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The first running of the £100,000 Betfair Price Rush Hurdle at Haydock Park on Saturday has attracted a superb field of six high-class hurdlers.
Heading the declared runners are the two highest-rated hurdlers currently in training in Britain - The New One (Nigel Twiston-Davies/Sam Twiston-Davies) and Melodic Rendezvous (Jeremy Scott/Tom Scudamore). The New One is rated 167 with Melodic Rendezvous on 161 (My Tent Or Yours is rated 168 but is sidelined for the 2014/15 season).
The New One is a dual Grade One winner, most recently in the Doom Bar Aintree Hurdle in April, and was also a close third in the 2014 Stan James Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham. He returned to action with a facile victory in a Listed contest at Kempton Park on October 19.
Melodic Rendezvous is making his seasonal reappearance, but enjoyed a fruitful campaign in 2013/14 when his three Grade Two victories included the stanjames.com Champion Hurdle Trial at Haydock Park in January. He finished last season with two below par efforts, coming home seventh in the Stan James Champion Hurdle and occupying the same position in the extended three-mile Grade One Silver Cross Stayers' Hurdle at Aintree's Crabbie's Grand National Festival in April.
The eight-year-old's trainer Jeremy Scott said today: "We are very happy with Melodic Rendezvous. I think he will be fairly fit for his first start of the season although, having said that, a lot of my horses have needed the run to get them up to speed. He has probably done the same amount of work as the horses who have had one or two runs already, so he should be fitter than most of them.
"I would put a line through his run at Aintree. I think we ran him too quickly after Cheltenham and, on both occasions, we ran him on ground that was quicker than he really copes with.
"We entered him at Ascot as well this weekend and we felt that the ground was going to be softer at Haydock. We were outpaced by all the others on good to soft ground at Cheltenham, including The New One, and I think we have to run Melodic Rendezvous on soft ground, otherwise he is going to get outpaced again.
"For the horse's welfare as well, I think that we have to keep him on softer ground because he jars up on quicker ground.
"I think that he is a force to be contended with on soft or heavy ground. We are taking on The New One and we could have come up against Faugheen at Ascot, so we would have been second favourite wherever we went. That's probably a realistic assessment for what he has done.
"Whilst I am sure that he might improve for the run, I don't think he will be far off full-fitness."
Williams Wishes (Evan Williams/Paul Moloney) will be making his first appearance in over a year. The nine-year-old was a highly-progressive chaser over the past four seasons, winning five of his starts over fences and trainer Evans Williams is keen for the nine-year-old to get back on the track after a series of setbacks.
Evan Williams commented: "William's Wishes has had more problems than you could ever imagine and we are keen to get him started for the season. I thought that we could start him off in this race and hope that he would stay sound.
"Make no mistake, he is a very talented horse but has been plagued by problems throughout his career and this is almost like one last throw of the dice.
"We didn't want to start him off in a chase with all the stresses and strains that would entail so hurdling could be the way forward with him, although I want to get through the race before making any predictions of where we go with him this season.
"I am very happy with him but I have been very happy with him for all of his career. He shows very little at home - you can never tell how good he is at home - but he is fresh and happy.
"Softer ground will be kinder on him and I just hoping that we can a run under our belt and see how he is afterwards. He's a lovely horse and I just hope that we can a few runs into him and have a proper season."
Also set to go to post is Zamdy Man (Venetia Williams/Liam Treadwell) who has recorded course and distance victories on his latest two appearances. In January, he was successful in the Grade Two Sky Bet Supreme Trial Novices' Hurdle and at last year's Betfair Chase Weekend triumphed in the Listed Read Nicholls & McCain Exclusively On Betfair Novices' Hurdle.
Hawk High (Tim Easterby/Brian Hughes) was a Cheltenham Festival winner last season, taking the Grade Three Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle. He made a successful return to action at Aintree on October 25, when taking the Betfred TV Handicap Hurdle over two miles and a furlong.
Completing the line-up is the one distaffer, Aurore D'Estruval (John Quinn/Barry Geraghty). The lightly-raced four-year-old was the impressive 10-length winner of the Listed olbg.com Mares' Hurdle at Wetherby on November 1, when making her first start of the season.
Betfair Price Rush Hurdle, Betfair Fixed Odds: 1/3 The New One; 9/2 Melodic Rendezvous; 12/1 Aurore D'Estruval; 16/1 Hawk High, Zamdy Man; 50/1 Williams Wishes
EW Terms: 1/4 Odds - 2 Places
The two-day Betfair Chase Weekend starts at Haydock Park today with a six-race card running from 12.50pm to 3.40pm.
Tomorrow's card at Haydock Park is the richest Jump raceday in Britain outside of the Crabbie's Grand National and The Festival at Cheltenham with prize money of £500,000 on offer.
The feature race on Saturday is the first Grade One race of the season, the £200,000 Betfair Chase (3.00pm) in which the previous two winners of the race - Cue Card and Silviniaco Conti - take on each other again.
Timeform Ratings - Betfair Chase (all ratings weight-adjusted)
194 CUE CARD
190 SILVINIACO CONTI
185 DYNASTE
183x MENORAH
179x HARRY TOPPER
174 THE GIANT BOLSTER
173p TAQUIN DU SEUIL
171 DOUBLE ROSS
170 MEDERMIT
Timeform Chief Correspondent Jamie Lynch said: "Cue Card was admittedly a bit disappointing on his return in the Haldon Gold Cup, even allowing for the fact that he was giving away plenty of weight over an inadequate trip, but while acknowledging that he has to prove all his ability remains intact following last season's injury, he has proven himself to be a top-class chaser and, when operating at the top of his game, there's little doubt that he is the best of these. The fact that Sprinter Sacre is the only horse in training with a higher Timeform rating speaks volumes about Cue Card's talent.
"Taquin Du Seuil didn't quite meet expectations in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby, finishing a four-length second to Menorah, but he probably wasn't seen to best advantage on that occasion as the way the race developed failed to put a premium on stamina, and he remains with untapped potential granted a test at this kind of trip. Taquin Du Seuil relishes testing ground and, with rain apparently on the way, he looks set to make a bold bid under conditions that may well prove to be his optimum."
Betfair Chase, Betfair Fixed Odds: 3/1 Cue Card; 10/3 Silviniaco Conti; 4/1 Dynaste; 5/1 Taquin Du Seuil; 8/1 Menorah; 14/1 Harry Topper; 25/1 Double Ross, Medermit, 33/1 The Giant Bolster
EW Terms: 1/4 Odds 3 Places
Barry Orr, Betfair PR Manager UK & Ireland, said: "At 3/1 the field business has been really brisk and we are also paying 1/4 odds first three places in the Betfair Chase."