May 16, 2024

Race Preview: Monday 20 May

After the first three meetings were abandoned due to a waterlogged course, Newton Abbot’s new season finally gets underway on Monday and, with 127 entries across the seven-race card, it promises to be a competitive afternoon of jumping action.

There are 21 entered in the opening newtonabbotracing.com Novices’ Hurdle over two miles and a furlong that gets the meeting underway at 2.13pm, including three previous winners in Pirates’ Tale, successful at Exeter in March and also holding an entry in the third race, Huntingdon scorer Roccovango, who is trained by the in-form Olly Murphy, and Southwell winner Therapist, whose penalty is cancelled out by her mares allowance.

The trip is three and a quarter miles for the 15 Years At The Par Inn Handicap Chase in which trainer Christian Williams has three entries. Evan Williams has two entries, including top-weight Balkardy, as does Sarah Jayne-Davies, whose Higgs followed up his Uttoxeter win with another at Ffos Las on Wednesday evening and would be an interesting contender if seeking a hat-trick here.

Three times a winner over the course, Carrigeen Kampala would carry top weight on her handicap debut in the Eddie Fullalove Celebration Handicap Hurdle over an extended two and a quarter miles. Fergal O’Brien’s mare is admirably consistent and amongst her opponents could be Mayhem Mya, who was chasing last season, finishing off with a fourth to Sans Bruit in a Class 1 event at Aintree, dual course winner Songo, who would be having his first run for trainer Richard Hawker, and four-time course winner Clearance.

Balkardy also tops the weights in the Happy Birthday Danny Kane Handicap Chase over two miles and five furlongs in which Dan Skelton’s Warwick winner Next Left could make a fairly quick winning reappearance from a 5lb higher rating. Front-running Time To Bite, trained like Mayhem Mya by Chris Honour at Ashburton, and Up For Appeal, who was sent off favourite on his second chase start at Fakenham, are others of interest.

Paul Nicholls has just two entries on the card, the first of which is Soir De Gala in the Racing Partnership Novices’ Handicap Hurdle. He was beaten off a rating of 101 at Exeter’s final meeting of the season last month, but returned to winning ways at Fakenham two weeks ago when carrying 5lb less. He is now on a rating of 103, but was an easy winner that day and would be the one to beat.

The second entry for Nicholls is Switch Hitter in the Totnes And Bridgetown Steeplechase Company Open Hunters’ Chase over three and a quarter miles and, if able to bounce back from two disappointing runs earlier this year, would have a good chance. The Wolf has failed to shine in his two starts in this sphere and No Getaway, who sprang a surprise when winning over the course a year ago, looks the danger.

Just half of the 24 entries for the closing Sky Sports Racing Sky 415 Mares’ Open National Hunt Flat Race have been on a racecourse before, although some of the newcomers have had point-to-point experience including Irish import Railway Bell, one of two Fergal O’Brien entries.