3 minute read

Paul Nicholls is preparing Unioniste and Tidal Bay for the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase Meeting, which takes place at Wetherby on Friday, November 1 and Saturday, November 2.

Unioniste, winner of last season's Grade Three December Gold Cup at Cheltenham, is on course for the £100,000 bet365 Charlie Hall Chase over three miles and a furlong on day two of Wetherby's biggest meeting of the year.

The five-year-old has been successful on three of his five starts over fences since joining Nicholls from France and was last seen finishing fourth in the Grade One RSA Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

Nicholls, who captured the Grade Two Wetherby prize with Silviniaco Conti in 2012 and See More Business (1999 & 2000), reported: "The plan is to run Unioniste in the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase. He has done very well over the summer and is in good shape.

"He had done plenty last season, having run through the summer in France, and was probably a bit over the top in the RSA Chase.

"He is year older and wiser now and we are very happy with him, but he has got to step up on what he has accomplished so far."

Unioniste is likely to clash with 2011 Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Long Run whose owner, Robert Waley-Cohen, revealed on Twitter that the Nicky Henderson-trained eight-year-old had worked well at the weekend and could make his seasonal return in the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase. Others who may run in the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase include Grand National winner Auroras Encore, trained in Yorkshire by Sue Smith, and Grand Crus from David Pipe's Somerset yard.

Nicholls also plans to send Tidal Bay to Wetherby to defend his crown in the £36,500 Grade Two bet365 Hurdle over three miles and a furlong. The 12-year-old scored impressively last year and went on to land a top-class renewal of the Grade One Lexus Chase at Leopardstown in late December. He has not been seen since due to a stress fracture of the lower cannon bone on his right hind leg.

Nicholls added: "Tidal Bay is in good form and runs in the bet365 Hurdle. He has come back from his injury well and I am very happy with him.

"I am going to get Wetherby out the way first and then make a plan after that."

The bet365 Charlie Hall Chase Meeting also features the £22,500 Listed OLBG.com Mares' Hurdle on the Saturday, when the first of the seven races takes place at 12.45pm.

There is also excellent racing on the opening day, Friday, November 1, with the six-race programme getting under way at 1.10pm and including the £25,000 Listed bet365 Handicap Chase.

Wetherby staged its first fixture of the new jump season on Wednesday, October 16.

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