Jul 16, 2018

Newton Abbot Race Review - Saturday 14 July

Pickamix, ridden by Harry Bannister, landed the feature Class 2 Actuate Marketing Handicap Chase at Newton Abbot on Saturday, being prominent throughout the three and a quarter mile contest and holding off the late challenge of Quite By Chance to score by half a length.

Despite being slowly into his stride, Pickamix was soon disputing the lead with Mighty Leader who, having fallen in both chases earlier on in his career, had looked pretty useful since resuming jumping fences at the age of ten, including winning over the course in May.

Apart from a mistake at the 12th fence by Mighty Leader, they both jumped well throughout and turned for home still at the head of affairs.

But, Mighty Leader started to run out of petrol approaching the penultimate fence and Pickamix gained a clear advantage, only to idle in front when Quite By Chance came to challenge going to the last. He just prevailed to lift the first prize of more than £12,000 and give Upper Lambourn trainer Charlie Mann his third winner of the season.

There was a shock in the opening At The Races Sky 415 Novices’ Chase over two miles and five furlongs when The Unit, a hot 4-11 favourite to follow up his Hexham win, was beaten by Colin Tizzard’s Drinks Interval, a course winner over the smaller obstacles last October and tackling fences for the first time.

Setting a steady pace, The Unit was joined by the winner three fences out and, although making a mistake at the next, still held a slight advantage going to the last. It proved to be no contest, however, once Tom Scudamore asked Drinks Interval to go and win the race and she quickened up on the short run-in to score comfortably.

Four set out for the Sky Sports Racing Coming In 2019 Novices’ Hurdle with Nicky Henderson’s Mill Green another short-priced favourite looking to add to a win last time. He had accounted for Torcello by seven lengths at Fontwell Park to get off the mark over hurdles at the first time of asking and won by an even bigger margin this time from Bubble O’Clock.

Taking over from leader Auld Sod after jumping the fourth-last flight, Mill Green was always in command from thereon, but will need to improve on his jumping when he meets better-class opponents.

Lord Topper is a model of consistency, winning and being placed in half of his eight hurdle starts before Saturday, and he landed the Class 3 Fiona Crawford Equestrian Photographer Ladies Riders’ Handicap Hurdle by 16 lengths from Linguine, with the other five runners failing to finish.

Ridden by dual champion lady amateur rider Page Fuller, who turned professional last month, Lord Topper went to the front at the third-last hurdle and soon had the race under control. With four runners having been pulled up, Very Extravagant was in line for third spot, only to fall at the last light, leaving just the two finishers.

Trainer Dan Skelton finished last season with a career-best 156 winners but, with the trainers’ title decided on prize money, the £1.7m earned for his owners only put him in third place behind Nicky Henderson and his mentor Paul Nicholls. He had already notched 58 wins at a strike rate of 30% for the current season coming into the meeting and he added another one to his score when Ange Des Malberaux, having his first outing for the stable, took the Tamar Telecommunications Handicap Hurdle by 12 lengths from Friary Gold.

The runner-up was ridden by champion jockey Richard Johnson who, despite having landed 33 winners, is trailing Harry Skelton in the race for this season’s title. He fell further behind half an hour later when King’s Reste landed the newtonabbotracing.com Handicap Chase from New Millennium to bring up a second winner for the Skelton brothers on another horse having its first run for this upwardly mobile Warwickshire yard.

After a run of three winning favourites, 33-1 shot Free Bounty, ridden by conditional jockey Philip Donovan, came to the rescue of the bookies in the concluding Download The Free At The Races App Handicap Hurdle, beating Ilovemints and Sea Of Mystery.

The next raceday is Family Day on Sunday 22 July. Gates open at 11:45 and racing starts at 13:45. Tickets can be bought at our online ticket store until 10am on the day of the fixture and at the gates on the day.