KATEIRA READY TO STRIKE AT WETHERBY

Paul Ferguson gets stuck into the first big contests of the new jumps season

- Paul Ferguson

The National Hunt season really steps up a notch during November and Charlie Hall Chase takes place at Wetherby on the opening Saturday of the month (4th).

The Grade 2 is the obvious highlight on the card from the West Yorkshire venue, but I'm hoping Dan Skelton has Kateira ready to run in the Listed bet365 Mares' Hurdle, a race which he has won in each of the past two seasons with Molly Ollys Wishes.

Three from four during her novice campaign, Kateira ended last season with a sound second in the Grade 1 Mersey Novices' Hurdle at Aintree - over 2m4f- but she isn't short of speed and if the ground is deemed suitable, this would look to be the ideal starting point for the daughter of Kayf Tara.

If conditions aren't in her favour, she could wait a week and head to Aintree for the Boylesports Hurdle, a conditions event over the same course-and-distance over which she ran so well in April.

However, she would likely bump into Brewin'upastorm if waiting for that race and Olly Murphy's 10-yearold is sure to be readied for a race which he won impressively in 2021. Sent off odds-on for last year's renewal, he got no further than the first flight, but bounced back to form in the second half of last season, when recording a second victory in the Grade 2 National Spirit Hurdle at Fontwell.

Murphy's stable-star failed to see out the trip on his first start over 3m at the Grand National fixture, but ran well for a long way and this once again looks the ideal starting point. Whilst he is unlikely to be improving, he sets a fair standard in this kind of event over an intermediate trip and Kateira would need to improve a fair bit to reach his level.