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Jefferson seeking Meyrick riches

3 minute read

Malcolm Jefferson is looking to Cape Tribulation providing him with a third success in the last four years in the William Hill Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase at Wetherby on Friday.

Cape Tribulation took the prize in 2012 after According To Pete had done the business for the North Yorkshire trainer a year earlier.

Third to Cloudy Too 12 months ago, Cape Tribulation now tries to resume his trainer's winning ways in the three-mile feature at the West Yorkshire track.

"He should run very well. We're hoping for a big run," said Jefferson.

"I think he's in good order. He likes the track so we have our fingers crossed."

Cloudy Too's trainer Sue Smith relies on Vintage Star to give her back-to-back victories.

Vintage Star goes to Wetherby after finishing third to Hey Big Spender in the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle four weeks ago.

"He is in excellent order at the moment. He has run well in both his starts this year and at Newcastle he had James Reveley on for the first time," said Smith.

"Hopefully, he should put in a good run around Wetherby as the race is right up his street."

Fentara fell at the 10th fence in the Newcastle contest and trainer Mark Walford reports the mare to have escaped unscathed, though he feels she is too high in the handicap.

"She's come out of her last race fine. She was none the worse for her fall," said the Sherriff Hutton handler.

"She's in good form at home, but she's probably just a bit too high in the handicap.

"She has always run well at Wetherby. She won what was probably a moderate race there and went up to 139 and she runs off 138 on Boxing Day.

"It's high enough for her, but she's well and likes the track, so hopefully she'll run a decent race."

Charlie Mann accepts that Cedre Bleu is a hard horse to win with, but he is optimistic of a bold show on the back of him finishing second in the Grand Sefton Handicap Chase over the Grand National fences at Aintree three weeks ago.

"He likes soft ground, but we'll probably go up there and finish second because he's a difficult horse to get his head in front," said the Upper Lambourn trainer.

"He's got good form over three miles and goes there on the back of a good run at Aintree. I'm hopeful.

"Sam (Waley-Cohen) did nothing wrong on him at Aintree, so he keeps the ride."

David Pipe, who won the Grand Sefton with Poole Master, sends Broadway Buffalo from his Nicholashayne base as he appeared not to have hard race when winning the Tommy Whittle Chase at Haydock on Saturday after hold-up tactics were employed.

Donald McCain's Corrin Wood has top weight in a 11-strong field and is expected to strip fitter for his seasonal reappearance behind Black Thunder at Sandown three weeks ago.

McCain said: "Corrin Wood is grand. I would like to think I warned everyone that he would have needed his run at Sandown and we have been happy with him since.

"It is obviously never easy in a race like this under top-weight - that goes without saying - but he was a good novice last year and that is where we are with him.

"We will just have to live with it at the moment because opportunities for a horse like him are few and far between and we need to kick on.

"He won at Warwick, so going left-handed won't stop him unduly. I wouldn't think it (jumping out to the right) is quite as significant at Wetherby when you have got two straights and two bends, whereas those turning tracks might be a little bit more relevant. He should be OK."