Sep 02, 2023
Racing Review - Saturday 2 September 2023
Cotswold trainer Fergal O’Brien notched a double on Newton Abbot’s valuable Saturday card, winning the first two races with Carrigeen Kampala and Valentino Dancer, but missed out on a treble when Chief Black Robe was narrowly beaten in the third.
The betting for the opening Class 3 Talk Tidy Marketing Novices’ Hurdle centred on just two horses, Father Of Jazz and Carrigeen Kampala, with odds of 20/1 and more available for the other four runners. Father Of Jazz had won all three of his starts this year, but was denied a fourth win as Carrigeen Kampala and regular rider Liam Harrison made virtually all the running to score by 15 lengths.
Time Flies By, making a return to chasing after two wins over hurdles, topped the weights in the Class 3 Racing Partnership Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase over two miles and five furlongs. He had fallen in his only previous start over the bigger obstacles, but was sent off the 5/6 favourite to beat Valentino Dancer and Shot Tower.
Setting a steady pace, Time Flies By was stalked by Valentino Dancer until the penultimate fence where Paddy Brennan sent his mount into the lead and, despite trying to pull himself up near the line, Valentino Dancer still had enough in hand to score his first win over fences at the third attempt.
Not surprisingly, Chief Black Robe, who was bidding for his fifth win of the season, was a hot favourite to complete an O’Brien treble in the William Hill Leading Racecourse Bookmaker Handicap Chase. He was to become the third beaten favourite of the afternoon, however, as Dan’s Chosen, given a fine front-running ride by Sean Houlihan, prevailed in a tight finish to follow up his course win in July.
It was the Milton Harris-trained Songo who headed the market for the Class 2 Neil Evans Memorial Handicap Hurdle, going off the 7/2 favourite, and Harry Cobden sent him straight into the lead, tracked by Fix It All and Sebastopol. He had nothing left to give in the home straight, however, as Sebastopol, returning to hurdling after a chasing campaign, jumped to the front at the second-last flight to win easily.
It fell to top-weight El Borracho to put an end to the losing run of favourites in the feature Happy Birthday Debbie Moss Handicap Chase and his task was made easier when Stepney Causeway, who had whipped round at the start on his last appearance, refused to take part in the race. El Borracho looked to have made a winning move when going past Kauto The King at the third-last fence, but Kauto The King came again on the run-in to retake the lead and hold off the fast-finishing Romanor.
Good Impression and Ben Jones took the closing Silver Blaze Wessex Cup Handicap Hurdle from Getaway Tom, meaning all six favourites had bit the dust on a difficult afternoon for punters.
Racing returns to the course next Monday with the first race due off at 2.40pm – book Paddock Enclosure tickets by 11.59pm on Sunday 10 September to save £2pp.
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