Weird Al to notch the third position to success in the Betfair Chase this season
The very lightly raced nine-year-old bay gelding, Weird Al, has been unsuccessful in the two seasonal outings so far, and the third attempt will come in the form of Saturday’s Betfair Chase at Haydock. The connections are positive about his participation
in the event not because of the current, but the previous season.
The trainer, Donald McCain, hopes that the outing at Haydock will be a chance for the Irish bay gelding to redeem his mistakes.
Accordion’s gelding made the most of the Grade 2 Bet365 Charlie Hall Chase on 29th October, 2011 at Wetherby race course over three miles and a furlong.
In companionship with jockey, Timmy Murphy, the nine-year-old set the favourite entry, Time For Rupert, at loss by 3 ½ lengths.
He tracked the leaders and found himself wavering a bit when he hit the fifth fence in the field that had eighteen such fences. The bay gelding ranked third when the last four fences remained. He took the final two flights as the undisputed leader.
The impressive attempt of the nine-year-old got him an entry in the Grade 1 Betfair Chase on 19th November, 2011 at Haydock over three miles. With the Paul Nicholls trained, Kauto Star, in the lead, the chances of any other entry to be dominant
in the field was truly impossible.
Even then, the C. Ronaldson bred ended in the frame of the first three, managing a third position in the field of six. Finishing at ten lengths from the champion steeplechaser, Kauto Star, was not a negligible deal.
The retirement of Kauto Star has not impacted the talent packed race that the Betfair Chase is each year. Brilliant hurdle stayers such as Long Run, Imperial Commander, Silviniaco Conti and Tidal Bay will make it one of the most challenging tests ever.
McCain said: "He is in grand form and I am very happy with him. He didn't run in the Charlie Hall Chase this year because I just wanted to give him a bit more time.”
"He ran well in the Betfair Chase last season and then he disappointed in the Gold Cup, but that's just the one run. He was still in with a chance when he came down in the Grand National.
"You would not be confident on Saturday when you are taking on horses of that quality but we would be hopeful he runs a big race.”
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