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North West Masters 2006
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My Way De Solzen May Head King's Strong North West Masters Team
totesport.com Becher Chase (2.35pm), which has a superb 21-strong field, and the 60,000 totepool Grand Sefton (1.30pm), which will see 23 horses go to post for what promises to be an exciting spectacle.
Haydock Park's excellent six-race card tomorrow also includes a mouth-watering renewal of the 100,000 Betfair Handicap Hurdle (2.20pm), which has attracted a very competitive field of 17.
Trainer Sue Smith will be double-handed in the two mile, seven and a half-furlong contest with the classy Royal Emperor and last year's victor St Matthew.
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Royal Emperor, who defeated the reopposing top-weight Millenium Royal in the Grade Two Rendlesham Hurdle over the course and distance in February, is reported to be in fine form despite being pulled up in the Grade Two bet365 totesport.com Becher Chase (2.35pm) or the 60,000 totepool Grand Sefton Chase (1.30pm) at Aintree on Sunday, November 19.
The three and a quarter mile totesport.com Becher Chase, the feature event at Aintree on day two of the North West Masters, is the preferred option for the County Meath trainer who saddled Bobbyjo to success for owner Bobby Burke in the 1999 John Smith's Grand National.
Carberry revealed today: "It's quite likely that King's Glen will go to the totesport.com Becher Chase but he is also in the totepool Grand Sefton Handicap Chase, so I'll have to see what the weights are when they come out tomorrow.
"I'll see how the horse is through the week and what the ground is likely to be on Saturday before making my mind up. He likes some cut in the ground."
King's Glen unseated Philip Carberry in the John Smith's Topham Chase on his only previous attempt over the famous Grand National fences at Aintree in April. The 10-year-old has had two starts this season in handicap hurdles at Galway (October 30), and Naas (November 11), finishing 11 lengths ninth of 16 over an inadequate two miles on the latter occasion.
Carberry commented: "He hit the ditch on the way down to Bechers' and unseated last season but before that he was going well. We're hopeful that we can go back to Aintree in the spring with him.
"We ran him over hurdles to sharpen him up. It's just been a case of trying to get him fit enough to go to the totesport.com Becher Chase."
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The totesport.com Becher Chase has attracted 30 entries including the Jonjo O'Neill-trained 2003 Becher Chase winner and 2004 John Smith's Grand National runner-up Clan Royal, the Paul Nicholls-trained Eurotrek, 2005 Scottish Grand National winner Joe's Edge, and this year's John smith's Grand National fourth Nil Desperandum, as well as a seven-strong Irish-trained contingent including Jack High, Dun Doire and Pearly Jack.
My Way De Solzen May Head King's Strong North West Masters Team 14/11/06
Saturday's card at Haydock features the 200,000 Grade One Betfair Chase (1.50pm) and the 100,000 Betfair Handicap Hurdle (2.20pm) over two miles, seven and a half furlongs.
The Alan King-trained Halcon Genelardais, winner of the Grade Two totepool Towton Novices' Chase at Wetherby last term is engaged in both contests and the trainer is at this stage favouring the highly-competitive hurdle, which has 36 entries.
King revealed today: "My gut feeling is that Halcon Genelardais will go in the Betfair Handicap Hurdle rather than the Betfair Chase. There are so few options at the moment, so the idea is to give him a run there before we go chasing again with him. He had a great summer and I think he's improved so I'm very happy with him."
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The Betfair Handicap Hurdle saw subsequent Grade One Ladbrokes World Hurdle victor My Way De Solzen, trained by King, finish second to the Sue Smith-trained St Matthew and this year could see the unbeaten Black Jack Ketchum go one better by winning the 100,000 contest before securing his ultimate goal of the Ladbrokes World Hurdle at Cheltenham in March.
King is also looking to run his exciting pair Self Respect and Blazing Bailey, who are likely to take their chances in the Listed Pontin's Holidays Novices' Hurdle (1.20pm) and J W Lees Handicap Hurdle (2.50pm) at Haydock on Saturday, while My Way De Solzen could make his much-anticipated chasing bow at Aintree on Sunday in the Amberleigh House Novices' Chase (3.10pm) over two miles.
King reported: "My Way De Solzen is well and schooled this morning over fences. He'll school twice more this week. He'll only just be ready for Sunday so it depends on how he schools and whether they get a lot of rain. We want soft ground for him. I'd like to run him there so we'll see."
My Way De Solzen is one of 13 entries for the contest, which also includes the Howard Johnson-trained Lennon, winner of the intercasino.co.uk Molyneux Novices' Chase at Aintree in October, Rasharrow, L'Antartique, Blu Teen, and Bob Hall.
King continued: "Self Respect's form was given a good boost with Moon Over Miami - who he beat at Kempton - winning at Cheltenham on Friday. He schooled this morning and he'll work midweek. He's very likely to run in the Pontin's Holidays Newton Novices' Hurdle.
"I want to go up in trip with Blazing Bailey but with a lack of options we might just give him a run over two miles in the J W Lees Hurdle to get him started. I'm sure he's going to want two and a half miles-plus in time but it might be the ideal race to get a run into him.
"I think the North West Masters is wonderful with the amount of prize money on offer and I'll it as much as possible. I'm looking forward to a good weekend."
REGION HOPING FOR FURTHER SUCCESS
The 2005 North West Masters attracted nearly 20,000 visitors into the region with research showing that over 1.7million was spent by racegoers attending the meeting. Saturday's racing at Haydock Park saw over 12,000 people packed into its stands - the biggest jumping attendance for over 20 years - with Aintree attracting over 7,000 visitors, despite only ing a midday inspection.
Martin King, Director of Tourism at The Mersey Partnership, said: "The North West Masters event last year proved a resounding success and I'm confident that this year's will prove to be even bigger and better. I see the Masters as becoming another major fixture in Merseyside's incredible calendar of festivals and events."
The weekend in 2006 boasts a tremendous prize money total of 600,000, making the North West Masters two of the most valuable days in the British jumping calendar.
Kirkland Tellwright, Clerk of the Course Haydock Park Racecourse, commented today: "The inaugural running of the Betfair Chase certainly lived up to its billing and attracted many of the leading chasers from Britain and Ireland.
"With a 50,000 increase in prize money, the Betfair Chase is now one of the richest chases of the entire season and we look forward to another fascinating contest.
"Haydock Park would like to extend its to Betfair once again for initiating the most exciting development in jump racing of recent years and we sincerely hope that their generosity and foresight will be rewarded.
"Last year's North West Masters was a major event for the local area and we again thank the provided by the Northwest Regional Development Agency, the Mersey Partnership, Sefton and St Helens Councils."
Charles Barnett, Aintree's Managing Director, said today: "We are looking forward to welcoming racegoers to the North West. The quality of racing is first class and the event gives people the chance to experience two of the UK's premier racecourses in one weekend.
"Racegoers planning to visit the two-day meeting are already purchasing tickets and we are expecting thousands of visitors to attend the North West Masters in November.
"Running both the totesport Becher Chase and the totepool Grand Sefton Chase on the same day last year proved to be a great success. Racegoers were rewarded with two thrilling finishes over the Grand National fences and this was the perfect sequel to the Betfair Chase at Haydock the previous day."
Tickets are available for both Haydock and Aintree - call 01942 402 624 (Haydock) and 0151 522 2929 (Aintree). Accommodation booking is available on 0845 601 1125.
THE NORTH WEST MASTERS - ORDER OF RUNNING
Haydock Park, Saturday, November 18, 2006
Time Race Distance Prize Money
TBA* Betfair Chase (Class 1) (Grade 1) 3m 200,000
TBA* Betfairpoker.com Handicap Hurdle (Class 2) 3m 70,000
TBA* Gordon Plant Newton Novices Hurdle Class 1 (Listed Race) 2m 25,000
TBA Red Square Brush Novices Hurdle (Class 2) 2m 4f 35,000
TBA Steve Bell H'cap Chase (0-130) (Class 3) 2m 20,000
TBA J.W.Lees Jump/Flat Jockeys Challenge H'cap Hurdle (0-125) (Class 3) 2m 15,000
First race 1.20pm, last race 3.55pm
TOTAL 365,000
Aintree, Sunday, November 19, 2006
Time Race Distance Prize Money
1.05pm Weatherbys Bank Juvenile Novices Hurdle (Class 2) 2m f 15,000
1.40pm* totepool Grand Sefton Handicap Chase (Class 3) 2m 5f 60,000
(Over the Grand National Course)
2.10pm* totesport 0800 221 221 Handicap Hurdle (Class 2) 2m 4f 30,000
2.50pm* totesport.com Becher Handicap Chase (Class 1) 3m 2f 100,000
(Over the Grand National Course)
3.20pm Valentines Novices Chase (Class 2) 2m 20,000
3.50pm Ormskirk Novices' Handicap Hurdle (Class 3) 2m 4f 10,000
* BBC Televised Races TOTAL 235,000
TOTAL PRIZE MONEY 600,000
