A LARGE crowd assembled at Wetherby last Saturday for their feature race of the season, the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase, and it didn’t disappoint as Harry Topper dug deep inside the final furlong and conjured up a spirited effort to hold off Wayward Prince and Unioniste.

The favourite was former Gold Cup winner Long Run, but his comeback was rather less exciting with a bad error on the second circuit and a tame finish.

Things did not start too well for Harry Topper with a fiddly mistake early on and a number of slow jumps followed as he tried to regain his confidence under jockey Jason Maguire.

Benefficient was tearing along in front under Tony McCoy jumping smartly but was gradually caught by the field towards the end of the back straight on the final circuit.

Here Long Run threw in an error that checked his momentum and while he battled back to be in contention briefly turning for home, he eventually faded to finish fifth.

Into the home straight and a three-way battle was developing between Master Of The Hall, Unioniste and Wayward Prince with the latter two locked together over the final three fences after Master Of The Hall fell.

But Harry Topper was now motoring and charging down the outside he joined the leading duo at the penultimate fence and had enough to hold off a renewed challenge from 50-1 chance Wayward Prince in the run to the line.

Winning trainer Kim Bailey said: “It was two years ago today that he ran in a bumper at Ascot so he has come an awful long way in a short time.

“He has his own way of jumping but he stays all day and he would gallop through a brick wall for you.”

He added: “I don’t know where he goes from here and I don’t know where he goes for the rest of the season but we won’t be in a rush with him. He is only six and has his whole career in front of him.”

The biggest cheer on the day came when Tidal Bay put in a stirring finish to catch Medinas close home and win this race, best known as the West Yorkshire Hurdle, on his reappearance for the second year running.

The 11-4 winner was a length and a half down at the last but wore down Medinas, the 9-4 joint-favourite, to score by a length. Captain Sunshine was third at 6-1 and Trustan Times, the other joint-favourite, was fourth.

A return to fences is now on the cards for Tidal Bay, with trainer Paul Nicholls keen to go for the Betfair Chase at Haydock on November 23.

“He is a legend,” Nicholls said. “I don’t think I have ever had him better. He has an entry in the Hennessy but I might be tempted to let him run in the Betfair. He deserves to take his chance in a race like that.”

Tidal Bay, who will turn 13 on January 1, was having his first run since winning the Lexus Chase on December 28 last year and was partnered for the first time by Sam Twiston-Davies, the ninth different jockey to ride him.

Twiston-Davies was patient on Tidal Bay, settling him near the back of the six-runner field before moving through to challenge coming off the home turn.

Medinas took over from long-time leader Across The Bay at the third-last but could not shake off Tidal Bay, who responded willingly to Twiston-Davies’s kind but firm handling.

“Sitting here was quite easy,” Twiston-Davies said.

“He just kept grinding away and was very genuine.”

The flat season is very much winding down with the certain coming down on another memorable year at Doncaster tomorrow.

Nottingham staged their final meeting of the term on Wednesday and there was little doubt about the most impressive winner on the day as Ebony Express ran away with the amateur riders race under Oil Sangster.

Trained by Alan Swinbank he will be an exciting prospect for next season or even the all-weather if the trainer decides to go down that route.

There is a real solid card at Doncaster tomorrow and the usual tricky puzzle of the November Handicap is there to solve.

One that looks well-weighted is the Rodger Charltontrained Border Legend, a winner at Nottingham last time out.

Proven on testing ground, Graham Lee takes the ride on the improving four-year-old.