Friday 1st & Saturday 2nd November 2024
The highlight fixture in Wetherby’s season features two-listed races on the Friday and the £100,000 bet365 Charlie Hall Steeplechase on Saturday.
Find out more in the links below…
History
More information
Named for renowned Yorkshire Jumps Trainer W.A ‘Charlie’ Hall, Saturday’s bet365 Charlie Hall Steeplechase is a significant early highlight in the National Hunt Calendar, and is widely acknowledged as one of the most important and influential trials for top-quality chasers as they set out on the long roads to the Cheltenham and Grand National Festivals.
The first running of this race (known then as the Charlie Hall Memorial Wetherby Pattern Chase) took place in 1978 and was won by Fighting Fit, although the origins of the Wetherby Pattern Chase actually go back to November 1969.
W.A. ‘Charlie’ Hall was born in 1903, the second of three brothers who were all to become succesful racehorse trainers: Tom and Sam were the other brothers.
Based at Towton, near Tadcaster, Hall’s training career began in the Autumn of 1945, with his first winner being Culworth at Wetherby in November of that year.
MagneticFin gave Hall his first important victory when winning the 1948 Scottish Grand National at Bogside. He established a succesful partnership with owner and breeder, Clifford Nicholson, and he steadily climbed to the top of his profession, finishing at the head of the trainers’ table in 1955/56 with 40 winners, earning £15,573 (Which in today’s money would be worth approximately £285,00.00). His most notable success came in the 1956 Champion Hurdle with Mr Nicholson’s Doorknocker.
In all, Charlie Hall trained 584 winners under National Hunt rules during a 31-year career; he also trained some 100 winners on the flat, most notably Super Nova’s victory in the 1975 Chester Cup. He recorded a remarkable 169 winners at his local course, Wetherby, with his most prolific winner at the course being Clear Cut, who scored ten times.
Charlie Hall retired in 1975, handing over his license to his step-son assistant, Maurice Camacho, who in turn handed over to his daughter Julie Camacho. Charlie Hall passed away two years after his retirement, at the age of 75.
Charlie Hall (in Wellies) looking over his string. Picture: Mr B Lunn
Charlie Hall at his Towton yard. Picture: Mr B Lunn
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Back to TopThe Wetherby Steeplechase Committee Ltd,
The Racecourse, York Road, Wetherby,
West Yorkshire, LS22 5EJ
Tel. 01937 582 035
Fax. 01937 588 021
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