redeemed itself during the latter part of the campaign.
After winning the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham and putting up a strong performance in the Cheltenham Gold Cup before falling six fences from home, Ahoy Senor bounced back quickly by securing an impressive second place finish behind Shishkin in the Bowl at Aintree.
A familiar contender awaiting Ahoy Senor is defending champion Bravemansgame. Fox expressed his delight in being able to ride him again after successfully appealing a recent ban that would have prevented him from participating on Saturday.
Fox stated, “I’m thrilled to be able to ride him again. We’re all excited and looking forward to getting him back out there. He seems to be in great form and we’re hopeful for a good performance.”
Reflecting on last year’s race, Fox believes that Ahoy Senor may have needed it as a warm-up. He added, “I don’t think he ran poorly; he was just a bit eager and tired towards the end.”
The upcoming Charlie Hall Chase is expected to take place under challenging conditions due to heavy ground caused by adverse weather conditions leading Wetherby officials canceling racing on Friday. However, both Fox and trainer Lucinda Russell are confident that Ahoy Senor will handle the ground well, despite it not being their preferred racing conditions for their return to West Yorkshire.
Fox reassured, “He has handled heavy ground before. Although it’s not ideal for his first race of the season, it’s the same for all the horses, and he performs well on any ground. We believe he is in good shape at home and hope he’ll deliver a strong performance.”
Assistant trainer Peter Scudamore echoed these sentiments, stating that they do not view the testing ground as a significant issue. He mentioned how Ahoy Senor coped with similar conditions when winning at Cheltenham last year.
Scudamore commented, “The ground was tacky and dead when he won at Cheltenham. Despite being a keen runner, I don’t foresee it being a major obstacle.”
As an experienced jockey who has ridden top-class staying chasers in his career, Scudamore is excited about Ahoy Senor kicking off his new campaign. Reflecting on last season’s setbacks followed by impressive performances in prestigious races such as Cheltenham and Aintree, Scudamore hopes to see Ahoy Senor reach those same heights once again.
Scudamore expressed his confidence saying,”We had high expectations for him last year during this race; unfortunately things didn’t go our way. However, we saw him recover nicely and deliver some remarkable performances later on.
To be fair to the horse, Ahoy Senor had a challenging start but managed to run exceptionally well thereafter. We just need to get him back into peak form .
“I’m more relaxed now than I was before,” says Scudamore. He added that a sensible jump from Ahoy Senor and a successful run in the Charlie Hall Chase would open up opportunities for them at the Coral Gold Cup.
Scudamore concluded, “While this race is significant, it’s not everything. We’re looking forward to it as part of his overall campaign.”
Last year’s winner Bravemansgame has been selected by trainer Paul Nicholls to defend his title before heading to Kempton on Boxing Day for the King George VI Chase. The decision was made due to concerns about poor ground conditions expected at Haydock later this month.
Nicholls emphasized his confidence in Bravemansgame, stating,”He had an incredible season last year, and I couldn’t be happier with how he’s preparing himself for the Charlie Hall Chase once again.”
To win this race two years in a row would be magnificent. We have set our sights on capturing another victory .
“Initially we considered running him at Haydock, ” explained Nicholls, “but given the current ground conditions there, Kempton seemed like a safer choice .