May 21, 2024

Newton Abbot Kicks Off Season With Exciting May 20 Opener

A good crowd enjoyed the Devon sunshine as Newton Abbot’s new season got off to a delayed start and, amongst the afternoon’s good performances, were two fine all-the-way wins from Time To Bite and Winterwatch.

Pirates’ Tale, successful at Exeter in March, led the field in the opening newtonabbotracing.com Novices’ Hurdle, but had company at the penultimate flight in the shape of favourite Fortified Fortune and Impecunious. It was Fortified Fortune who went to the front after jumping the hurdle and he held off the renewed challenge of Pirates’ Tale to win by 1¼ lengths, with Impecunious, who was untidy at the last, back in third.

The trip was three and a quarter miles for the 15 Years At The Par Inn Handicap Chase and it proved to be another winning opportunity for the strong-staying Lightonthewing, successful at Wincanton and Exeter in March, who was chalking up his fifth success over fences for Longdown trainer Sue Gardner. Despite making a mistake at the second-last fence and brushing through the top of the last, he proved too good for Puddlesinthepark, still looking for his first chase win, who grabbed second place from No Tackle on the run-in.

After finishing runner-up in the opener, champion jockey Harry Cobden had to settle for second spot again when dual course winner Songo, having his first run for trainer Richard Hawker, was brushed aside by 17/2 shot Clearance in the Eddie Fullalove Celebration Handicap Hurdle. Cobden again set out to make all the running, but Songo had no answer when Tom Cannon pressed the button on Clearance between the final two flights and, in receipt of 10lbs, he came right away for his fifth course success.

Front-running Time To Bite, trained by Chris Honour at Ashburton, is a difficult horse to catch on his day, having posted wide-margin wins at Exeter and Plumpton over the winter and, returning from a 56-day break, he relished the better ground to take the Happy 60th Birthday Danny Kane Handicap Chase in style, with American Gerry the only horse to get near him at the line.

The was another winning front-running display in the Racing Partnership Novices’ Handicap Hurdle when Winterwatch broke his duck at the 12th attempt for trainer Harry Fry. A second winner of the season for jockey Megan Bevan, Winterwatch came well clear of Culligran, who was backed from 18/1 to 11/1 and Lost In The Mist. In the home straight.

Switch Hitter was an uneasy favourite for the Totnes And Bridgetown Steeplechase Company Open Hunters’ Chase over three and a quarter miles, drifting from 4/7 to 5/4 as punters pondered whether he would bounce back from two disappointing runs earlier this year. He finished well beaten behind second favourite Young Buck, shortening from 11/4 to 2/1 before the off, who jumped well at the head of the field in the hands of Darren Edwards to follow up his win in the race a year ago.

One of the five runners with no racecourse experience, Irish import Railway Bell was sent off the 2/1 joint favourite for the closing Sky Sports Racing Sky 415 Mares’ Open National Hunt Flat Race and she duly obliged, taking the lead at halfway to beat the other joint favourite Realta Liath comfortably.