Saturday Runners: Jonjo O'Neill sends a strong team to Chepstow
From the Coral Welsh Grand National trial at Chepstow to the Becher Chase at Aintree, find out more about all of today's runners for your Coral Racing Club trainers below.
Jonjo O'Neill
Fresh from his trip to Carlisle to saddle Annie Mc last weekend, Jonjo O’Neill has a busy Saturday to look forward to, with runners at Aintree and Chepstow.
Old favourite Cloth Cap lines up over the big National fences in the Becher Chase at 2.05. Richie McLernon takes the ride there in the famous colours of the late Trevor Hemmings, while Jonjo O’Neill jr sports equally recognisable silks in Chepstow’s 1.02, riding Destin D’Anjoc for JP McManus.
Father and son team up again for McManus in the Coral Welsh Grand National Trial, off at 1.37, with Time To Get Up, while the pair have the unbeaten top weight Iron Bridge in the 2.12. For good measure, O’Neill also sends out the second top weight in this contest, Jamie Brace in the plate on Coeur Serein. And the final runner of the day for the Jonjo duo is Big Ambitions, who can hopefully live up to his name when he makes his racecourse debut in the concluding Bumper at 3.22.
Joe Tizzard
Joe is another trainer with a runner in the Coral Welsh Grand National Trial. Elegant Escape won the big race itself back in 2018, and while he doesn’t have an entry in this year’s race, the 10-year-old should improve for his seasonal reappearance at Cheltenham last month here.
Team Tizzard’s first runner at the Welsh track is Lanspark in the opener. Harry Kimber takes the ride in this Conditional jockeys’ hurdle and the pair must have a good chance having gone close in a similar contest last month.
"I was really pleased with his opening run of the season at Chepstow last month. He finished second over this C&D. He should come on loads for that run. He has won over this course before, so I think he comes into this race with an excellent chance of success."
In the 2.12, Could Talkaboutit makes his chasing debut, having closed last season with a victory over the smaller obstacles, while Brendan Powell is also on Champagne Mesdames in the 2.47.
At Sandown, Copperhead returns to hurdling having unseated Powell at Ascot last month, and this time Harry Cobden is the man tasked with steering him in the 1.10 who is one of the most in-form jockeys right now having ridden five winners from his last 12 rides. Interestingly, Copperhead has five wins to his name from his overall career, and Harry has been the man in the saddle for three of those victories.
You can read the full thoughts of Joe Tizzard on all his weekend runners in his Coral blog at here.
Rebecca Menzies
Rebecca sends three runners on the short trip from her Sedgefield base to Wetherby. Curley Finger was a winner at Hexham in May and as a result carries a seven pound penalty against his rivals in the 11.40. Fever Roque is her runner in the second at 12.13 who is top of the handicap for this novices’ chase. Perhaps her best chance of the day comes with You Some Boy, bidding to go one better than his recent Kelso second behind a hot favourite in the three mile handicap hurdle off at 12.48.
Good luck to all our Trainers, and their owners, with their runners this weekend.