Oscar Whisky winning the first Welsh Champion Hurdle run at Ffos Las

PICTURE: thejockey.co.uk 

Tanerko Emery targets Welsh Champion Hurdle

DAI WALTERS will bid to ensure the Welsh Champion Hurdle trophy does not leave Ffos Las, with Tanerko Emery representing the racecourse owner in the course’s flagship race.

Saturday’s renewal will be just the second running of the race at Ffos Las to survive the weather, with the Walters-owned Oscar Whisky winning the only previous running in 2011, when sent off the 2-7 favourite.

The move to limited handicap status has succeeded in increasing the competitiveness, with nine more runners lining up than when Oscar Whisky beat just four rivals, and the race sponsors William Hill make Tanerko Emery the 4-1 joint-favourite with the Nicky Henderson-trained top weight Oscara Dara.

Tanerko Emery has won three of his last four starts, with his sole defeat – when second in a competitive novice handicap to Ifandbutwhynot – coming when Conor O’Farrell was not in the saddle. The pair are unbeaten in three starts and O’Farrell keeps the ride for their biggest task to date off a mark of 135, having started life in handicap company off 112.

“He’s clearly improving and although he’s going up in the weights he won’t mind the ground and should be suited by this step up in trip,” said trainer David Pipe in his exclusive column in Saturday’s Racing Post.

His main market rival is top weight Oscara Dara, who has gone up a stone in the weights for his win in the Listed Lanzarote Hurdle at Kempton, and his trainer said: “He does appear to handle soft ground and that’s our one hope.

“He got an almighty heave for winning at Kempton which has put us in a pretty precarious position because he has to give a hell of a lot of weight away. It is at least a limited handicap and that’s why we decided to come here.”

Officials at Ffos Las are thrilled to be racing after the recent battering south-west Wales has taken from the elements. Clerk of the course Tim Long said: “It’s going to be wet, heavy, sloppy ground – that isn’t going to change – but it’s been a fair drying day.

“Although it could get down to freezing overnight, it promises to be a dry, bright Saturday, with temperatures of 5C or 6C, so there won’t be any problems.”

No problems are expected at Sandown either, where an all-chase card takes place with Captain Conan‘s step up to 2m4½f in the Grade 1 Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase the highlight after it was decided on Friday to finally abandon the hurdle races.

Following 8mm of rain on Friday morning, the ground remained heavy, and soft in the back straight, but with no threat from the weather either overnight or on Saturday, clerk of the course Andrew Cooper said: “We’re not anticipating any issues with the chase track.”

Wetherby was extensively waterlogged on Sunday but conditions have since improved significantly, much to the delight of clerk Jonjo Sanderson, who said: “We may have to bypass a fence or two, and a hurdle, due to standing water, but other than that the course is fine. The ground is soft, heavy in places.”

Ffos Las SATURDAY, 02 FEBRUARY 2013. WILLIAM HILL WELSH CHAMPION HURDLE (Limited Handicap) (CLASS 2) (4yo+)

Winner: £31,280, Runners: 14, Distance: 2m4f, Going: Heavy, Channel: CH4

NO.  FORM		HORSE	AGE	WGT  OR	JOCKEY  TRAINER RTF%	TS	RPR
1141-21		OSCARA DARA 21	8	11-10 154	A P McCoy Nicky Henderson47	142	160	7/2
2FU-310		BALDER SUCCES 42	5	11-1 145	Robert Thornton Alan King22	137	156	8
3201-P4		HECTOR´S CHOICE 64	9	10-13 143	Jamie Moore Richard Lee100	—	—	33
437-247		HOLLOW TREE 21	5	10-12 142	Henry Brooke Donald McCain33	141	156	14
532F144		DOUBLE ROSS 42	7	10-11 141	Sam Twiston-Davies Nigel Twiston-Davies30	156	160	9
616-224		MEDINAS 50	6	10-10 140	Wayne Hutchinson Alan King22	157	161	8
721822		EL DANCER p 35	9	10-8 138	Leighton Aspell Lucy Wadham50	138	157	14
82-1333		PECKHAMECHO 65	7	10-8 138	Nick Scholfield Rebecca Curtis100	123	159	14
94-4124		MISS MILBORNE 37	7	10-5 135	Harry Derham5 Jamie Snowden100	132	157	20
105-1211		TANERKO EMERY t 49	7	10-5 135	Conor O’Farrell David Pipe50	135	157	10/3
1122-311		TROP FORT 182	6	10-4 133	Michael Byrne3 Tim Vaughan67	115	155	16
123-1214		BOYFROMNOWHERE 49	6	10-4 133	Tom O’Brien Rebecca Curtis100	132	151	16
1315228		TIGER O´TOOLE 92	8	10-4 130	Paul Moloney Evan Williams100	—	155	33
147-2211		THE ROMFORD PELE 56	6	10-4 128	Patrick Corbett7 Rebecca Curtis100	125	151	9