Nacarat faces stiff test as he bids for Charlie Hall follow up
Thomas guided the Tom George-trained grey to a most impressive victory in the West Yorkshire highlight 12 months ago but has not ridden him since, with regular rider Paddy Brennan taking over.
But with Brennan sidelined by suspension this weekend, Thomas has been called upon once again.
“It obviously helps that I’ve ridden him before and, deep down, I thought I had a chance of riding him, but there are a lot of jockeys out there who would have been keen to get on him,” Thomas told Racing UK Radio.
“He ended a bit of a dry run for me last season and it’s a great race to win.
“It looks a tougher race than last year but he’s a horse who is trained for the race and will be one of the fittest so hopefully he can do himself justice.
“I wouldn’t swap him for any other horse in the race.”
Nacarat certainly will not have things all his own way, with the Nick Williams-trained Hennessy Gold Cup hero Diamond Harry in the reckoning.
He has been sidelined by injury since his Newbury victory last November.
Owner Paul Duffy said on Facebook: “The Charlie Hall Chase is on Diamond Harry’s itinerary at present – at the moment we are looking at taking him to Wetherby.
“He has recovered from the ligament injury that he suffered earlier this year and he is ready to resume racing in the near future.”
Paul Nicholls has entered Neptune Collonges and Poquelin, while Paul Webber is set to saddle his stable star Time For Rupert. Weird Al could make his debut for Donald McCain, with Carruthers, Midnight Chase and Quinz other intriguing possibles.
