3 minute read
Saphir Du Rheu is set to kick off his season in the Grade Two bet365 Hurdle at Wetherby on day two of the bet365 Charlie Hall Meeting on Saturday.
The seven-year-old, trained by Paul Nicholls, was runner-up in the 2015 G1 World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and ended that campaign with a 15-length victory in a G1 novices' chase at Aintree.
He was fifth when sent off favourite for last season's Hennessy Gold Cup after an impressive reappearance at Carlisle and failed to produce his best in four subsequent starts over hurdles and fences.
He is also entered in Saturday's feature race at Wetherby, the £100,000 G2 bet365 Charlie Hall Chase.
Owner Andy Stewart said: "Saphir Du Rheu is fine and will probably go the Tidal Bay route in the bet365 Hurdle as prep race for possibly the Hennessy.
"Paul has had a look at the races and you have got the likes of Cue Card in the Charlie Hall so I think the best option is the hurdle. Saphir Du Rheu also has an entry at Ascot but he is almost certain to go for the hurdle.
"We could not understand last season because he looked like a world beater first time out at Carlisle. We are back in the groove with him now and it will be interesting to see how he gets on at the weekend."
Tidal Bay captured the bet365 Hurdle for Nicholls in 2012 and next time out was runner-up under top-weight to subsequent Cheltenham Gold Cup victor Bobs Worth in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury.
The 11 entries for this year's bet365 Hurdle also include G1-winning novices from last season in Ballyoptic (Nigel Twiston-Davies) and Unowhatimeanharry (Harry Fry), plus Native River (Colin Tizzard) and Lil Rockerfeller (Neil King).
11/4 Ballyoptic
7/2 Unowhatimeanharry
11/2 If In Doubt
7/1 Lil Rockerfeller, Native River, Saphir Du Rheu
9/1 Silsol
10/1 The Romford Pele
16/1 Shelford
20/1 Wotzizname
25/1 Oscar Rock
Britain's top-rated chaser Cue Card (Colin Tizzard) goes for back-to-back victories in the £100,000 G2 bet365 Charlie Hall Chase (3.20pm, 11 entries) over three miles.
The 2015 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Coneygree (Mark Bradstock), who missed most of last season through injury, is also engaged alongside 2014 bet365 Charlie Hall scorer Menorah (Philip Hobbs), Blaklion (Nigel Twiston-Davies), winner of last season's RSA Chase at Cheltenham, Grand National runner-up The Last Samuri (Kim Bailey) and local challenger Wakanda (Sue Smith).
bet365 Charlie Hall Chase, bet365 bet:
4/5 Cue Card
5/1 Coneygree
6/1 Blaklion
8/1 Menorah
14/1 Dynaste
16/1 Sausalito Sunrise, Saphir du Rheu, Irish Cavalier, The Last Samurai, Virak
28/1 Wakanda
Each-Way terms: 1/5 the odds, 1-2-3
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