Oct 13, 2022

Racing Preview - Season Finale 2022

The 2022 season comes to an end at Newton Abbot on Saturday with the £22,500 Aubrey Loze Memorial Intermediate Chase (Class 2) over two miles and five furlongs the highlight of an eight-race card and it could prove to be a good afternoon for champion trainer Paul Nicholls who has a host of well-fancied runners.

The feature looks a good opportunity for Pic D’Orhy, a winner of three of his ten chases, to add to Nicholls’ race record, the trainer having been victorious with Bravemansgame last year. Pic D’Orhy was reported as having made a respiratory noise after being pulled up at Aintree in April and returns here after wind surgery which will, hopefully, have put him spot on.

He does have to concede weight to his three rivals, however, the best of whom could be Kissesforkatie, trained by Jeremy Scott, who makes her chasing debut today. She has a hurdle rating of 142 and, in receipt of 23lbs, would clearly have a good chance if reproducing the same form over the bigger obstacles.

The meeting kicks off at 1.10pm with the British Stallion Studs EBF ‘National Hunt’ Novices’ Hurdle over two miles and one furlong and Gin Coco, who carried 12-0 into second place in a 25-runner handicap at the Punchestown Festival in April, sets the standard. Hat-trick seeking ex-Irish point-to-pointer Ukantango and Ivaldi, a winner over hurdles in France and now making his British debut for Paul Nicholls, make this an interesting opener to the day.

Nicholls has chosen chasing debutant Don Alvaro from his two entries in the SMC Construction Ltd Jolly Boys Outing Novices’ Handicap Chase over three and a quarter miles and, in receipt of 19lbs from top-weight Planned Paradise, could be the one to land the prize.

Longest race of the afternoon is another Class 2 event, the £18,500 Neil Terry’s Finally Getting Married Handicap Hurdle race over three miles and two and a half furlongs, in which Nicholls runs two of his three entries, with stable jockey Harry Cobden on Grace A Vous Enki.

Trainer Milton Harris is having another good season and his Mr Yeats has won two of his last three races, being runner-up at Uttoxeter last time. It may pay to take a chance, however, with Valentino, who came down when going well at the penultimate flight here last month and runs off the same handicap rating on Saturday.

Following is the Happy 70th Birthday Ian Weaver Junior ‘National Hunt’ Hurdle, one of a new programme of hurdle races being introduced this autumn by the British Horseracing Authority. Designed to help the development of jump horses in Great Britain, this is the second of the new races which are open to three-year-olds only, who have not run in any race prior to 1st October and have not previously competed in a flat race, or a jump race, except for a NH Flat or Junior National Hunt Development Hurdle Race.

Whilst it is too early to be drawing any conclusions from the initiative, the first of the new races run at Ffos Las last Sunday attracted five runners and, Saturday’s running has only four. None of the runners have seen a racecourse before, so the Nicholls-trained Him Malaya, owned like Pic D’Orhy by Mrs Johnny de la Hey, is likely to be a pretty short price.

By contrast, fourteen have been declared for the 50 Years And Counting Handicap Hurdle over two and three-quarter miles and Wincanton winner Sabrina could be another winner for Nicholls with Freddie Gingell’s claim reducing her weight by 10lbs.

Silent Revolution was pulled up at the Cheltenham Festival behind Constitution Hill, but found the company a lot easier when beating Luttrell Lad at Chepstow and can defy top weight in the newtonabbotraces.com Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase over two miles, before Warwick winner Madaa seeks to defy a penalty in the closing William Hill Betting TV Open National Hunt Flat Race, with Nicholls choosing newcomer Mullins Bay from his three entries.

As with all weekend meetings this season, tickets for Saturday’s fixture are only available to purchase in advance and none will be available on the gate. Book Newton Abbot Racecourse Tickets