Barry Geraghty’s William Hill blog: Lord Byron looks serious contender in Persian War

William Hill ambassador Barry Geraghty previews Friday and Saturday of Chepstow, as the curtain is lifted on the Jumps season.

It’s good to be back talking about the Jumps.

There are lots of different starting points for the Jumps season and sometimes it doesn’t really get going until later in the month or into November, but Chepstow is definitely a good opening marker.

The ground should be fine. We’ve had a bit of freak year with it being so dry. Some horses like quick, summer ground and it’s not good to be running a horse that doesn’t like those conditions. It all depends on the horse, and it only really gets exaggerated after a summer like we’ve had. In plenty of summers we’ve had more rain and there hasn’t been as much of a problem with the ground for summer jumping, so this year might just be a bit of an extreme case.

Chepstow, Friday

The Welsh Champion Hurdle (3:12pm) looks a competitive and open contest. I have full respect for the favourite, Captain Hugo. He backed up his win in Kelso’s Morebattle Hurdle with a good run when second in the Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr. However, there could be a little bit of value to he had taking Captain Hugo on with SERIOUS CHALLENGE, who finished a close second to him at Kelso. He was only beaten three-quarters-of-a-length at Kelso, and while he was probably a little disappointing at Plumpton when last seen, I think he could be competitive now meeting Captain Hugo on slightly better terms. He’s a good price against the favourite, when there doesn’t look to be much between them.

I am sweet on LORD BYRON in the Grade 2 Persian War Novices’ Hurdle (3:45pm). He built on every run last season, running a good race at the Cheltenham Festival when finishing fifth, and only beaten three lengths, in the Triumph Hurdle behind Apolon De Charnie. He followed that with a fourth place finish in a Grade 1 at Aintree and then was beaten only a neck by King Rasko Grey in Grade 1 company at Punchestown. To run at three festivals takes a lot of doing and he performed with great credit in all of those starts. To be beaten a neck by King Rasko Grey was a brilliant run and is the best form in this field. A reproduction of that should make him very hard to beat. He’s had a run on the Flat last month, which should mean he’s ready for this, and Faye Bramley’s horses are in good form.

Chepstow, Saturday

Chester Williams’ TENTER LE TOUT brings good course form into the two-mile four-year-old handicap hurdle (2:10pm). He is two from two at Chepstow, which includes a Grade 2 juvenile hurdle over this distance. He disappointed in the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham, but he raced close to the pace there and ran well for a long way. The winner and the placed horses came from off the pace, so he possibly over raced a bit and got tired late on. Being by No Risk At All out of Saint Des Saints mare, he’s very much got a jumping pedigree as opposed to being a juvenile off the Flat. He looks progressive and hopefully there is more to come from him.

In the two-and-a-half-mile maiden hurdle (2:45pm), STICK TO THE BOARD looks like the one. He fell when challenging in his point-to-point but was very impressive in his bumper at Chepstow in March on his first start for Paul Nicholls. He’s owned by powerful connections and is a horse with real potential.

I thought LOVE SONNET was of interest in the two-and-a-half-mile mares’ handicap hurdle (3:22pm). She was a good winner at Newbury last December and the form of that race has worked out okay. She’s up in the weights here for her return to action but this does look a bit weaker than the Newbury race, and she could go well in what looks an open affair.

The Silver Trophy Handicap Hurdle (4:02pm) is always a good, competitive race. I thought DAYLATEDOLLARSHORT had a big chance. He signed off last season with an excellent second at Punchestown in April, which was his best run to date. He’s only a five-year-old so there’s plenty of potential to progress from that. Olly’s [Murphy] horses are in good form too.