The Rowland Meyrick Chase is the feature event on the Boxing Day card at Wetherby. The ante-post favourite is Sydney Paget who has also been entered in the Welsh National and Paddy Power Chase over the coming days. Presumably Donald McCain has decided to take up this engagement and has left him in at Chepstow only as a precaution.
He was an easy winner at Haydock last time and the handicapper has put him up 12lbs as a result. Sydney Paget looks slightly unreliable as he wins his races easily but cannot seem to follow up. He often leads in his races and it may be that he has settled down a bit as he has got older and is no longer as headstrong.
His closest pursuer at Haydock was Silver By Nature who was being prepared for the Coral Welsh National by Lucinda Russell. Unfortunately the popular grey met with a fatal accident at home last weekend, a devastating blow to the Scottish trainer and connections.
There would be no more popular winner at Wetherby than his stable companion Nuts N Bolts. The seven-year-old was also a Welsh National entry but Russell decided that a three and three-quarter mile slog in the mud would be asking too much and has opted to run him here.
He won on the same day as Sydney Paget despite a couple of jumping errors. Horses that run well at Haydock can usually cope with Wetherby’s big fences and he looks the value bet at around 5-1. He is up 9lbs for his latest victory but still has a decent racing weight against several out-of-form opponents.
Cloudy Too won very easily at Carlisle but found the Hennessy Gold Cup a bit too hot last time. He should run better in this smaller field. Alvarado’s Cheltenham form has worked out quite well but connections have voiced concerns about the soft ground. If it dries out a little he must also come into the equation.
I have plenty of respect for Cape Tribulation who is a Grade 1 chaser at his best. He prefers to sit at the back of the field and pick his way through on the bridle but he needs to show a little more before he can be backed with confidence.
I was very surprised that David Pipe took Junior back to Aintree after his unhappy experience in the Grand National. Fortunately he returned unscathed, pulling up when he’d had enough. He also needs to prove that he still retains the old spark.
Nuts N Bolts at 5-1 Bet365, BetVictor
