Aug 21, 2022

Racing Review - Saturday 20 August 2022

Romanor, who beat Imperial Joe by a head over the course in June, returned after wind surgery to easily land the Class 2 William Hill Betting TV Handicap Chase, feature of Newton Abbot’s richly endowed seven-race card on Saturday.

There was a total of £87,500 on offer over the seven races, with £22,500 of that in the prize fund for the feature event run over two miles. With Peterborough a non-runner and Leapaway unseating Tom O’Brien at the first fence, just three were left in the contest with the Fergal O’Brien-trained Bathiva, favourite to complete a hat-trick following wins at Southwell and Worcester, making the running.

He led until a mistake at the eighth fence allowed the other two to close up and, although he jumped better at the next, he was a spent force when Romanor swept past him approaching the fourth-last to go clear and come home by 15 lengths from Mercian Prince, with Bathiva well beaten in third.

With Blue Shark an absentee, eleven set out for the opening Class 3 Happy Birthday John Lane Novices’ Hurdle over two miles and one furlong and it was O’Brien’s Pop The Champagne, seeking a four-timer, who was very much the one to beat, being sent off the 4/9 favourite. There was also money for the consistent Olly’s Folly, backed from 8/1 into 9/2, but he drifted out to 6/1 as Turpin Gold, who was available at 15/2 early on, replaced him as second-favourite.

Punters got it spot on as, after Olly’s Folly had set the pace to the third-last flight, it was Pop The Champagne and Paddy Brennan who went on and they made the rest of the running to score by two and a half lengths from Turpin Gold, with 40/1 shot Sydney Blues a neck away in third.

Coal Stock, who had been entered in the feature race, but hadn’t had the required number of qualifying runs, took his chance instead in the Jen And Rick’s Golden Anniversary Gallop Handicap Chase over two miles and five furlongs, for which the field was reduced to four by the absence of Ragamuffin.

It was outsider El Paso Wood who made the running, but he was passed by Coal Stock three fences from home who, despite a mistake at the penultimate fence, stayed on well to score comfortably and bring up the fourth win of his career for trainer Syd Hosie. Favourite Lock’s Corner faded in the home straight to finish third, with the only other runner, Helford River, pulled up some way out.

Two and three-quarter miles was the trip for another Class 2 contest, the Jenny Brewers 76 Birthday Celebrations Handicap Hurdle and it went to Litterale Ci, ridden by Irish amateur Aine O’Connor. Winner of the race four years ago and second last year from a rating of 132, Litterale Ci had been dropped 4lbs by the handicapper and she bounced back to form to win for the first time since March 2020, out-speeding Vision Des Flos on the run-in, with the disappointing favourite Hooper well beaten in third.

Little Jessture and Maria Magdalena jumped the penultimate flight together in the Dan Rowe Legend 50th Blast Handicap Hurdle and it was Little Jessture, running off bottom weight, who had the greater speed, with Loved Out depriving the consistent, but luckless, Maria Magdalena of second place.

With Byzantine Empire and Hell Red non-runners, it was Mortlach who went off the 1/2 favourite to land the £13,400 Ken Upton Memorial Novices’ Chase over two miles and five furlongs and he duly obliged, proving too strong for Restandbethankful on the run-in after the two had jumped the last together.

Racing returns to Newton Abbot Racecourse next on Tuesday 30 August with the final evening fixture of the year – Book Newton Abbot Racecourse Tickets.