Race Preview Thursday 27th August - UPDATED 26/08/2
By David Hucker
With the nights drawing in, Thursday sees the final evening meeting of the year at Newton Abbot with a seven-race card and an ABBA tribute band performing after racing as part of this summer's Party in the Paddock series.
There is an early start with the first, the Celebrating National Racehorse Week Maiden Hurdle, due off at 4.42pm. This could go to St Just In Time, who is lightly raced over hurdles, but has some bits of form that suggest he could win this.
Next up is the Wotton Printers Newton Abbot Novices' Handicap Chase over three miles and two furlongs which could go to Knightsbridge, who looked an improved horse with victories at Warwick and Worcester before disappointing last time. Premier Fantasy, placed in both his starts over the course, ran well behind My Girl Katie who franked the form with another win on Saturday. Flashy Boy finished third to the Skelton-trained Glenmalure Flyer at Stratford last week, form which would see him in with a good chance here.
Ask Peter, who has been entered, but not declared, in a number of races recently is still looking for her first hurdles win after12 starts and tries again in the ITUS Event Support Services Novices' Limited Handicap Hurdle. Buxted Reel has been knocking on the door in his two previous hurdle races and had a run on the flat at Redcar three weeks ago which should have set him up for a good performance here.
Feature race of the evening is the £25,000 MD Lite Cleaning Handicap Chase over two miles in which Gore Point, who made it five wins over the course on Saturday, looks to defy a 7lb penalty. Obsessedwithyou, who was no match for Edelak over hurdles at Stratford, is an interesting proposition reverting to fences and looks the main danger.
David Pipe, who trained American Sniper to win Saturday's feature race, has chosen course winner Final Entry from his two entries in the Compwiz Ltd - IT Solutions For Business Handicap Hurdle over three miles and two and a half furlongs and, with Rian Corcoran reducing his weight by 5lbs, he can score again. My Girl Katie escapes a penalty for her recent win over fences and could be a force reverting to hurdles.
Three times a winner this season, including over the course in May, Thickthorn Tom would need a career-best performance to take the Marilyn And Millie's Retirement Chase Handicap Chase, but could be up to the task. Harry Skelton has 71 winners this season and a career total of 1,593 in Great Britain and Ireland, making him the 10th winning-most jockey of all time, just one behind Paul Carberry.
Hat-trick seeking It's A Breeze is also on a career-high handicap mark and Lady Kara, a course winner over hurdles, made mistakes and unseated her jockey on her chasing debut at Stratford.
In the absence of Beorma, course and distance winner Donnie Azoff, who tops the weights in the closing Sun Racing Summer Jumps Championship Handicap Hurdle, should prove too good for his two rivals and provide conditional jockey Isabelle Ryder with her ninth winner of the season.