# Charlie Hall Chase 2026 Preview: Entries, Form and Wetherby Going _The ten Charlie Hall Chase entries for Wetherby on Saturday 31 October 2026: Pic d'Orhy, The Real Whacker, their form, the going, the trends and the TV._ *Source: [https://stablebet.co.uk/racing-news/charlie-hall-chase-2026-preview/](https://stablebet.co.uk/racing-news/charlie-hall-chase-2026-preview/) · last updated 2026-10-27* Saturday's Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby, a Grade 2 over 3m 45y worth £100,000, drew 10 entries on Monday 26 October. The top-rated entry is Pic d'Orhy, second in the race last year and now trained by Dan Skelton, and The Real Whacker is back to try to win it for a second time. The race is at 2:55pm on ITV. This is a race-week preview of this year's field. The race's history, records and roll of honour are on our [Charlie Hall Chase guide](/racing-news/charlie-hall-chase/), which also carries the model's top-rated runner on race morning. Declarations are on Thursday 29 October, so for now every horse named here is an entry, not a confirmed runner. We will update this page with the declared field on Thursday, and the final field goes up on our [Wetherby racecards](/racecards/wetherby/). Tap the star beside any horse, trainer or jockey to follow them in your [Horse Tracker](/horse-tracker/). ## The ten entries The race drew 10 entries for a maximum field of 20. Dan Skelton has three of them and Paul Nicholls two. The ratings are the official marks shown on the Racing Post entry card, and three of the ten are aged 10 or older. | Horse | Age | Trainer | Official rating | |---|---|---|---| | Blow Your Wad | 8 | Jamie Moore & Josh Moore | 151 | | Doyen Quest | 8 | Dan Skelton | 149 | | Handstands | 7 | Ben Pauling | none shown | | Hitman | 10 | Paul Nicholls | 152 | | Konfusion | 8 | Joel Parkinson & Sue Smith | none shown | | Master Chewy | 9 | Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies | 152 | | Pic d'Orhy | 11 | Dan Skelton | 162 | | Riskintheground | 9 | Dan Skelton | 146 | | The Real Whacker | 10 | Patrick Neville | 153 | | Twinjets | 9 | Paul Nicholls | 152 | Entries as at 27 October, from the Racing Post entry card and checked against the list Racing Ahead published on 26 October. These are not declarations: some will not run. Pic d'Orhy is rated nine pounds clear of the next best, The Real Whacker on 153. Four more are rated 151 or 152. ## The main contenders and their form Form figures below are read right to left, so the last figure is the most recent run. A dash marks the break between seasons. ### Pic d'Orhy (Dan Skelton) Pic d'Orhy is the highest-rated horse in the race on 162 and was beaten a length by Djelo in this race last year, when he started at 5/1. He is 11 now and makes his first run for Dan Skelton after moving from Paul Nicholls, according to the Racing Post, which also says he has won three times at the highest level. His form figures on the card are /2323. Harry Skelton is the jockey named on the entry card. ### The Real Whacker (Patrick Neville) The Real Whacker won this race in 2024 at 5/1 and was fifth of five behind Djelo last year. He has had two runs since June, both at Perth with Brian Hughes riding: third in the Perth Gold Cup on 7 June at 12/1, then a win in a 2m7f handicap chase on 23 September at 9/2. A second win would make him the seventh horse to win the Charlie Hall twice, after Wayward Lad, Celtic Shot, Barton Bank, One Man, See More Business and Ollie Magern. Brian Hughes is named on the entry card again for Patrick Neville. ### Riskintheground (Dan Skelton) Riskintheground won that Perth Gold Cup on 7 June at 9/2, finishing ahead of The Real Whacker, and was third in the bet365 Summer Cup at Uttoxeter on 28 June. His latest run was sixth of eight at Ffos Las on 14 October, over 2m3f, at 25/1. He is rated 146, the lowest mark among those with one. ### Twinjets and Hitman (Paul Nicholls) Twinjets is rated 152 and his card figures end with a win, 1UP21. Hitman, also on 152, fell last time out (/13PF). The Racing Post reported that Hitman had been entered for the Old Roan Chase at Aintree, which was called off after Storm Boelo. Paul Nicholls has won the race twice in the last ten years, with Cyrname in 2020 and Bravemansgame in 2022. ### Master Chewy (Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies) Master Chewy is rated 152, with figures of 47256. He runs for Nigel and Willy Twiston-Davies and, like Hitman, was in the field for the abandoned Old Roan Chase on 25 October. Nigel Twiston-Davies holds the trainers' record in the race, with six wins, the last of them Ballyoptic in 2019. ### The rest Doyen Quest, Skelton's third entry, is rated 149 and won last time out (12241). Blow Your Wad (151) runs for Jamie Moore & Josh Moore and was second on his latest start (32412). Handstands for Ben Pauling pulled up on his last run (/243P). Konfusion, from Joel Parkinson & Sue Smith, finished third last time (113F3), and Gavin Sheehan is named on the card. The model's day-before view of the race goes up on Friday afternoon and will be added here beside its public [track record](/ai-race-predictor/track-record/). It is a test of the model, not a tip. ## What our results database says Our results files, which hold every British and Irish result since 1 June 2026, show runs since the summer for only two of this year's field: The Real Whacker and Riskintheground. The other eight have no run in our results files since 1 June, which is normal for a race that opens the staying chase season. The two met once, in the Perth Gold Cup on 7 June. Riskintheground won at 9/2 and The Real Whacker was third at 12/1. Two more were meant to run last weekend. Hitman and Master Chewy were both in the field for the Old Roan Chase at Aintree on Sunday 25 October, and our record lists that race as abandoned, so neither has run yet this season. ### Trainers in the last 14 days British jumps runs from 13 to 26 October, in our results files: | Trainer | Winners | Runners | |---|---|---| | Dan Skelton | 18 | 77 | | Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies | 5 | 24 | | Ben Pauling | 1 | 17 | | Patrick Neville | 1 | 6 | | Paul Nicholls | 0 | 6 | | Joel Parkinson & Sue Smith | 1 | 4 | The Racing Post's 14-day figures for Twiston-Davies (5 from 24), Pauling (1 from 17) and Nicholls (0 from 6) match ours. Dan Skelton has had by far the most runners and winners of the entered yards. ### Trainers at Wetherby Our race record goes back to October 2023 and holds 257 Wetherby jumps races. Skelton has the most winners there, 20 from 83 runners, and 9 from 36 between late October and the end of November. Ben Pauling has 9 from 26, 4 of them from 7 runners in that same late-autumn stretch, and Joel Parkinson & Sue Smith have 12 from 89. Small samples, so read them as background. The record holds three Charlie Hall Chases, won by three different trainers with fields of four, six and five runners. Skelton did not win any of them. These are records, not betting angles. ## Wetherby going after the storms The going at Wetherby was Good on the Racing Post card when we checked on 27 October. The weekend storms did little to it. Wetherby had 14mm of rain on Saturday 24 October after a long, dry summer, and clerk of the course Jonjo Sanderson told the Racing Post the next day: "It's still good ground." He said a strong drying wind meant he would not call it any closer to good to soft than it had been on the Friday. Elsewhere the weather did more damage: Aintree's Old Roan Chase on Sunday was called off. Sanderson expected light rain on and off from Sunday to Wednesday, adding up to about 8mm in small bursts, then about 5mm on Friday night into Saturday. He thought the back straight might be on the easy side of good and the home straight on the quicker side. When we read the Met Office warnings page on 26 October, Tuesday's yellow wind warning covered parts of Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland but not West Yorkshire, where Wetherby is. Trainers often decide whether to run once they know the ground, so the going matters for who is declared on Thursday as well as for the race itself. We will update it here then. ## The trends against this year's entries Four trends from the last ten runnings, 2016 to 2025, set against this year's entries. Ten runnings is a small sample, and none of these is a reason to back or oppose a horse on its own. - **Age.** Every winner was aged six to nine. Of this year's entries, seven fit that band. Hitman and The Real Whacker are 10, and Pic d'Orhy is 11. - **Favourites.** No favourite won in those ten years. Every winner started at 2/1 or bigger, and last year's 2/1 favourite, Hewick, finished fourth of five. - **Trainers.** Paul Nicholls and Nigel Twiston-Davies each won it twice in the decade. Nicholls has two horses in this year's field and the Twiston-Davies yard one. Dan Skelton, with three in the field, did not win it in that time. - **Field size.** Between four and ten ran each year. This year's field would match the biggest of those if every entry were declared. The full list of winners, trainers and jockeys, with the race's records, is on our [Charlie Hall Chase guide](/racing-news/charlie-hall-chase/), and the [Charlie Hall Chase race guide](/uk-racecourses/wetherby/charlie-hall-chase-guide/) covers its history. ## How to watch and betting notes The Charlie Hall is the 2:55pm at Wetherby on Saturday 31 October, and the Racing Post card lists it on ITV. The first race is at 12.35pm and the last at 4.03pm, and gates open at 10am, according to Wetherby's event page. Paddock tickets start at £20, and Park and View starts at £20 for a car of up to five adults. Our [Wetherby day out guide](/uk-racecourses/wetherby/wetherby-day-out-guide/) covers getting there. ### Betting notes for UK readers - **Wait for the declarations.** A bet struck before Thursday's declarations is normally an ante-post bet, and if your horse is not declared you usually lose the stake. Some bookmakers offer non-runner no bet in race week, so check the terms before you bet early. - **Best odds guaranteed.** With a small field, prices can move a lot between Thursday and the off. A [BOG bookmaker](/bookmakers/best-bog-bookmakers/) pays the starting price if it is bigger than the price you took. - **Each way.** The number of places paid depends on how many run, so a field that shrinks on Thursday can cut the places. Our [each-way guide](/betting/bet-types/each-way/) explains how it works. - **Follow the horses.** Add the entries to your [Horse Tracker](/horse-tracker/) and they are picked out on our [Wetherby racecards](/racecards/wetherby/) once the field is declared.
### Bet responsibly Set a budget for Saturday before you look at the prices, and keep to it. Over time the odds favour the bookmaker. If gambling stops being fun, free confidential support is available from [BeGambleAware](https://www.begambleaware.org/) on 0808 8020 133. 18+.
## Frequently asked questions ### What time is the Charlie Hall Chase on Saturday? 2:55pm at Wetherby on Saturday 31 October, according to the Racing Post card, which lists it on ITV. It is the feature race of the second day of the Charlie Hall meeting. ### Who is running in the Charlie Hall Chase this year? Nobody is confirmed yet. 10 horses were entered on 26 October, led on ratings by Pic d'Orhy (162) and the 2024 winner The Real Whacker (153). Declarations are on Thursday 29 October, and we will update this page with the declared field then. ### Is Pic d'Orhy running for Dan Skelton now? He is entered for Dan Skelton, and the Racing Post reported that this would be his first run since moving from Paul Nicholls. He was second in the race last year, beaten a length at 5/1. ### Has any horse won the Charlie Hall twice? Yes, six: Wayward Lad, Celtic Shot, Barton Bank, One Man, See More Business and Ollie Magern. The Real Whacker, the 2024 winner, is entered to try to become the seventh. ### What is the going at Wetherby? Good on the Racing Post card on 27 October. The clerk of the course said on 25 October that 14mm of rain had left it good, with light rain forecast through the week. ### Does the favourite usually win? No favourite won from 2016 to 2025. Last year's 2/1 favourite, Hewick, finished fourth of five behind Djelo, who started at 11/4. Ten runnings is a small sample. ## Sources and verification Checked on 27 October 2026 against: - [Racing Post: Charlie Hall Chase entry card](https://www.racingpost.com/racecards/87/wetherby/2026-10-31/929385/) (entries, ratings, ages, form figures, off time, TV, prize money, going) - [Racing Post: weekend jumping entries, 26 October](https://www.racingpost.com/news/big-race-latest/weekend-jumping-entries-revealed-as-dan-skelton-looks-to-mop-up-more-big-prizes-including-wide-open-charlie-hall-with-former-paul-nicholls-favourite-anucK9P4BCwV/) (the entries, Pic d'Orhy's move, Hitman and the Old Roan) - [Racing Ahead: the race and its 2026 entries](https://www.racingahead.net/featured/387222/charlie-hall-chase-how-the-big-wetherby-race-got-its-name) (the names entered) - [At The Races: Wetherby card, 31 October](https://www.attheraces.com/racecards/Wetherby/31-October-2026) (the entry count) - [Sporting Life: 2025 Charlie Hall Chase result](https://www.sportinglife.com/racing/results/2025-11-01/wetherby/887398/bet365-charlie-hall-chase-grade-2-gbb-race) - [Racing Post: Old Roan called off, Wetherby going, 25 October](https://www.racingpost.com/news/aintrees-old-roan-chase-called-off-and-more-inspections-ahead-after-storm-boelo-results-in-amber-wind-warnings-a8cJT6J1WOJ6/) - [Met Office: UK weather warnings](https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/warnings-and-advice/uk-warnings) (read 26 October) - [Wetherby Racecourse: Charlie Hall meeting, day two](https://www.wetherbyracing.co.uk/events/the-bet365-charlie-hall-meeting-day-two/) (gates, race times, tickets) This season's runs and the 14-day trainer figures come from our own results files, and the Wetherby and Charlie Hall records from our race database, which starts in October 2023. Ratings, form figures and the TV listing come from the Racing Post card alone and can change at declarations.