Race Preview - Summer Jumps Championship Finale - Friday 18th September

By David Hucker

The Sun Racing Summer Jumps Championship, involving 16 racecourses and 84 fixtures, started at Worcester on 22 May and finishes at Newton Abbot on Friday with the Sun Racing Summer Jumps Championship Finale Handicap Hurdle over an extended two miles the closing race on a seven-race card.

Not surprisingly, Dan Skelton is already assured of the top trainer title and will be represented at the presentations on Friday by his assistant Tom Messenger. His brother Harry is well clear in the battle to be top jockey and should make it a family double.

With double points on offer, it could get close in the race to be leading small trainer. At the beginning of the week, David Pipe had a lead of five points over Micky Hammond and eight over Nick Scholfield who has entered four and, if there are eight or more runners in the race, the winner earns 20 points which could prove decisive.

The meeting gets underway at 2.02pm with the Edmundson Electrical Cabletec Plymouth Maiden Hurdle over two miles, five and a half furlongs in which Skelton could run Premier Tenor, placed in both his starts this season. The Irish-trained Penzance, five times a winner on the all-weather and placed in five of his eight hurdle starts, and course regular Ask Peter, who is also entered in two other races on the card, are others to note.

There are 17 entries in the following Southlands Care Home Mares' Novices' Hurdle in which the weights are topped by the Skelton-trained dual winner Fine Thing who looks the one to beat. Babs came good at the third time of asking over hurdles with a nine-length win at Worcester and Guts And Glory was another good winner at Stratford. Irish point-to-point winner Kamille Au Kanada beat her stable companion Arfursgal 48 lengths at Plumpton but, with the runner-up well-beaten here in July, the form is difficult to weigh up.

Thickthorn Tom beat It's A Breeze over the course last month and they could re-oppose in the £15,000 Devondale Novices' Limited Handicap Chase. The winner has since been beaten by Tamarind Bay at Bangor-on-Dee but, even with the weights favouring the runner-up, who would be 10lbs better off, the ease of Thickthorn Tom's win suggests he could come out on top again.

Little Ledgend was left clear by the fall of Court In A Storm at the final fence at Worcester and Harry, three times a winner over hurdles in France, but now with David Pipe, would be making his chasing debut.

Flashy Boy, a 12-length winner on his last visit to the course, could double-up in the Bayside Signs & Display Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Chase over three and a quarter miles. Edgewell and Honey I'm Good fought out a close finish here in June and Testflight would have a good chance if reproducing the form that saw him beat My Girl Katie over the course 14 months ago, but has failed to score in eight races since.

Also worth £15,000 is the Colin Willcocks Memorial Handicap Hurdle which has attracted 15 entries including Stratford winner Rebel Tribesman and course winner Morning Mayhem who bounced back to form at Cartmel. Kam Tu Voudras, a faller in the race won by Rebel Tribesman, has been raised 5lbs in the weights for her win at Fontwell Park.

But, with four entries including five-time winner Edelak and Loriko, a winner of  four races this season, Dan Skelton would seem to hold the key to the race.

Also entered in an earlier race, chasing debutant Broadway Honey could go close in the Tony McCarthy Handicap Chase, but preference would be for Mr McWhinny, who escapes a penalty for his win over My Cullen at the last meeting.

Rock Atlantic provide the live music after racing in the latest in the season's Party at the Paddock series.