WELL Chief, denied the opportunity to bid for the Castleford Chase last week when the second day of Wetherby's Christmas meeting fell victim to frost, can clinch the race at the second try this afternoon.

The £50,000 race, sponsored by Harrogate-based Sky Bet, has been re-scheduled and added to today's card, making a real centrepiece to what is now an eight-race Wetherby programme.

Trained in Devon by Martin Pipe, Well Chief came to the fore as a top two-mile performer on his latest outing in the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown where he was beaten less than two lengths into third by Moscow Flyer and Azertyuiop, the two biggest names in the league.

That level of form represents genuine merit and Well Chief has only to reproduce it to land this valuable prize.

A total of eight runners will face the starter, including last year's winner Kadarann, plus two of his stablemates from the Paul Nicholls' yard, Cenkos and Armaturk. Add to that trio, the likes of Tim Easterby's Turgeonev, a past winner of the Castleford, and Mister McGoldrick, a previous course-and-distance winner, and the scene is set for a cracking contest.

Well Chief, the mount of Timmy Murphy, will, though, be hard to beat.

Big Rob, who created such a good impression when winning at Newbury last time, gets the vote in the Rocom Novices' Handicap Chase, while Sweet Ard, winner of a bumper here on her debut last month, is an interesting contestant in the 'Rye' Mares' Only Novices' Hurdle.

Richard Fahey had an impressive winner in a bumper at Musselburgh last week and the Malton trainer could well follow-up with newcomer Elverys in the 'Ure' National Hunt Flat Race. The six-year-old is sportingly awarded the nap vote to make a winning debut.

At Southwell, Fahey can also be on the mark with Pertemps Magus (12-45), a winner at Wolverhampton last week, while Paso Doble (3-30), who showed his rivals a clean pair of heels on this course last week, looks set for a follow-up in the concluding one-mile handicap.

Today's tips:

Wetherby

2-00 Red Georgie, 12-30 Sweet Ard, 1-00 Big Rob, 1-30 Magico,

2-05 Well Chief, 2-40 Ravenscar,

3-10 Contract Scotland, 3-40 Elverys (NAP)

Southwell

12-45 Pertemps Magus, 1-15 Zantero, 1-50 Chorus, 2-20 My Gacho, 2-55 Efrhina, 3-30 Paso Doble

Today's other meetings are at Exeter and Folkestone

Updated: 08:54 Monday, January 03, 2005