Cheltenham clues could emerge from Wetherby races and their Charlie Hall Chase 2025 two-day fixture, albeit in some small fields in West Yorkshire on Friday, 31 October and Saturday, 1 November.
This meeting is one of the staples of autumn on the horse racing circuit in the North of England. Supporting the Charlie Hall are the Wetherby Mares’ Hurdle and West Yorkshire Hurdle which, like the feature race, holds Grade 2 status.
Friday is more low key, meanwhile, with a Premier Handicap over fences and the Wensleydale Juvenile Hurdle headlining. The Charlie Hall Chase of 2025 looks more likely in truth to influence the King George betting than any Cheltenham odds, but the road to the Festival begins now more many runners over the two days.
With a focus on quality over quantity on Saturday, the fixture in general is difficult to find each-way bets for. Supporting cards include a beginners chase and novice or maiden hurdles as horses take their first steps in new disciplines.
Whether runners jumps obstacles for the first time or not, our experts are across all the form. Combining such study with the prices available with top Cheltenham bookies is the process they follow once again. Here are our experts’ selections for 10 of the main Wetherby races.
Charlie Hall Chase 2025 Meeting Day 1 Preview for Friday, 31 October
12:47 – 2m 3f 85y Class 3 Beginners’ Chase
An UPSET! 😧
Sixmilebridge defeats Potters Charm to take the AIS Novices’ Hurdle for Kielan Woods and @FOBRacing pic.twitter.com/3ZKrYcer3j
— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) January 25, 2025
The Four Sixes ended last season on a high with consecutive handicap hurdle victories, but didn’t look a natural over fences earlier in the campaign for Olly Murphy. Georgie Nicholls mare Musique De Fee receives a 7lb sex allowance from the boys, yet is about a stone behind them even taking that into account.
1:17 – 2m 3f 154y Class 3 Maiden Hurdle
Blue Carpet should also appreciate going up in trip, so can build on his reappearance and bow in this sphere when he chased home Masked Man at Chepstow. Tristan Durrell takes a handy 3lb off with his claim. Of the other three, Ballylicky Bay is the only other horse to have won races and gets the 7lb mares’ allowance.
1:47 – 2m 3f 154y Class 3 Handicap Hurdle (0-130)
Topweight WILLIETHEBUILDER is back down to the same mark he won at Wetherby races off during this meeting 12 months ago. Now with Christian Williams, that form could hardly have worked out better. The runner-up Alnilam went on to win at Southwell, finish second in Kelso’s Morebattle Hurdle and score twice over fences this autumn.
Williebthebuilder has also seen the third home victorious at Hereford last season, fill the same spot in the Swinton at Haydock and land an All-Weather staying handicap around Wolverhampton last weekend. Sean Bowen now takes the ride. Nicky Richards new recruit High Dancer ended last season with a win and second over further. After just five hurdles starts, he could have some more progress in him.
The locally trained Glen Road placed twice here last winter and won a couple of races at longer distances in the spring. Peter Kavanagh gets on well with him. As for the others, they look much more exposed and/or less well-treated than these three.
2:20 – Listed 2m Wensleydale Juvenile Hurdle
It’s hard to get away from King George V sixth AMMES, who has made such a strong start to life over hurdles. He defied a penalty for James Owen and Bowen at Chepstow, but escapes one here seeking a hat-trick in this sphere. If Ammes doesn’t deliver at short odds, Nick Alexander’s French import Shooting has a handicap mark of 124 from his runs across the Channel.
Of the others, The Bellhop and Minella Study have won their only hurdle races to date. Tralee Girl makes her bow over timber and stable debut for Skelton in receipt of a 7lb allowance as a filly.
2:55 – 2m 3f 85y bet365 Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap)
An emphatic win for Thistle Ask in the Nuts Well Handicap Chase for @DSkeltonRacing 🏆 pic.twitter.com/EK4zxN478t
— Kelso Racecourse (@KelsoRacecourse) October 25, 2025
Off 2lb well-in despite a 6lb penalty, last weekend’s Kelso winner THISTLE ASK has bottom weight here. Quickly turned out at Wetherby races by Skelton, he effectively has 10st on his back with stable conditional Durrell taking 3lb off.
If this comes too soon for the hat-trick seeking Thistle Ask, course winners Homme Public and Magistrato could take full advantage. The former took his chasing debut here in the autumn of 2023 and is two from three here. Magistrato landed the Bobby Renton in a match over course and distance last time when completing a hat-trick but has now gone up almost a stone-and-a-half (20lb) with the handicapper for his purple patch.
Steeplechasing maiden Inedit Star ran on into third around Aintree and Sandown in the spring with the Merseyside form advertised by the runner-up Calico going one better at Cheltenham races during the Showcase last weekend. Topweight Tommy’s Oscar is sliding down the handicap yet still faces a tall order conceding more than a stone to the market principals.
Charlie Hall Chase 2025 Meeting Day 2 Preview for Saturday, 1 November
12:40 – 2m Class 3 Novice Hurdle
Skelton’s Kadastral won a valuable Newbury bumper when we last saw him, but runners from the yard have been stripping fitter for their reappearance. Wilstar is another hurdling debutant of note for Murphy, but SLEEPING LATE has experience of this course and distance from Wetherby races in March when runner-up to the now 126-rated Sir Galahad conceding 13lb to him.
Pam Sly has a good record at this venue and she books Jack Andrews for the ride. He takes 3lb off Sleeping Late with his claim, and this Gentlewave gelding keeps improving with every run. While Cave Bridge and Tree Top Tyson carry penalties for previous wins in this sphere, Breizh River is still somehow a hurdling maiden.
It wasn’t that long ago that he won the Simply Ned over fences around Kelso off 131. Rated a stone-and-a-half below that in this sphere, Breizh River has since joined Tristan Davidson from Paul Robson, but brings race fitness into this contest from chasing, which could be crucial.
1:15 – 2m 3f 85y Class 3 Handicap Chase (0-125)
Second time out after a break has been the right time to catch bottom weight Pep Talking before, and Gavin Sheehan now takes the ride. Veteran Ladronne and Micky Hammond’s Greyville have both won over course and distance in the past, so like it at Wetherby races. There are some chasing debutants in the line-up who don’t look particularly well-treated for starting life in this sphere, based on their hurdling exploits.
1:50 – Listed 2m Wetherby Mares’ Hurdle
3⃣ declared in the Listed Mares Hurdle at Wetherby on Saturday:
GOLDEN ACE
KATEIRA
DYSART ENOSpic.twitter.com/O8oi4uptTS— Road To Cheltenham (@RoadCheltenham) October 30, 2025
The outsider of three DYSART ENOS disappointed last season, but gets weight from both her rivals and Fergal O’Brien fits her with a tongue tie now to help with her breathing. She was nine lengths too good for Golden Ace in an Aintree bumper 18 months ago and that shouldn’t be forgotten. If Dysart Enos, who has race fitness from the All-Weather on her side, can burn the opposition off with her flat speed, she could win this potentially tactical race.
2:22 – 3m 26y Grade 2 West Yorkshire Hurdle
This went to an Irish veteran 12 months ago, so Winter Fog is tempting at Wetherby races, but the staying hurdle division needs new blood badly. With Strong Leader not the most fluent of jumpers, POTTERS CHARM could be the answer. The Twiston-Davies stable always support the Charlie Hall Chase meeting when they can.
A staying hurdle campaign is on the cards for Potters Charm after being one of the regular Cheltenham horses last season. Best caught up until Christmas, he made plenty of hay in the autumn and early winter. Festival Mares and Aintree Hurdle third Take No Chances brings strong form into this, meanwhile after earlier landing the Grade 2 Warfield at Ascot.
2:57 – 3m 54y Grade 2 Charlie Hall Chase
Hewick crucially receives 6lb from Pic D’Orhy, last season’s Charlie Hall winner The Real Whacker (fitted with first-time cheekpieces) and Denman Chase scorer Djelo. The latter locks horns once again with long-time rival Protektorat for the Skeltons here. With Sheehan back on Hewick, Ga Law has Jonny Burke in the saddle, but Jamie Snowden’s charge is in deep waters here.
