Jul 08, 2023

Racing Review - Fri 7 July

There was a big crowd at a sun-drenched Newton Abbot on Friday for the first of four meetings at the course in July and favourite backers got off to the best of starts as odds-on Guinness Affair landed the feature Class 3 Newtonabbotrace On Twitter Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase.

All three of the runners had competed against each other at Warwick at the end of May when Magistrato beat Stepney Causeway with Guinness Affair, who was returning after a 601-day break, a well-beaten third. Magistrato had since changed trainers, finishing fourth on his next start at Aintree for Deborah Cole, whereas Guinness Affair had stepped up on that run to win at Hexham.

Whilst Stepney Causeway was always third-best, it turned into a fascinating dual between Magistrato and Guinness Affair, both holding every chance over the final two fences. Magistrato had taken up the running with a circuit to go and, having put in a couple of extravagant leaps, looked to have the measure of the favourite, whose jumping was a bit clumsy at times, but Gavin Sheehan got Guinness Affair alongside approaching the final fence and he had the better turn of speed on the short run-in.

The trip was just short of two and three-quarter miles for the Mary Hooper Retiring After 50 Years Maiden Hurdle and there was another odds-on favourite in the shape of Sandalwood, the only runner on the afternoon for champion trainer Paul Nicholls. Sandalwood had Oval Street for company early on, but was a clear leader with over a circuit to go and, although joined at the third-last flight by Clapton Hill who looked a real threat, put the race to bed going to the last to win by six lengths.

The second Class 3 event was the newtonabbotracing.com Handicap Hurdle over two miles and one furlong in which Glorious Zoff, leading when a faller at the last flight at Bangor-on-Dee, headed the weights. Held up off the pace by Liam Harrison, Glorious Zoff made relentless progress down the home straight, but couldn’t catch 10/1 shot Manor Park who had taken up the running four flights from home and ran on well for jockey Beau Morgan who was winning for the fourth time from his last five rides.

There were three non-runners in the My Wife Is Lovely Handicap Hurdle for which Bashful Boy, a faller on his last two hurdles starts, but a dual winner on the flat since, headed the market. Always near the front of a tightly-packed field, Bashful Boy was sent into the lead by Jack Tudor turning for home and came right away to win easily from the The Height Of Fame, a four-time winner last season.

Having ridden the last winner at Perth the day before, the season’s leading jockey Sean Bowen then made the journey to Devon to ride in the last two races. He scored on the veteran Mr Mafia, who gave age and weight away to his four rivals in the William Hill Leading Racecourse Bookmaker Handicap Chase, holding on by a length from O’Faolains Lad, before doubling up on Olivers Travels in the closing Sky Sports Racing On Sky 415 Open National Hunt Flat Race to take his seasonal tally to 46.

Racing returns to Newton Abbot Racecourse on Monday 17 July – tickets are on sale now.

“BOOK NEWTON ABBOT RACECOURSE TICKETS”: https://tickets.newtonabbotracing.com/shop/cart.pl