Myretown is 7/2 favourite with Paddy Power and Sky Bet after 16 horses were entered for Saturday’s William Hill Half A Mill Classic Handicap Chase at Warwick.
The nine-year-old was a runaway winner of the Ultima at Cheltenham last season but, having been sent off the 4/1 favourite on his reappearance in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury, took a crashing fall when leading at the ninth fence.
Top weight is L’Homme Presse who shaped with plenty of promise when second behind Blaze The Way on his return to action at Cheltenham last month.
If Venetia Williams’ charge runs it would mean My Silver Lining, Dr Legislator and Gold Clermont would be ineligible under a BHA rule which starts on Wednesday that states horses cannot run in a race if they are 15lb or more out of the weights.
Mr Vango is another leading fancy following his heroic run in defeat in the Becher Chase at Aintree, while last season’s bet365 Gold Cup winner Resplendent Grey could bid to bounce back from his own run in the Coral Gold Cup in which he was one of the horses who were slowly away after the controversial start.
His trainer Olly Murphy said: “The Classic Chase is certainly an option for Resplendent Grey, but I don’t know where is going to be racing at the weekend with the weather. He came out of Newbury well and he will stay the trip fine. He will have a nice weight if L’Homme Presse runs.
“He was beaten after he jumped the first fence in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury as he missed the break and it was game over from there. Sean (Bowen) has minded from there on in and we will look forward to hopefully having a better start if we run here on Saturday.
“There were a few different options on the table for him. If L’Homme Presse runs he will keep a lot of horses out of the weights and it looks like it could be a nice target for him if he runs.
“It would be great to get on the CV as Warwick is only ten miles down the road for me and it is worth a lot of money.”
There’s a £500,000 bonus on offer for any horse who wins the Classic Chase and goes on to land the Randox Grand National at Aintree in March.
Classic Chase - Paddy Power & Sky Bet: 7/2 Myretown, 5 L’Homme Presse, 6 Mr Vango, Resplendent Grey, 7 Aworkinprogress, De Legislator, Val Dancer, 10 Joyeux Machin, My Silver Lining, 14 Destroytheevidence, Torn And Frayed, 16 Makinyourmindup, Transmission, 20 Gericault Roque, Nassalam, 25 Gold Clermont.
Wade Out 5/4 to retain unbeaten record
On the same car,d Wade Out has been installed as 5/4 favourite for the Grade Two Hampton Novices’ Chase.
Murphy’s charge has made a big impression on his two starts over fences to date, winning at Worcester then following up in a stronger race at Cheltenham in November despite taking plenty of stoking from Sean Bowen.
The trainer said: “Wade Out is entered at Warwick, but he is also in at Wetherby on the same day and at Kelso on Sunday. I just need to see what the weather will do and make a plan, but he is in good form and he is ready to run and get some more experience before the Cheltenham Festival.
“Off 145 he is now at the ceiling of the weights in the National Hunt Chase so we might have to mind what we do and go from there. He didn’t look like a likely winner of his last race at Cheltenham at halfway, but he stays very well and that is his forte.”
Moon Rocket, beaten at 1/3 in a match at Doncaster last time, is next in the market ahead of Doyen Quest for the Skelton team.
Paddy Power & Sky Bet prices: 5/4 Wade Out, 7/2 Moon Rocket, 4 Doyen Quest, 6 King Of Answers, Laurens Bay, Western Knight, 10 The Jukebox Kid, 12 Quebecois, 16 Hollygrove Cha Cha.
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