Apr 10, 2026

Race preview: Tuesday 14 April 2026 - Updated

David Hucker
Racing correspondent

It’s Family Fun Day at Newton Abbot on Tuesday

On Easter Saturday, Newton Abbot welcomed its largest crowd this century when 8,053 adults plus hundreds of children packed the south Devon course and, on Tuesday, it hosts the first of four family fun days this season with a six-race card that gets underway at 2.33pm.

Ten have been declared for the opening St. Austell Brewery Mares’ Maiden Hurdle run over a trip of two miles, five and a half furlongs in which Warwickshire trainer Olly Murphy has chosen Uttoxeter bumper winner Kaydence from his two entries. She runs here in preference to a race at Market Rasen the same afternoon, but may find Laffer Curve, who ran well to be third behind No No Fizz at Huntingdon, too good on the day.
Dulverton trainer Jeremy Scott saddles No Panic in the following Newton Abbot Novices’ Limited Handicap Hurdle over the same trip in preference to a later race and, despite carrying top weight of 11-12, he looks the one to beat. Exeter winner Bredin Hill Dart, trained at Longdown by Sue Gardner, is another who had a later entry at the meeting and Masonbrook Meadow, also an Exeter winner, looks fairly weighted on her form and Benjamin Macey takes 5lbs off her light weight.

It’s the minimum trip of two miles for the first steeplechase of the afternoon, the Thatchers Handicap Chase, and Warwick winner Irish Chorus, who has only had four runs over fences, makes plenty of appeal. Siam Park, just touched off at Taunton last time, looks the danger.

Longest race of the afternoon is the Tribute Handicap Hurdle over an extended three and a quarter miles and course winner Lightonthewing, who will be ridden by regular jockey Ciaran O’Shea, should be hard to beat. Dearkeithandkaty, wearing cheek-pieces for the first time, has to shoulder 12-0, but is consistent and comes here on the back of a creditable effort at Musselburgh when he went off favourite in a Class 2 race.

Paul Nicholls runs Clotilda from his two entries in the Class 3 Visit Kauto The King 6th May Handicap Chase. Not seen out since finishing third at Taunton in February, Clotilda should go well in this small field, but may not beat the grey Tapley, a winner at Stratford-on-Avon last time, who will again be ridden by Isabelle Ryder who is having a break-through season with 19 winners.

There is not much form to go on in the closing Newton Abbot Open Maiden National Hunt Flat Race and it may pay to take a chance on Irish point-to-point winner Taranis Dubh who will have plenty of support from the Owners Group 158 syndicate. Jockey Sean Bowen has an unassailable lead in this year’s table and will be crowned champion for the second year running on Saturday week. He has passed Peter Scudmore’s 1988/89 total of 221, the first time that a jockey had ridden 200 winners in a season, but is still short of Richard Johnson’s 2015/16 figure of 235.