'It's our local track and he has form there' - can this trainer enhance their excellent course record in competitive handicap chase?

Katy Price sent out three winners from 13 runners at Hereford last season for a strike-rate of 23 per cent.

Punters who backed all 13 would have made a profit of £28 to a £1 level stake, and the trainer’s topweight Chestnut Pete will have plenty of support here. The ten-year-old boasts Hereford form figures of 29132, the most recent coming in May when a 23-length runner-up to the Paul Nicholls-trained Centara.

That winner has since added another four victories to his tally and improved his official rating from 108 to 135.

Chestnut Pete shaped as though in need of his first run in five months when last of four behind Gris Majeur at Ludlow last month, and should be fully fit for this return to his favourite track.

Katy Price: trains Chestnut PeteCredit: Dan Abraham

Gerard Mentor is notoriously difficult to win with, but does arrive in top form, having chased home Zenato at Stratford last time. He has finished runner-up on both his visits to Hereford.

Let Me Go Boys, who was bought for £82,000 in February 2024, is less exposed than most, and there are definite grounds for believing he could leave recent form behind.

From a point-to-point background, the five-year-old has been mainly campaigned at trips at around 3m over hurdles since graduating to handicaps off a mark of 105.

Now rated 11lb lower, he drops to 2m with blinkers added for the first time on only his second start over fences.
Analysis by Richard Birch

Ground and weather

The ground was described as good on the chase course and good, good to firm in places on the hurdles track. Conditions are expected to remain on the quick side with the forecast mostly dry on Monday. 

What they say

Katy Price, trainer of Chestnut Pete
He's in good form. It's our local track and he has form there, he lost his maiden there last season, and we've managed to get him back into the 0-100 races so hopefully he'll run well.

Evan Williams, trainer of Bossofthebus
He ran badly last time so we're trying him over fences now. I hope they can improve him because he was very hit and miss in Ireland and he hit the brick wall turning in at Ludlow, so we thought we'd better not persevere with that and try something new. He travelled well, but he finished poorly. This is a moderate race so we hope and pray we can get something.

AJ O'Neill, joint-trainer of Let Me Go Boys
He's in good form at home. He's been a bit frustrating of late, but he's worked well in the blinkers and we're hoping they can bring some improvement. He worked well on the bridle over two miles, and he put in some good runs at Uttoxeter and Ffos Las in maiden hurdles over two, so hopefully it'll help him out.

David Dennis, trainer of Hobie
His last run at Worcester was a little disappointing, but it was quite a competitive race. The two-mile trip around Hereford is quite sharp, but he usually travels well in his races and hopefully that can put him in good stead and give him a good chance.

Gerard Mentor, pictured over hurdles, is coming here in top formCredit: Getty Images

Kim Bailey, joint-trainer of Gerard Mentor
He's doing fine and he's had a very busy season. We've moved from hurdles to chases and back chasing again, and he's a hard horse to win with, but he ran a very good race last time at Stratford. He's quite a quirky character so I think he enjoys the switching.
Reporting by Liam Headd

Three things to note on Monday

By Chris Cook

1) With form figures of 5535, Copshill Lad is not going to leap off the page for many punters in the novice handicap chase (2.20) at Hereford but a big run can be expected. He represents the Harry Derham yard, which has really hit its stride, with four winners from its last six runners, including a Saturday hat-trick across Ascot and Wetherby. Copshill Lad won on his debut for the yard, in a handicap hurdle last October, when he looked the type to improve for fences. He makes his chasing debut from a rating just 2lb higher than the one he had that day.

2) Some highly rated horses feature on Kempton's card, which has a valuable handicap (a series final) and the Listed Unibet Floodlit Stakes (3.00), won in the past by Western Hymn and Young Rascal. The highest-rated runner this time is West Wind Blows, making his return from a two-year absence. Trained by Simon and Ed Crisford, he was third of four in Paddington's Eclipse in July 2023 and earned sackfuls of place prize-money in Australia later that year, when runner-up in both the Turnbull Stakes and the Caulfield Cup. This will be the six-year-old's first all-weather outing since his 2021 debut, when he won at Newcastle.

3) Some unlucky horses just keep on being unlucky but it's interesting to see Lovat Scout being dropped in class for an apprentice handicap (4.15) at Southwell. He has met trouble in running over this course and distance in both his races since being gelded and was an eyecatcher when running on to be beaten less than two lengths in September. Karl Burke continues in strong form.

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