Race Report - Monday 13th July
By David Hucker
Warwickshire trainer Dan Skelton has set his stall out to beat Martin Pipe's long-standing record of 243 winners in a season, but he is finding the going tougher this month and, having saddled three favourites at Newton Abbot, went home with just one winner.
Hat-trick seeking Gore Point, an easy winner over the course last time, was a hot 1/2 favourite to take the opening Racing To School Reaches 250,000 Handicap Chase. Although he had to give weight away to his two rivals, he is progressive and, having opened up a gap entering the home straight, drew right away from the front-running Miss Denver in the hands of Sam Twiston-Davies.
Skelton has set his string of horses up for summer and winter campaigns and his summer team reached 51 winners by the end of the first two months. Things haven't gone his way in July, however, and he came into the meeting with just two winners from 18 runners, well below his strike rate for May and June.
He chose Jasper Glory from his three entries in the Sun Racing The Home Of Racing Maiden Hurdle over two and a quarter miles and this former Irish point-to-pointer was made favourite to make a winning start under Rules. He had a worthy opponent in God Of Fire, running here rather than at Stratford the day before and, although coming back from a 447-day break, he made all the running to win comfortably for trainers Jonjo & A J O'Neill.
The biggest field of the afternoon lined up for the Racing Club Handicap Hurdle and it was Get The Value, one of three course winners, who headed the betting. The favourite disputed the lead with Renoir early on, but back-pedalled down the back straight and was pulled up. The lead changed hands turning for home as Saucats took command, but he had no answer to the strong-travelling Raffles Nobu who jumped to the front at the final flight to win cosily, with Hawa Jumeirah back in third.
Nick Scholfield, well known to local racegoers from his days as a jockey, is in only his second season of training and this was his sixth winner of the campaign to add to the 20 from last year.
Trainer Paul Nicholls struck with his only runner of the day when It's A Breeze, beaten 20 lengths by Winning Paddy on his last run in June, took the Par Inn Handicap Chase. It's A Breeze led that day before weakening and, dropping back in trip and held up by Freddie Gingell, proved too strong for the pace-setting The Gypsy Davey from the last fence. Favourite Ellerton, who hadn't look keen from the start, tried to uproot the sixth fence and was pulled up before the second circuit.
Presentandcounting, who made the long journey from Donald McCain's Cheshire yard, set the standard in the longest race of the afternoon, the William Hill Handicap Chase over three and a quarter miles, but it was the Skelton-trained Muskerry Rock, having his third run for the stable, who punters wanted to be on. They chose wisely as, despite an untidy jump at the last fence, Muskerry Rock, sent off the 5/4 favourite, held on to beat outsider Balkardy by 3½ lengths.
Welsh trainer David Evans is better known for his exploits on the flat than over jumps, but Bath Taverness gave him a winner when making most of the running in the closing Savanna Stevens Open National Hunt Flat Race to beat favourite Park Hall and deny Skelton a second winner on the day.