David Pipes good winner at Ascot has suffered a setback and will miss the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival. More festival news broke when Brighterdaysahead was confirmed to run in the Champion Hurdle. On the track it was as expected a low-key start to the week. At Newcastle Tiptoptim won the bumper by eleven lengths for Jamie Snowdon and jockey Gavin Sheehan. Southwell saw Ben Pauling have one runner and one winner when Awaythelad won under Ben Jones. In the evening at Wolverhampton trainer James Owen and rider Hector Crouch had two winners for owner Deva Racing.
Tuesday again was not the best racing but a few things worth a mention. On Newcastle’s all-weather card we saw Andrew Balding’s Berkshire Whisper follow up his Kempton debut win in the novice stakes and looks a nice prospect. Kevin Ryan’s West Tyrone took a handicap at Southwell on his fifth attempt at the races and now he knows how to win I would think he will go on again. He was well backed too! Over the sticks at Market Rasen conditional jockey Shane Fenelon and Peter Bowen teamed up to take the three-and-a-half-mile handicap chase with Fairlawn Flyer.
Catterick staged a six-race card on Wednesday and thirty-two runners went to post on ground described as Good. That was the headline from the North Yorkshire track. Lingfield saw young Ashley Lewis ride his first winner when Donald Llewellyn took the hands and heels apprentice handicap for Gary and Josh Moore. The yard is now firing as we have come to expect both over jumps and the flat after a very steady start to the season.
The listed Spring Cup Stakes was won readily by Rebels Gamble for Karl Burke and jockey Clifford Lee. Tom Marquand and trainer George Baker team ed up for two winners on the card too. At Kempton Hugo Plamer won the seven-furlong handicap with the well punted Soldiers Star under Jamie Spencer. Finally, Rossa Ryan had a double riding winners for Ed Dunlop and David Evans.
The bookmakers got a proper spanking at Wincanton on Thursday when all seven favourites came home winners. 2/1, 4/5, 5/4, 1/12, Evs, 10/3, 15/8 BOSH!! Fontwell was low key but Gary and Josh Moore had a double on the card.
The honours on Friday went to west country trainer Jeremy Scott. He trained three winners at Exeter while up at Ayr Nick Alexander had two winners. Dylan Cunha the young South African trainer based in Newmarket had a day to remember. He trained a handicap chase winner at Leicester called Mahon’s Glory ridden by Lee Edwards. Then on the same afternoon he saw his horse Silver Sword take the Burj Handicap over at Meydan in Dubai under Ray Dawson. Many congratulations on this remarkable feat.
A really big Saturday before next weeks bonanza of National Hunt racing. Sandown as usual staged the Imperial Cup and Go Dante repeated last years success in this race last year off a two-pound lower mark. Well done to trainer Olly Murphy and jockey Sean Bowen. The Mares Listed Bumper went to Charisma Cat who won five lengths for Alan King and Tom Cannon. Wolverhampton staged the Lincoln Handicap trial as it does and the winner Symbol Of Light under Jason Watson just held off Farasi Lane under Holly Doyle. The winner was trained by Julie Camacho and owned by the Horsewatchers whose afternoon was about to get even better. In the Listed Lady Wulfruna Stakes the same owners’ horse Royal Zabeel won the seven-furlong event for trainer Mick Appleby and pilot Ali Rawlinson. The other jumps cards saw Lucinda Russell team up with Derek Fox for two winners at Ayr while the training partnership of Dr Richard Newland and Jamie Insole did the same at Hereford who were both found in the market…
Naas on Sunday staged a Grade 3 Hurdle the Kingsfurze Novice Hurdle and Willie Mullins took this with 20/1 shot Gaucher under Brian Hayes. He is just warming up for next week.
The Leinster National was won by a very game Bushmans Pass for Oliver McKiernan and jockey Philip Enright who saw off Hartur D’arc by half a length. James Davies rode a Warwick double courtesy of Sage Green for Tony Charlton and Norther Poet for Nick Gifford.
Next Tuesday the Olympics of jump racing begins. Enjoy and best of luck!!!