Sep 03, 2018

Newton Abbot Racecourse Review Saturday 1 September 2018

Dorset trainer Harry Fry landed the feature Class 2 newtonabbotracing.com Handicap Hurdle for the second year running at Newton Abbot on Saturday as a big crowd enjoyed the return of the summer sunshine to south Devon.

Fry saddled two in his attempt to scoop the day’s big prize, with recent course winner Serosevsky preferred in the betting to stable companion Litterale Ci, owned by JP McManus. Serosevsky had little more than an exercise canter to land his last race against just three rivals when ridden by Aine O’Connor, but stable jockey Noel Fehily, returning after a lengthy absence through injury, was in the saddle this time.

O’Connor switched to 7-1 shot Litterale Ci, on whom she had won twice in their last three outings together, and the Fry horses came into the home straight clear of the other runners, jumping the last two flights in unison. It was Litterale Ci who found an extra gear on the run-in to beat Serosevsky by half a length in a thrilling finish, with Sleep Easy, who is gradually coming back to form, the best of the rest in third.

Champion jockey Richard Johnson was looking to close the gap on Harry Skelton at the top of this season’s table on hot favourite Leapaway in the opening Actuate Marketing Novices’ Hurdle. Trained by Philip Hobbs at Minehead, Leapaway had run up a hat-trick of wins, beating Havisham at Stratford last time out.

The two met again, with Havisham making the running until passed by Leapaway approaching the third-last flight and, despite a blunder at the last, it was pretty plain-sailing for Johnson as Leapaway came home by 11 lengths from Throckley, who just held off Vanderbilt for the runner-up spot.

Johnson was on board Roll the Dough in the following Happy Retirement To Steve Robinson Handicap Chase with his mount, who hadn’t won for the best part of three years, still seeking a first success over fences after ten attempts. He started his chasing career from a handicap rating of 125, but had dropped to only 101 and he duly got off the mark, beating top-weight On Demand.

Any chance that On Demand had of catching Roll The Dough, who had led from the 12th fence, evaporated when she landed awkwardly at the penultimate jump and Johnson just had to keep the leader up to his work to score by three and a half lengths.

The well-known McManus hooped colours were back in the winner’s enclosure again when I’dliketheoption, who had returned to form when beating Croco Bay at Worcester, overcame a 3lb rise in the weights to land the Les Bickham Memorial Handicap Chase over two miles. Although just four runners had lined up, the race looked a difficult one to call, with three having won on their latest run and King’s Reste going for a hat-trick over fences.

Royal Plaza, bought after winning a selling hurdle at Stratford and now trained locally by Katie Stephens at Shaldon, set a good pace early on, but he was passed by Tikkinthebox at the fourth-last fence. The lead changed hands again coming into the home straight where I’dliketheoption went on and he never looked like being caught from there, running on strongly for a six-length success, with King’s Reste going past Tikkinthebox on the run-in to claim second prize.

Regulation made a quick reappearance after finishing fourth at Stratford on Tuesday to head the weights in the Thomas Dalton 65th Birthday Celebrations Handicap Hurdle. He looked to be going like the winner as the runners headed to the final jump, but found nothing when tackled on the run-in by Majestic Touch, who went on to win and bring up a treble on the day for the Hobbs and Johnson combination.

Jockey Aidan Coleman added to his win on I’dliketheoption earlier on with The Flame in the day’s longest race, the St Austell Brewery Novices’ Handicap Chase, proving too good for Top Chief, who was finishing runner-up at the course for the second time in a row.

Favourite Hello Fellas had unseated Harry Skelton at the first, adding to his frustration on an afternoon when Johnson had cut his lead in the jockeys’ title race to 15 and it got no better in the concluding Racing Partnership TRP Handicap Hurdle as his mount Alizee Javilex could only finish third to Petrify, who took advantage of the wayward course charted by Willyegolassiego in the home straight.

Join us for our next fixture on Monday 10 September. Tickets can be bought at our online ticket store until 10am on the day of the fixture and can be bought on the gates on the day. Racing starts at 14.20 and gates open at 12.20.