May 05, 2022

Racing Review - Wednesday 4 May 2022

Champion trainer Paul Nicholls was the man in form at Newton Abbot yesterday, landing the first two races, including the feature £22,500 Racing Partnership TRP Handicap Chase with Eritage.

Run over a trip of two miles and five furlongs, it was Falco Blitz and Eritage who took the field along in the early stages tracked by Rouge Vif, with bottom weight Goa Lil, who had shortened from 7/2 to 9/4 in the betting, bringing up the rear. Eritage opened up a clear lead with a circuit to go and, with Falco Blitz pulling up early in the back straight, he only had Rouge Vif for company as he turned to face the last two fences.

It all changed at the penultimate fence, however, as Rouge Vif fell, leaving Eritage and Lorcan Williams to clear the last and come home by a wide margin from the struggling Goa Lil whose jumping had let him down on more than one occasion. Following Rouge Vif’s fall, jockey Harry Cobden was stood down for the rest of the meeting.

Earlier, Nicholls had struck in the opening Happy Birthday John Novices’ Chase over two miles and half a furlong when his Wild Max turned over the 4/11 favourite Hang In There. Although possessing the better hurdles form, Hang In There was being pushed along by Tom Bellamy to keep up with Wild Max coming out of the back straight and, after Cobden had sent his mount into a clear lead over the penultimate fence, the result was never in doubt.

Although Largy G had to concede 7lbs and upwards in weight to her rivals, she was sent off a short-priced favourite to land the Sky Sports Racing On Sky 415 Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle. Outsider Lady Wolf set the early pace but, by the time the runners reached the home turn, it was Sweet Moon who had hit the front, followed by Largy G. The favourite soon took over and, easing into the lead, she came home four lengths to the good from Sweet Moon, with Lady Wolf back in third.

Trainer Alan King and jockey Tom Cannon received some compensation for the defeat of Sweet Moon when the four-year-old Greystoke showed a clean pair of heels to his rivals in the following Talk Tidy Marketing Novices’ Hurdle, racing six lengths clear of Duke Of Bronte, who was penalised for his win at Doncaster in March and had to concede 12lbs to the winner here.

An absence from the track of 166 days proved no barrier for Valentino in the day’s longest race, the St Austell Brewery Handicap Hurdle over three miles and two and a half furlongs. With Quick Draw and Emitom absentees, Valentino, running off bottom weight for Saltash trainer Jackie Du Plessis, had five rivals to beat and he just got up to deny the front-running Skatman by a neck.

Romain De Senam, who had run at Uttoxeter just four days earlier, jumped past leader Real Steel at the final fence in the newtonabbotracing.com Handicap Chase and put five lengths between himself and the pack on the run-in, with From The Heart denying Seddon second place by a neck.

Racing returns to Newton Abbot for the second of three midweek racing fixtures this month on Wednesday 11 May. Tickets are on sale now – book in advance to save on Paddock Admission.