The exciting Metier is one of 49 entries for the 2021 Grade 3 Betfair Hurdle on Saturday 13 February as part of Betfair Super Saturday at Newbury Racecourse. Amongst the entries are three Irish representatives, including the 2020 runner-up Ciel de Neige, trained by Willie Mullins who is yet to capture the contest which will be run for £125,000 this year.

Betfair Hurdle two-time winning trainer, Paul Nicholls holds six of the entries, including Solo, Thyme White, Christopher Wood, Miranda, Friend or Foe and Wild Max. Nicky Henderson who is the leading trainer for the race with five wins to his name has four entered: Buzz, Fred, Marie’s Rock and Mister Coffey.

Harry Fry enters the exciting five-year-old Metier, one of two prospective runners for the Dorset based handler, was most recently seen winning the Grade 1 Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown last weekend and could take this race in on his way to the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

Fry commented, “The owner and I discussed plans after Saturday’s win and wanted to give ourselves the option of the Betfair Hurdle, as we think it’s a race that could really suit him. He will either go for that en route to Cheltenham or go straight for Cheltenham, we will just look at the entries and weights and see how the horse is in the coming weeks.

“We’ve thought for a while now that a race like the Betfair Hurdle would be right up his street, a really strongly run two-mile race on a big galloping track like Newbury, plus as an ex-flat horse we know he will handle a big field. We’ve been delighted with the progress he’s made this season and are really excited to see how far he can go over hurdles in the future, hopefully he can make a mark at the Spring Festivals.

“We’ve also entered Lightly Squeeze who was running a great race in this last year when taking a heavy fall at the last. He ran a nice race in the Betfair Exchange Trophy at Ascot last time out, so we potentially have two darts to throw at race.”

The Betfair Hurdle will be run at the value of £125,000 for 2021, showing the generous support of Betfair as sponsors, who also support the remaining six races, including the Grade 2 Betfair Denman Chase and the Grade 2 Win Bigger on the Betfair Exchange Chase (Registered as the Game Spirit).

Betfair spokesman, Barry Orr, commented today: ‘’Metier was so impressive when landing the Tolworth that it is unsurprising to see him head the betting at 6/1. He is undefeated in 3 starts now for Harry Fry and looks sure to go off favourite if he lines up’’

‘’Third Time Lucki was also impressive for the Skelton’s in a Kempton Novice Hurdle, he is currently 8/1, while Betfair Exchange Trophy runner up, Buzz, is 14/1. It’s a great list of entries which is to be expected for a £125k pot’’

Betfair Odds
Each Way 1/5 Odds 5 Places

6/1 Metier
8/1 Third Time Lucki
10/1 Cadzand, Soaring Glory
12/1 Ciel De Neige, Mister Coffey, On To Victory
14/1 Buzz, The Shunter
16/1 Albert’s Back, Ballyandy, Guard Your Dreams, Marie’s Rock, Milkwood, One True King, Shakem Up’arry, Sky Pirate, Wild Max
18/1 Fifty Ball, For Pleasure, Lightly Squeeze, Llandinabo Lad
20/1 Annual Invictus, Edwardstone, Faivoir, Friend or Foe, Galice Macalo, Glory And Fortune, Mack The Man, Mount Windsor, Sea Ducor, Thyme White, Torigni
25/1 Ballinsker, Christopher Wood, Solo
33/1 Fred, Gumball, Marlborough Sounds, Miranda, Oakley, Song of the Hunter, The Pink’n
40/1 Dans Le Vent, Highway One O Two
50/1 Blacko, Elysian Flame, Night Edition
66/1 Crooks Peak

Full List of Betfair Hurdle Entries

Animal	Age	Owner	Trainer
Ballyandy (GB)	10	Options O Syndicate	Nigel Twiston-Davies
Buzz (FR)	7	Thurloe for Royal Marsden Cancer Charity	Nicky Henderson
Metier (IRE)	5	Mr G. C. Stevens	Harry Fry
Wild Max (GER)	6	Owners Group 036	Paul Nicholls
Friend Or Foe (FR)	6	Gordon & Su Hall	Paul Nicholls
For Pleasure (IRE)	6	Premier Plastering (UK) Limited	Alex Hales
Fred (FR)	6	Mr Simon Munir & Mr Isaac Souede	Nicky Henderson
Third Time Lucki (IRE)	6	Mike and Eileen Newbould	Dan Skelton
Solo (FR)	5	Mrs Johnny de la Hey	Paul Nicholls
Christopher Wood (IRE)	6	Ms Sharon Kinsella	Paul Nicholls
Miranda (IRE)	6	OWNERS GROUP 034	Paul Nicholls
Milkwood (IRE)	7	Ms J. Bridel	Neil Mulholland
Marie’s Rock (IRE)	6	Middleham Park Racing XLII	Nicky Henderson
Llandinabo Lad (GB)	6	Celia & Michael Baker	Tom Symonds
Thyme White (FR)	5	The Stewart Family	Paul Nicholls
Edwardstone (GB)	7	Robert Abrey & Ian Thurtle	Alan King
Highway One O Two (IRE)	6	Mr Anthony Ward-Thomas	Chris Gordon
Albert’s Back (GB)	7	Golden Ratio & J Blackburn	Michael Easterby
Lightly Squeeze (GB)	7	J Davies and Govier and Brown	Harry Fry
Sky Pirate (GB)	8	Mr M. Tedham	Jonjo O’Neill
Mister Coffey (FR)	6	Lady Bamford & Alice Bamford	Nicky Henderson
Cadzand (IRE)	6	CHELSEA THOROUGHBREDS – CADZAND	Dan Skelton
The Pink’n (GB)	5	Mrs P. de W. Johnson	Seamus Mullins
Oakley (IRE)	8	Tim Syder	Philip Hobbs
Shakem Up’arry (IRE)	7	Mr Harry Redknapp	Ben Pauling
Guard Your Dreams (GB)	5	Graham and Alison Jelley	Nigel Twiston-Davies
Galice Macalo (FR)	5	Culverhill Racing Club II	Mrs Jane Williams
Torigni (FR)	5	Mr Simon Munir & Mr Isaac Souede	Harry Whittington
Night Edition (FR)	5	Mr Stuart & Simon Mercer & John Gent	David Pipe
Soaring Glory (IRE)	6	Mr P. Hickey	Jonjo O’Neill
One True King (IRE)	6	Teme Valley 2	Nigel Twiston-Davies
Marlborough Sounds (GB)	6	Vitality CBD Partners & Mr Julian Taylor	Amy Murphy
Dans Le Vent (FR)	8	R J Gambarini Racing	Evan Williams
Fifty Ball (FR)	6	Mr Steven Packham	Gary Moore
Faivoir (FR)	6	Mrs Suzanne Lawrence	Dan Skelton
Annual Invictus (IRE)	6	Mr Thomas Michael Smith	Chris Gordon
Blacko (FR)	5	Apple Tree Stud	Alan King
Ballinsker (IRE)	6	GG Thoroughbreds XII & Partner	Evan Williams
Mount Windsor (IRE)	6	Party People	Chris Gordon
On To Victory (GB)	7	HP Racing On To Victory	Alan King
Crooks Peak (GB)	8	Simon & Lisa Hobson – Crooks Peak	Dan Skelton
Song of The Hunter (FR)	7	Manhole Covers Ltd	Gail Haywood
Elysian Flame (GB)	5	Mr J Blackburn & Imperial Racing P’ship	Michael Easterby
Glory And Fortune (IRE)	6	Mr J. Hinds	Tom Lacey
Gumball (FR)	7	Mr Terry Warner	Philip Hobbs
Mack The Man (IRE)	7	Mr & Mrs William Rucker	Evan Williams
Ciel De Neige (FR)	6	Mr John P. McManus	W. P. Mullins
Sea Ducor (GB)	5	C. Jones	A. L. T. Moore
The Shunter (IRE)	8	Mr P. Byrne	Emmet Mullins