May 29, 2025

Race report: Wednesday 28 May 2025

David Hucker
Racing correspondent

Hold Your Fort, who won four times over the course last summer, bounced back to form to land the Class 3 Investment Manager Handicap Chase, feature race on Newton Abbot’s All About The Horse Family Day.

Trained by Debra Hamer, Hold Your Fort looked back to something like his old self at the last meeting when chasing home Belgarum and, taking up the running from Deise Aba on the second circuit, he came home clear of Planned Paradise and Investment Manager. Favourite Kick Up A Storm made mistakes on his chasing debut and was pulled up before the fifth-last fence.

| Photo Credit: PPA Photography | Race Winner, Hold Your Fort ridden by James Best

There was a red-hot favourite in the opening Katie Stevens Mares’ “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle in the shape of Sharp Glance, one of two runners for trainer Alan King. She had finished third to Belle Le Grand at Warwick on her last run and, with the winner going in again at Cartmel on Monday, was all the rage in the betting, shortening from 4/6 to 4/9 at the off.

The drifter in the market was point-to-point winner Jack N Jones, out from 15/8 to 5/2, who was making her hurdles debut after a couple of promising bumper runs. The market got it right, but only just, as Sharp Glance ran down Jack N Jones, whose jumping was less than fluent at times, close home to win by a neck.

There was another odds-on favourite in the following Amber Stevens Novices’ Limited Handicap Hurdle in which Mr Le Philosophe, beaten a nose on his debut for trainer James Owen at Warwick last week, went off at 4/6 to go one better. He could only finish third this time, however, as Stinginhisstep jumped well in the lead for Sean Houlihan, making all the running to beat Privilege, who had been supported in the betting.

Ryder’s Rock, pulled up over hurdles at Wincanton on Boxing Day, made a winning debut over fences in the Happy Birthday Lucia Stevens Novices’ Handicap Chase. Reappearing after wind surgery, Ryder’s Rock was presented with the race when clear leader Illogical Logic fell at the penultimate fence, one of three that failed to complete the course.

The progressive Al Sayah, a winner over the course at the beginning of the month, was on the mark again in the Chris Wills Memorial Handicap Hurdle. Teorie went past the front-running Escapologist turning for home, but had no answer to the challenge of Al Sayah who went clear under Conor O’Farrell to win by seven lengths and record her fourth success from eight starts over jumps.

| Photo Credit: PPA Photography | Race Winner, Al Sayah ridden by Conor O’Farrell.

Yccs Portocervo was out to win the closing Totnes And Bridgetown Chase Company Open Hunters’ Chase for the second year running. Carrying top weight, he drifted in the betting from 13/8 to 9/4, sharing favouritism with Cap Du Mathan and On Springs at the off.

It was Cap Du Mathan and Yccs Portocervo who dominated through the final circuit and it all came down to the run-in where Cap Du Mathan forged clear to win by 2¼ lengths.