REBEL RHYTHM CHASING GRADE TWO SUCCESS AT WETHERBY
The £32,000 Grade Two totepool Towton Novices' Chase (3.25pm) is the highlight of a quality day's racing at Wetherby on Saturday, February 4.
Yorkshire trainer Sue Smith could ask Rebel Rhythm, winner of two of his three starts at the Yorkshire track, to emulate stablemate Royal Emperor, who proved 20-lengths too good for Native Emperor in the prestigious three mile, one furlong highlight two years ago.
Royal Emperor subsequently raced to a fine second behind Rule Supreme in the 2004 Royal & SunAlliance Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and Rebel Rhythm could take the same route.
The Bingley trainer revealed: "Rebel Rhythm will get an entry for the totepool Towton Novices' Chase. He's fine after Warwick where we ran him back a bit too quickly after his previous run."
Rebel Rhythm finished third over three miles and half a furlong at Warwick on January 14, behind Alan King's well-regarded Halcon Genelardais. That outing came 18 days after Smith's strapping seven-year-old had cruised to a 25-length victory in the Rocom Beginners' Chase over this course and distance.
Smith reported: "He's a great big horse, and, analysing things, I think that Warwick was just a bit of a quick track for him, but other than that there are no problems and he's in good form now."
Rebel Rhythm made his chase debut when second to Albuhera, over an inadequate two miles, at Wetherby in October, before falling behind Billyvoddan at Huntingdon. On his next start, the gelding gallantly failed by two and a half lengths to better the classy Turpin Green over two and a half miles at Carlisle in November.
Concerning the future, the trainer commented: "I'd have to speak to the owners first, but we have an entry for the Royal & SunAlliance Chase.
"Because he's such a great big horse who wants softer ground, if it became good or good to firm then he possibly wouldn't run at The Festival. There are then options like Aintree and Ayr and I would have to look at both of those, so we'll play it by ear, but the ground is the key."
James Sanderson, Wetherby's Chief Executive, reported today: "The going is predominately soft and we don't anticipate much change.
"We moved the rail out as far as we could in January and now we'll move it back in. The result is that we have a lot of ground that we have been saving on the inside which was last raced on in the autumn, so the ground there is better than we've been racing on at recent meetings."
The prestigious feature event has, in recent times, been a consistent guide to future championship races. Mr Mulligan landed the prize in 1996 for trainer Noel Chance before going on to ultimate glory in the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup the following year.
Escartefigue won the race in 1998, proving 14 lengths too good for Radical Choice. Trainer David Nicholson subsequently saddled his charge to run a fine second to Florida Pearl in that season's Royal & SunAlliance Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, before landing the Grade Two Martell Cup at Aintree.
Arctic Camper was victorious for Venetia Williams in 2000 and enjoyed more big-race success in the following year's Grade Two Rehearsal Chase at Wetherby.
Keen Leader captured the Towton in 2003 when cruising home by 24 lengths for Jonjo O'Neill, and he went on to win the Tommy Whittle Chase at Haydock later that year.
Last year provided a superb renewal of the totepool Towton Novices' Chase as Ollie Magern defeated King Harald by four lengths. The winner returned to Wetherby in October, when he defeated Kingscliff in the Bet365 Charlie Hall Chase.
King Harald tasted Cheltenham glory on his next outing, as he gave trainer Mark Bradstock his first Festival success in the Jewson Novices' Handicap Chase.
Wetherby's fixture boasts a quality supporting card with the three miles and one furlong, £28,000 Grade Two Brit Insurance Novices' Hurdle (2.20pm) being staged at the West Yorkshire track, due to the redevelopment of its usual home at Doncaster, where it was run as the River Don Novices' Hurdle.
The race was won last year by the Howard Johnson-trained Bewley's Berry who has proved himself among the best staying novice chasers this term.
The £20,000 totesport 0800 221 221 Handicap Chase (2.50pm) over two miles, four and a half furlongs, will be shown on Channel Four along with the totepool Towton Novices' Chase.
The other two sponsored events during the afternoon are the £10,000 totepool Handicap Hurdle (4.00pm) and the £4,000 Rocom European Communications Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race (4.30pm).
The day begins at 1.10pm with the Wilmott-Smith Memorial Cup Hunter Chase, which is followed by the inaugural running of the Richard Whiteley Memorial Handicap Hurdle (1.45pm), run in remembrance of the popular Yorkshire TV personality and racing supporter who died last year.
For old articles (from 1st March 2000) go to the Newslink
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