YOU can debate the point at which the National Hunt season starts for as long as you like. You can say Listowel or Chepstow, or Cheltenham’s October meeting, or Cheltenham’s November meeting, or the day after the Punchestown Festival.

But by the time we get to Charlie Hall Chase day, Bet365 Charlie Hall Chase day, you are probably at or beyond the starting point.

You know that you are because, until the National Hunt season starts in earnest, the flat takes centre stage, as National Hunt bubbles away in the background.

You can’t really say that National Hunt takes precedence until after British Champions’ Day, and even last weekend, Cheltenham’s October meeting, we still had the matter of the Group 1 Futurity Stakes at Doncaster.

This weekend, you have the Breeders’ Cup argument, and it will be fascinating to tune into Del Mar this evening, but Down Royal yesterday, Down Royal today, Ascot, Wetherby. There’s definitely a seismic shift in the balance of power, the apex of attention, from flat to National Hunt, and it usually happens on this weekend every year.

The Real Whacker won the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby last year, and he looks over-priced for his repeat bid today. True, he hasn’t won since then, but before he won the race last year, he hadn’t won since he won the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival, over 18 months earlier.

Also, he hasn’t run very often in the last 12 months, and he has been highly tried. He finished fourth in the King George on his next run after winning on this day last year, the position that he filled too in the 2023 King George, and his next two runs were in the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Aintree Bowl.

Patrick Neville’s horse does have to carry 11st 10lb today, but he is giving weight to just three of his rivals and, more importantly, he should appreciate the return to calmer waters. And this could be the time to catch him.

Proven ability

He is nine years old now, but that is not really a negative in the Charlie Hall. Four of the last 11 winners were nine. And it is a race in which a proven ability to go well in the race is an asset to take back to the race in subsequent years.

Bravemansgame won the Charlie Hall in 2022 and finished second in each of the next two renewals. Definitly Red finished third in the race in 2017 and won it in 2018. Wayward Prince finished second twice, Ollie Magern won it twice and finished second once and third once. See More Business won it twice too.

Last year, The Real Whacker unseated in the Kerry National on his final run before the Charlie Hall. This year, his preparation for the race has been much more straightforward, he ran well for a long way in a handicap hurdle at Perth five weeks ago.

That should tee him up nicely for today’s race, a race that connections have surely had in mind as his target for a while.

The conditions of the race favour Protektorat; he is the highest-rated horse in the race and he receives weight from three of his rivals. He is the logical favourite. But the ground may be faster than ideal for Dan Skelton’s horse today, and he is 10. No 10-year-old has won the Charlie Hall since Grey Abbey won it in 2004.

The age stat is also against Hewick, but Hewick has confounded many stats in the past. Shark Hanlon’s horse warmed up for this nicely with an impressive performance in beating Moon D’Orange over hurdles at Thurles two weeks ago, and he had Run For Oscar beaten when that rival departed at the last. He will have his ground and he could emerge as the biggest danger to The Real Whacker.

Ascot Handicap Chase

And staying with the repeat-winners theme, Martator could be the answer once again to the Grundon Waste Management Handicap Chase at Ascot.

Venetia Williams’ horse ran out a good winner of this race last year. He was held up early on that day, but he travelled through his race well and, delivered by Charlie Deutsch to hit the front on the run-in, he ran out a decisive winner.

He raced off a handicap rating of 134 last year, and he is off 141 today, but he won again over today’s course and distance next time off a mark of 140, he was raised to a mark of 151, so the fact that he is back down to a mark of 141 gives him a real chance.

He goes well at Ascot too; he jumps the tricky fences well. He has won three of his four races there, all over today’s course and distance. His only defeat at Ascot came when he was stepped up to two miles and five furlongs. And he goes well on good ground.

Issar D’Airy was less than two lengths behind Martator in this race last year, and he is a danger, but he is only 4lb better off with Venetia Williams’ horse, and that may not be enough to enable him turn the tables.

It is not ideal that Charlie Deutsch is not riding Martator today, but you can understand why he is going to Wertherby to ride Djelo in the Charlie Hall Chase, and Ned Fox claims 5lb and is one for two on Martator.

The Martaline gelding goes well fresh and, as with The Real Whacker in the Charlie Hall, this has probably been his target for a while.

Recommended:

Martator, 2.05 Ascot, 11/2 (generally), 1 point win,

The Real Whacker, 2.57 Wetherby, 11/2 (generally), 1 point win

Donn recommended Three Card Brag at 12/1 in last week’s preview column