Oct 29, 2024

Race preview: Wednesday 30 October

David Hucker
Racing correspondent

The 2024 season comes to an end at Newton Abbot today and it sees managing director Patrick Masterson overseeing his final meeting before his retirement at the end of the year.

Masterson has been with Newton Abbot for 35 years, having previously served with HM Armed Forces; and has been managing director for the past 25 years. He has seen the racecourse through a period of change in the racing industry with skill and leadership and has also contributed to the wider UK racing industry by sitting on numerous industry boards and committees.

Highlight of today’s six-race card is the Celebrating David Freeman’s 35 years Service Handicap Hurdle and Dan Skelton has chosen Catch Him Derry from his two entries. A winner at Southwell and Ayr last season, Catch Him Derry looks to be on the up and he can see off Astronomic View, whose wide margin win at Warwick saw him well-backed for a valuable race at Haydock Park at the end of March. He never looked like winning that day, however, staying on late to snatch fourth place, but will appreciate the testing ground here.

One Big Bang has won both starts since joining trainer James Owen and sets the standard in the opening Racing Partnership Novices’ Hurdle, His wins came on soft and heavy ground which will stand him in good stead today, but he has to give weight to all his rivals, including Cheltenham chase winner Hymac, who shares the same official rating of 124. Paul Nicholls runs Kruger Park, winner of a handicap hurdle at Newbury in May, who won’t be far away.

The newtonabbotracing.com Handicap Chase has a wide-open look to it with dual winner Mr Grey Sky set to share top weight with the lightly-raced Champagnesuperover, the choice from two entries for trainer Olly Murphy. Chasing debutant Royal Jewel and bottom-weight Magistrato, who is usually there or thereabouts, are the two that catch the eye.

Vocito, Murphy’s other entry in the chase, goes instead for the aattheraces.com Handicap Hurdle which also sees Pirates’ Tale from the Jimmy Frost stable line up with champion jockey Harry Cobden again in the saddle. The Skelton-trained Major Fortune, winner of five of his ten hurdle starts, although now racing from a handicap mark 39lbs higher than when starting his winning run last season, runs in this rather than the longer feature race and looks the one to beat.

Skelton, who is leading the national trainers table, has another fancied runner in hat-trick seeking Doyouknowwhatimean in the Happy Retirement Pat And Vivienne Masterson Handicap Chase, although bottom-weight Sherborne comes into the race in good form, having finished runner-up at Exeter three weeks ago.

The biggest field of the day lines up for the closing 2024 Season Finale Open Maiden National Hunt Flat Race. Two of the runners are owned by Brocade Racing, with point-to-point winner Gentleman Toboot, trained by David Pipe, looking to have the better chance, but it’s Elysian Knight, who has shown promise in his two starts so far, who is the one they all have to beat.