Aug 31, 2018

Newton Abbot Preview Saturday 1 September 2018

Newton Abbot stages another valuable card this afternoon with over £83,000 in prize money on offer.

Dorset trainer Harry Fry will be hoping that lightning strikes twice in the feature Class 2 newtonabbotracing.com Handicap Hurdle, as he looks to follow up Happy Birthday’s win in the race last year with recent course winner Serosevsky.

Serosevsky had little more than an exercise canter to land his last race against just three rivals and takes a big step up in class on Saturday. Ridden by Aine O’Connor, he glided past Spicy Fruity between the last two flights to score by four and a half lengths and confirm the good impression he had created when giving odds-on favourite Dead Right a real fright under a penalty at Warwick in May.

Fry had been hoping that the handicapper wouldn’t raise his horse by more than “a pound or two” and he has got his wish, with Serosevsky going up to a new mark of 125. He looks to have every chance of landing this valuable prize and of giving jockey Noel Fehily a welcome winner after a long time out through injury. The main danger in what is a competitive contest looks to be Dan Skelton’s top-weight High Secret, an impressive winner of a Class 2 event at Market Rasen in July, and also for the shortlist is Ballinure, who finished third behind the progressive Mister Fizz here at the end of July.

Champion jockey Richard Johnson will be looking to close the gap on Harry Skelton at the top of this season’s table when he rides the Philip Hobbs trained Leapaway in the opening Actuate Marketing Novices’ Hurdle, which gets the seven-race card underway at 1.55pm. Leapaway has run up a hat-trick, beating another of today’s runners Havisham at Stratford last time out and, with the runner-up 7lb better off at the weights this time, there shouldn’t be much between them. It is difficult to raise much enthusiasm for the others and, even though he has to give weight all round, Leapaway is taken to record another victory.

Colin Tizzard’s On Demand tops the weights in the Happy Retirement To Steve Robinson Handicap Chase and he now races off the same handicap mark as when last successful at Wincanton in October. Tom O’Brien was in the saddle that day and is now back on board so, despite a six-race losing run, On Demand should go close. At the other end of the handicap is Johnson’s mount Roll the Dough, who hasn’t won for the best part of three years and is still seeking his first success over fences after ten attempts. He was beaten by a long way by Goodnight Charlie at Warwick when last seen out in May, but he started his chasing career from a handicap mark of 125 and races from only 101 today.

There is another good prize on offer for the Les Bickham Memorial Handicap Chase over two miles and, although attracting just four runners, is a difficult one to call. Royal Plaza had finished runner-up to the useful Vosne Romanee at Stratford before returning to the course to easily land a selling hurdle under Richard Johnson. He was bought at the post-race auction for owners Teign Racing and is now with trainer Katie Stephens at Shaldon. I’dliketheoption, owned by JP McManus, returned to form when beating Croco Bay at Worcester, but has been raised 3lbs as a result and King’s Reste goes for a hat-trick over fences for the Skeltons.

Regulation makes a quick reappearance after finishing fourth at Stratford on Tuesday to head the weights in the Thomas Dalton 65th Birthday Celebrations Handicap Hurdle. Course winner Chantecler looks to get back on the winning trail after being beaten by Billy My Boy two weeks ago, but the one that catches the eye is the lightly-raced Majestic Touch, who won a maiden hurdle at Uttoxeter in May last year and makes his handicap debut from a mark of 115.

Top Chief looked like landing his second course win until caught yards from the winning line by Midnight Queen last time out and, despite a 3lb hike in the weights, can take the day’s longest race, the St Austell Brewery Novices’ Handicap Chase, with Alizee Javilex looking another likely winner for Dan and Harry Skelton in the concluding Racing Partnership TRP Handicap Hurdle.