Sep 09, 2024

Race Report - Monday 9 September 2024

With more rain forecast overnight, racing at Newton Abbot had to pass an early morning inspection, but the meeting went ahead much to the delight of Dorset trainer Joe Tizzard who landed a double.

There was not much to choose in the betting between the three runners for the opening follow@attheraces On Twitter Handicap Hurdle, with top-weight Investment Manager, four times a course winner, sent off the 6/4 favourite. A winner on soft ground at the end of May, he was returning after a summer break favourably handicapped compared to his chase rating.

Brendon Powell set out to make all the running on Investment Manager, testing the stamina of his rivals over the three and a quarter mile trip, and, although both Paddy De Pole and Mr Yeats tried to close the gap turning out of the back straight, their efforts were short-lived as the favourite stretched clear over the final two hurdles to win comfortably and set up the Tizzard double.

Dan Skelton had chosen hat-trick seeking Beat Box from his two entries in the St Austell Brewery Handicap Chase and he went off the hot 1/2 favourite ahead of Magistrato. It was the keen-running Magistrato who made the running, but he was passed by Beat Box approaching the fourth-last fence who drew away to win eased down, giving his trainer his 50th winner of the season.

There was a much more competitive line-up for the attheraces.com Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Chase over two miles and five furlongs with point-to-point winner Coconut Twist, who won a novice chase over the course in May, the punters’ choice ahead of Bensini, who had cut out the running behind Beat Box last time, and chasing debutant Dancingontheedge.

The race went to the locally-trained Firefly Lane, who triumphed for trainer Jimmy Frost and jockey Ben Godfrey. Having taken up the running down the back straight, 16/1 shot Firefly Lane held the late challenge of Coconut Twist, who made mistakes, by ¾ length with Dancingontheedge, who had jumped soundly on her first try over fences, the same distance away in third.

Course winner Final Entry and Uttoxeter winner Torrent set the standard in the Newton Abbot Juvenile Hurdle, but had to give weight to the rest of the field including to Window Of Time, who failed to win in three flat starts in Ireland, but was backed into second favourite to make a winning jumps debut.

Although Final Entry went off favourite, he could only finish third as Torrent came out on top again beating Scottie’s Sister, with the well-backed Window Of Time last of the finishers.

Call Blue, still a maiden after 11 races, and the Tizzard-trained Ryder’s Rock were allowed to set up a big early lead in the Chris Wills Memorial Mares’ Handicap Hurdle and they were still in command approaching the final flight where Freddie Gingell conjured the better jump out of Ryder’s Rock to seal the race and record the 50th winner of his short career.

The Expensive One, who pulled too hard on his debut at Newbury in January, was made odds-on favourite in the closing newtonabbotracing.com Open National Hunt Flat Race, but it was the more-experienced course winner Alan De Banks who prevailed in another close finish.