Bravemansgame Eyes Charlie Hall Trophy at Wetherby

Bravemansgame and Gerri Colombe headline a competitive field of 13 entries for the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase this Saturday at Wetherby. Trained by Paul Nicholls, Bravemansgame has made a tradition of debuting in this prestigious race over the past two seasons. He claimed a convincing victory in 2022, but last year fell short against the impressive Gentlemansgame.

Following a challenging spring season where he was outclassed in both the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Aintree Bowl, Bravemansgame has shown promising signs of recovery ahead of this weekend's race. “He had a great away-day last week alongside Ginny’s Destiny, and the ground looks perfect for him this time," Nicholls shared with Betfair on Monday.

Gordon Elliott's Gerri Colombe, who finished as the Gold Cup runner-up and claimed victory in the Bowl, is also in the mix but is likely to pursue back-to-back wins at the Ladbrokes Champion Chase in Down Royal on the same day. Elliott could opt to field Conflated instead.

Among the other entrants, Mouse Morris may present last year's champion Gentlemansgame's stablemate French Dynamite. Shark Hanlon's King George winner Hewick and competitors such as Dashel Drasher, Grey Dawning, and The Real Whacker are also in the running. With several intriguing contenders, the race promises to be an exciting start to the season.