Pic d’Orhy could make his debut for Dan Skelton in Saturday’s bet365 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby, 12 months after going down by just a length in the same race. The three-time Grade 1 winner is one of ten possible runners for the Grade 2 at 2.55pm, and one of three entries for the champion trainer.
Here is everything you need to know about the popular 11-year-old before Saturday.
His record so far
Pic d’Orhy has won 15 of his 38 starts and been a model of consistency at the top level. He first made his name as a 33/1 winner of the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury in 2020, but he really came into his own over fences for Paul Nicholls, landing the Grade 1 Melling Chase at Aintree at 4/1 in 2023 before making all to win the Ascot Chase in 2024 and again in 2025.
Those three Grade 1s came alongside a string of Grade 2 wins, including the Peterborough Chase, the Silviniaco Conti Chase and back-to-back renewals of the 1965 Chase at Ascot. He did not get his head in front last season, but he was placed in all four of his runs, finishing second to Jonbon, beaten a length-and-a-half, in his bid for a third Ascot Chase in February.
His run in last year’s Charlie Hall was arguably his best of the campaign. Stepping up to three miles over fences for the first time, he led from the seventh and was still in front after a mistake four out, only to be headed after two out and beaten a length by Venetia Williams’ Djelo at 5/1.
The Skelton factor
Pic d’Orhy now joins a yard in the form of its life. Skelton, who won his first trainers’ championship last season, has already sent out 118 winners from 410 runners this term, a 29% strike rate, and passed the £1 million mark in prize money. Martin Pipe’s record of 243 winners in a season is very much in his sights, and Skelton’s early-season dominance shows no sign of letting up.
Former Nicholls inmates have been a big part of that. Two of this summer’s arrivals from Ditcheat have already won for their new yard, with Captain Teague landing a Listed novices’ chase at Ffos Las at 7/2 on 14 October and Talk To The Man getting off the mark in a beginners’ chase at Worcester at 15/8 a week later. Kabral Du Mathan and Sinnatra, who both made the same move last season, have also won this month.
“Pic d’Orhy is obviously new to us, and we are going to start off in a similar route to last year,” said Skelton earlier this month. “He is an old boy now but still shows plenty of enthusiasm and I am delighted to have him on the team.” Crucially, he does not carry a penalty on Saturday.
Skelton’s Charlie Hall hoodoo
For all his success, this is one race that has so far eluded Skelton. None of his four runners in the last ten renewals have won, and the closest he has come was in 2021, when Shan Blue was 20 lengths clear when he fell three out as the 2/1 favourite. Midnight River was third at 10/1 in 2023, while Grey Dawning and Protektorat were both taken out on account of the ground in the last two years.
Wetherby itself has been a happy hunting ground, though. Skelton has saddled 48 winners from 172 jumps runners at the track since May 2021, a strike rate of 28%, and as our Charlie Hall trends show, Pic d’Orhy’s former trainer has a fine record here, with five wins in the race, the latest courtesy of Bravemansgame in 2022.
His chances on Saturday
Djelo is not among the ten possible runners, and Skelton could also run Doyen Quest, who beat Gary and Josh Moore’s Blow Your Wad in the Grade 2 Oaksey Chase at Sandown in April, and Perth Gold Cup winner Riskintheground. Doyen Quest would have to carry a 4lb penalty for that win, though.
Nicholls could take on his old stable star with Hitman and Twinjets, while 2024 winner The Real Whacker returned to winning ways at Perth last month. Ben Pauling’s Handstands, who was fourth in the Betfair Chase last November, and Rowland Meyrick winner Konfusion could also line up, along with Silviniaco Conti runner-up Master Chewy.
Pic d’Orhy is not getting any younger and was well held in the Bowl at Aintree on his final start for Nicholls. However, he ran with plenty of credit in this race 12 months ago, he has the best form in the field on his day, and a switch to the most in-form yard in the country could be just what he needs to get back in the winner’s enclosure.
Here are the ten Charlie Hall confirmations, although horses can still be supplemented until noon on Wednesday.
| Horse | Age | Trainer | Last run |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blow Your Wad | 8 | Gary & Josh Moore | 2nd, Oaksey Chase (G2), Sandown, Apr |
| Doyen Quest | 8 | Dan Skelton | Won, Oaksey Chase (G2), Sandown, Apr |
| Handstands | 7 | Ben Pauling | Pulled up, Ultima Handicap Chase, Cheltenham, Mar |
| Hitman | 10 | Paul Nicholls | Fell, Topham Chase, Aintree, Apr |
| Konfusion | 8 | Joel Parkinson & Sue Smith | 3rd, Freebooter Handicap Chase, Aintree, Apr |
| Master Chewy | 9 | Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies | 6th, Ryanair Chase (G1), Cheltenham, Mar |
| Pic d’Orhy | 11 | Dan Skelton | 3rd, Bowl Chase (G1), Aintree, Apr |
| Riskintheground | 9 | Dan Skelton | 6th, handicap chase, Ffos Las, Oct |
| The Real Whacker | 10 | Patrick Neville | Won, handicap chase, Perth, Sep |
| Twinjets | 9 | Paul Nicholls | Won, handicap chase, Ayr, Apr |