Racecourse Guide

Wetherby
National Hunt

West Yorkshire · home of the Charlie Hall Chase

⬤ National Hunt
Turf
Left-Handed
Flat, Galloping

Shape

Left-Handed Oval tighter than Flat

Track Type

Flat, Galloping

Fences

9 per circuit

Hurdles

6 per circuit

Home Straight

4 fences

Run-in

1f chase, uphill

Direction

Left-handed

Course Highlight

Charlie Hall Chase Grade 2

Also at Wetherby

Wetherby also stages Flat turf racing. Read the Flat racecourse guide →

Course Overview

What is Wetherby like as a jumps track?

Wetherby’s jumps course is a genuinely tighter circuit than its Flat/hurdles oval — just under 1m4f per lap for chases. Each circuit brings 9 fences: 4 in the home straight, and 5 in the back straight including two open ditches. No water jump is confirmed on the current layout. The chase run-in is short, just under a furlong, and uphill. Jockey Mick Fitzgerald has described it as “a quick track” suiting free-running, long-striding horses, but one that “still punishes those who aren’t accurate” — widely regarded as fair ground for introducing novices.

The course’s most surprising piece of history isn’t a race result — it’s an engineering one. In 2007, the nearby A1(M) motorway was widened, triggering emergency fence and track repositioning in 2008-09. The re-measurement that should have followed simply never happened. The BHA only corrected the resulting errors on 15 November 2014: the 3m1f chase start had to move back 84 yards, the 3m1f hurdle start moved forward 125 yards, and races labelled as specific distances turned out to be subtly different (a “1m5f” bumper was actually 1m4½f; a “2m4f” hurdle was actually 2m4½f). A BHA director called it “unacceptable” at the time, though no results were retrospectively altered. The same A1 works also permanently moved the four home-straight fences to their current position inside the hurdles track.

The Chase Course

Circuit Left-handed, tighter than the Flat/hurdles oval, just under 1m4f
Fences 9 per circuit — 4 in the home straight, 5 in the back straight (2 open ditches); no water jump confirmed
Run-in Just under a furlong, uphill
Character A quick track suiting free-running types, but genuinely punishes inaccurate jumping

A Genuine Engineering Quirk

The trigger A1(M) motorway widening in 2007 forced emergency fence/track repositioning in 2008-09
The oversight The re-measurement that should have followed never happened
The correction BHA fixed several race distances on 15 November 2014, years after the changes were made

Notable Races

When does Wetherby race?

Grade 2 · Late October/Early November

Charlie Hall Chase

About 3 miles. Wetherby’s feature race and a recognised early-season Cheltenham Gold Cup trial. Nigel Twiston-Davies leads with 6 wins; winners include Wayward Lad, Barton Bank, One Man, and See More Business.

Grade 2 · Late October/Early November

West Yorkshire Hurdle

3 miles, 12 hurdles. Established 1990, run on the same card as the Charlie Hall Chase.

Listed · Late October/Early November

Wetherby Mares’ Hurdle

About 2 miles, 9 hurdles. First run in 2007.

Premier Handicap · Boxing Day

Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase

About 3 miles, 19 fences. Named for Wetherby’s Clerk of the Course for 28+ years; won by two subsequent Cheltenham Gold Cup winners in the same season — Forgive ‘n’ Forget (1984) and The Thinker (1986).

Grade 2 · Late January/Early February

Towton Novices’ Chase

Around 2m3f (recently reduced from 3m1f). Inaugural 1996 winner Mr Mulligan went on to win the following year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Class 2 Handicap · Late December

Castleford Chase

About 1m7f. A cautionary example: Grade 1 (1990-97), then Grade 2 (1998-2006), before losing black-type status entirely when Kempton’s Desert Orchid Chase took its calendar slot.

Pace Bias

A Genuinely Trip-Dependent Picture

Wetherby’s starting generalisation is that it’s “a left-handed, flat, galloping track that strongly favours those up on the pace” — but the real, quantified picture is more nuanced by trip and discipline. Over 2m hurdles, front-runners win 18.37% of races (38.78% placed) against just 6.38% for hold-up horses (23.4% placed) — a clear, strong pace edge. At 2.5m hurdles, that pattern genuinely inverts: styles are closely matched, and mid-division running is actually the most profitable approach for both win and each-way betting, with front-runners posting the worst win strike rate of the three styles. At 3m hurdles the bias swings back toward pace. Over fences, 2.5m chases clearly favour front-runners and prominent racers (a 37.95% place rate vs 25% for mid-division and hold-up alike), while 3m chases are more mixed — front-runners have the worst win rate but the best placed rate, and hold-up horses fare worst of all on the placed measure.

Run Style Bias — By Trip & Discipline

▲ 2m Hurdles: Front-runners

18.37% win (vs 6.38% hold-up)

─ 2.5m Hurdles: Mid-division

Most profitable — the pace edge reverses at this trip

▲ 2.5m Chases: Front-runners/Prominent

37.95% placed (13pt edge over mid/hold-up)

Don’t apply a single “pace track” rule across every Wetherby race — the 2.5m hurdle trip is a genuine, sourced exception to the course’s overall reputation, and 3m chases show a more mixed picture than the headline framing suggests.

Statistics · Since 2010

Which trainers and jockeys win most at Wetherby?

Trainer	Runs	Wins	Win%	Places	Place%	A/E	P/L
1 Skelton, Daniel	356	100	28.09%	194	54.49%	1.09	+28.37
2 Smith, Mrs S J	615	63	10.24%	177	28.78%	0.73	-309.36
3 Hammond, Micky	778	56	7.20%	178	22.88%	0.84	-151.44
4 McCain Jnr, D	395	53	13.42%	130	32.91%	0.78	-149.42
5 O’Neill, Jonjo and AJ	258	50	19.38%	112	43.41%	1.00	-58.51
6 Kirby, P A	365	42	11.51%	89	24.38%	1.08	-80.04
7 Ellison, B	237	37	15.61%	94	39.66%	0.94	-44.18
8 Murphy, Olly	163	36	22.09%	78	47.85%	0.96	+16.80
9 Russell, Miss Lucinda V	264	30	11.36%	74	28.03%	0.73	-93.18
10 Walford, Mark	245	30	12.24%	79	32.24%	1.14	-46.82
11 Twiston-Davies, N A	156	29	18.59%	64	41.03%	0.87	-39.92
12 Longsdon, C E	136	27	19.85%	56	41.18%	1.04	-5.69
13 Bailey, K C	114	24	21.05%	52	45.61%	0.95	-11.25
14 Greatrex, W J	110	24	21.82%	48	43.64%	0.89	-11.50
15 Richards, N G	126	23	18.25%	44	34.92%	1.00	+24.71
16 King, A	134	22	16.42%	51	38.06%	0.74	-32.02
17 O’Brien, Fergal	111	21	18.92%	49	44.14%	0.88	-1.14
18 Easterby, T D	303	20	6.60%	71	23.43%	0.64	-175.36
19 Grant, C	200	19	9.50%	36	18.00%	0.95	-60.05
20 Easterby, M W	158	19	12.03%	50	31.65%	1.18	-5.84

Wetherby NH, since 2010. Dan Skelton is the standout and one of the few yards anywhere in this NH set genuinely worth backing — 100 winners from 356 at 28.09%, A/E 1.09 and +£28.37. Jonjo and AJ O’Neill are exactly level at A/E 1.00. Below them the page is punishing: Mrs S J Smith has 63 winners from 615 runners at a 10.24% strike, A/E 0.73 and £309.36 of losses, the heaviest trainer figure on any NH page in this batch, with Micky Hammond £151.44 down. Oppose Tim Easterby (303 runners, A/E 0.64) and Lucinda Russell (264, A/E 0.73).
wetherby NH · Current trainers, since 2010

Jockey	Runs	Wins	Win%	Places	Place%	A/E	P/L
1 Hughes, Brian	747	95	12.72%	247	33.07%	0.75	-294.00
2 Skelton, Harry	258	79	30.62%	151	58.53%	1.06	-5.07
3 Quinlan, Sean	350	39	11.14%	92	26.29%	0.94	-63.29
4 Sheehan, Gavin	160	37	23.13%	70	43.75%	1.01	-21.31
5 Hamilton, Jamie	302	35	11.59%	88	29.14%	1.11	+13.41
6 Bowen, Sean P	103	24	23.30%	51	49.51%	1.02	+18.97
7 Costello, Dougie	167	23	13.77%	61	36.53%	0.88	-2.46
8 Mania, Ryan	232	21	9.05%	58	25.00%	0.76	-127.59
9 Woods, K K	116	21	18.10%	58	50.00%	1.03	+11.65
10 Twiston-Davies, Sam	110	21	19.09%	50	45.45%	0.87	-25.66
11 Nichol, Craig	176	20	11.36%	51	28.98%	1.03	-54.01
12 Bass, David	100	20	20.00%	39	39.00%	1.01	+0.79
13 Hammond, Charlie	79	18	22.78%	25	31.65%	1.48	+142.89
14 O’Farrell, C	154	16	10.39%	40	25.97%	0.81	-34.59
15 O’Neill, Jonjo (Jr)	85	16	18.82%	36	42.35%	0.88	-31.05
16 Reveley, James	124	14	11.29%	37	29.84%	0.80	-48.72
17 McMenamin, Daniel	100	14	14.00%	30	30.00%	0.95	-36.50
18 McLernon, R P	135	13	9.63%	31	22.96%	0.97	-43.26
19 Moscrop, Nathan	162	12	7.41%	31	19.14%	0.92	-85.00
20 Bannister, Harry A A	85	12	14.12%	29	34.12%	0.84	-31.26

Wetherby NH, since 2010. Harry Skelton strikes 30.62% from 258 rides at A/E 1.06 and is close to break-even; Jamie Hamilton is the only rider on the page in profit (+£13.41 at A/E 1.11). Brian Hughes is the clearest warning in this entire batch: 747 rides at Wetherby, a 12.72% strike rate, A/E 0.75 and **£294.00** of level-stakes losses. The standout below the table is Charlie Hammond — 18 winners from 79 rides at A/E 1.48 and +£142.89, the biggest rider profit on any page here. Oppose Jonathan England (178 rides, A/E 0.59).
wetherby NH · Current riders, since 2010

Sire Statistics · Since 2010

Which sires do best at Wetherby?

Sire	Runs	Wins	Win%	Places	Place%	A/E	P/L
1 Flemensfirth (USA)	273	47	17.22%	105	38.46%	0.97	+43.76
2 Kayf Tara	304	45	14.80%	102	33.55%	0.88	-70.10
3 King’s Theatre (IRE)	153	40	26.14%	65	42.48%	1.31	+9.01
4 Milan	269	39	14.50%	84	31.23%	1.02	-28.02
5 Oscar (IRE)	210	33	15.71%	66	31.43%	0.88	-93.84
6 Beneficial	205	32	15.61%	60	29.27%	1.09	-20.91
7 Westerner	217	31	14.29%	75	34.56%	0.87	-83.40
8 Presenting	255	29	11.37%	78	30.59%	0.74	-126.42
9 Midnight Legend	161	25	15.53%	65	40.37%	1.01	-23.12
10 Shantou (USA)	109	18	16.51%	44	40.37%	0.98	+0.32
11 Mahler	133	16	12.03%	35	26.32%	0.93	-9.48
12 Schiaparelli (GER)	76	16	21.05%	38	50.00%	1.24	-9.88
13 Yeats (IRE)	146	15	10.27%	43	29.45%	0.69	-63.31
14 Black Sam Bellamy (IRE)	122	15	12.30%	38	31.15%	1.00	-53.45
15 Martaline	105	15	14.29%	34	32.38%	0.88	-45.79
16 Fame And Glory	90	14	15.56%	30	33.33%	0.89	+108.23
17 Sulamani (IRE)	79	14	17.72%	29	36.71%	1.28	-4.13
18 Dylan Thomas (IRE)	84	13	15.48%	27	32.14%	1.02	-37.43
19 Authorized (IRE)	76	13	17.11%	25	32.89%	1.05	-20.48
20 Doyen (IRE)	74	13	17.57%	29	39.19%	1.01	-22.05

Wetherby NH, since 2010. King’s Theatre is the pick of the volume sires — 40 winners from 153 at 26.14%, A/E 1.31 and a small profit — with Milan fair at 1.02 and Flemensfirth returning the biggest profit (+£43.76) on a fair A/E 0.97. Presenting is the one to oppose at A/E 0.74 across 255 runners for £126.42 down. Below the table, Telescope has returned +£89.50 from 45 runners at A/E 1.84 and Dansili +£22.25 from 45 at 1.70 — small books, but both well clear of their prices on a stiff, galloping Yorkshire track.
wetherby NH · Since 2010

How to read these tables. The figures are a first-party pull for this course and code covering runs since 1 January 2010, taken as a snapshot rather than updated live. A/E compares actual wins with the wins implied by starting price, so a figure above 1.00 means the group has won more often than its SP suggested. P/L is profit or loss to £1 win stakes at starting price.

Insider Knowledge

Betting Angles

🎯

2m Hurdles Strongly Favour the Front

An 18.37% win rate for front-runners against just 6.38% for hold-up horses.

🔄

2.5m Hurdles Flip the Script

Mid-division running is actually the most profitable style at this specific trip — the one exception to the course’s pace-favouring reputation.

🏆

Nigel Twiston-Davies Owns the Charlie Hall Chase

6 wins in Wetherby’s feature race.

🎓

Harry Skelton’s Strike Rate Stands Out

34.48% (10 from 29) in recent seasons.

🏇

A Quick Track for Long-Striding Types

Mick Fitzgerald calls Wetherby a quick track that suits free-running, long-striding horses but still punishes the inaccurate — a bold galloper that jumps cleanly, up on the pace, is the profile.

🎓

Fair Ground for Novices

The fences are widely regarded as fair for introducing novice chasers, so promising hurdlers stepping up in trip or to fences here are worth following — the track will not unduly catch them out.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Assuming Wetherby’s “pace track” reputation holds at every trip. The 2.5m hurdle trip is a genuine exception, where mid-division running is actually the most profitable style.
Calling the Castleford Chase a Grade 2 race today. It lost black-type status entirely in 2006 when Kempton’s Desert Orchid Chase took its calendar slot — read runs in it as solid handicap form, not proof of Graded class.
Treating old Wetherby form as run over exactly the trip on the racecard. The BHA didn’t correct genuine distance errors here until November 2014 — the 3m1f chase start alone had been 84 yards out of position for years — so very old form may not have been run over quite the stated trip.

Common Questions

Wetherby Racecourse FAQs

Is there a pace bias at Wetherby?

Yes, but it’s genuinely trip-dependent: 2m hurdles strongly favour front-runners (18.37% win vs 6.38% for hold-up), while 2.5m hurdles are the one exception, where mid-division running is actually most profitable.

What happened with Wetherby’s race distances?

A 2007 A1(M) motorway-widening scheme triggered emergency fence repositioning that was never properly re-measured; the BHA corrected several race distances in November 2014, years after the changes were made.

What is Wetherby’s feature National Hunt race?

The Charlie Hall Chase, a Grade 2 run over about 3 miles each late October/early November, and a recognised early-season Cheltenham Gold Cup trial.

Who owns Wetherby Racecourse?

The Wetherby Steeplechase Committee Ltd, an independent operator that has owned the course outright since 1953.

Explore

Other Jumps Tracks

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Old Course and New Course — the home of jump racing.

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Home of the Grand National — Mildmay and National courses.

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Left-handed, a sustained uphill climb defines the finish.

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