Friday 20:23

Advance report

Going

Heavy (GoingStick: 4.2 on Thursday at 09:00)

Forecast: Possibility of wintry showers Friday night. Sunny spells Saturday.

The second (Open Ditch) and last fences in the Back Straight, and the second and third flights of hurdles in the Home Straight will be omitted.

07:55 There have been 7mm of rain overnight and the going is Heavy

Our selections are:-

11:56 Good morning from Chepstow, where the weather is overcast and the going is going to be sticky.

Open ditch and final fence on far side being omitted as well as the middle two hurdles in the home straight.

12:26 It has started to drizzle although there are reports it is lashing down the other side of the Bristol Channel.

12:38 For drizzle now read heavy rain

12:40 Side bets going on in the press room as to how many races we will have this afternoon. The SP guys are suggesting two but young Amy from BBC Radio Wales says all seven will go ahead – I think I will side with the local knowledge.

12:46 I hope I am not tempting fate here but we still have 100% fields so far - it will be a nice change to have a meeting with no non-runners.

13:12 It looks like it is going to be one of those afternoons. The sun is now shining but there are still some very dark clouds in the distance.

13:19 News from elsewhere, Punjabi hacked up at Kempton – not even breaking sweat in the process.

13:34 Our opening contest is the 2m 4f Best Odds Guaranteed At totesport.com Maiden Hurdle.

Thirteen line up for the contest which will be in testing conditions.

14:08 Well we thought the ground would be testing but it was worse than that with only six of the 13 runners finishing the race.

Needless to say those who did finish were strung out.

There was plenty of money for the favourite Crannaghmore Boy and he set out to make all, a tactic that paid off, although he was almost down to a walk on the run-in.

Luckily for favourite backers Bring On The Judge, who tried to mount a challenge, was also slowing in on the run-in and was only able to get within a length of the winner.

No More Whispers, who had been second or third throughout had nothing to offer in the closing stages and came home third, some 12 lengths behind the front pair.

MacDougal was with the pace for most of the contest but was another suffering in the closing stages.

The other two finishers were Petito and Lord Norman. The latter was tailed off passing the judge for the first time but he plodded on at his own pace to at least complete.

14:19 Next up we have the extended 2m totesport.com Handicap Chase with eleven going to post.

Big negative in the parade ring is Littleton Aldor who is very much on his toes, to a lesser extent Scalini’s is pulling quite hard.

14:22 All Sonsilver has been withdrawn due to a broken bridle

14:49 Chaos before the race as two runners All Sonsilver and, more importantly the favourite Ballymorn. The former due to a broken bridle and the latter on vets advice.

Littleton Aldor who was really on his toes in the parade ring set off in similar fashion in the race and was soon well clear, being left to it by his rivals, who were headed by Rudivale and New Rackheath.

In normal circumstances Littleton Aldor would have been caught half way down the back straight but in these testing conditions the remainder were not able to close.

Indeed as they turned for home Littleton Aldor was increasing his lead, despite jumping right at his fences.

Star Galaxy came to lead the followers along with New Rackheath, whilst Rudivale began to slow.

It was not until half way down the home straight that Littleton Aldor finally began to tire. Star Galaxy was left as the only serious challenger when  New Rackheath unseated his ruder.

Slowly but surely Star Galaxy closed on the long time leader and hit the front approaching the last, at which point the long time leader had nothing left in response.

Star Galaxy came home eleven lengths clear of Star Galaxy, with the, one paced plodding Rudivale a further 21 behind in third.

This may have been a two mile contest but the field finished as though they had been in a four mile contest.

14:51 Next up is what should be a very interesting 3m chase, the EBF/TBA Free Racing Post Form at totesport.com Mares’ Novices’ Chase.

Only six line up.

15:20 Controversy in our third contest.

Only one runner, Ringsend Rose, finished however he faces disqualification after missing out the open ditch in the home straight.

Ringsend Rose was a distant last of three at the time.

Orana Conti was well clear of the field when taking  a crashing fall three out. This left the odds-on favourite Moulin de la Croix in front, who then went on to unseat his rider at the same fence.

With a stricken horse and rider the other side of the fence Ringsend Rose was waved round the hence, however the person who waved him round was not authorised to do so.

The stewards are taking a long hard look at the race.

15:40 The result stands in the last race, more when we get the stewards report.

15:54 Less controversy in this race as Richie McLernon rode a patient race to take the 3m contest on Hopeful Start.

Timetoring set out to make all and held that position until approaching the last where he was joined by Viking Blond.

However Hopeful Start was tracking their every move and by the last flight he was in front.

Viking Blond attempted to make a fight of it but Hopeful Stand had enough in hand to win by four.

15:56 Orana Conti who fell in the 2:55 is still being treated on the course, almost an hour after the fall

16:22 A facile victory for Oscar Gogo in our final hurdle contest of the afternoon.

After Rothres set the initial pace Paul Moloney took Oscar Gogo to the front as the start of the back straight and he was never headed, nor did he look to be in any danger.

So far was his lead, he eased to a hack canter in the last few hundred yards, yet he still recorded a 9 length  victory.

Anay Turge, who made steady progress came home second.

Another making late progress was Salontyre, however a blunder at the last ended any chance he had of taking second (he would never have troubled the winner).

16:25 The open ditch in the home straight is being omitted in the next as Orana Conti is still being treated.

16:28 We have the stewards report from the third race.

The stewards ruled that Ringsend Rose did take the wrong course when by-passing the open ditch.

However they ruled there were exceptional circumstances is there were two jockeys and a horse on the landing side of the fence and that he was waved round by a fence attendant.

16:54 Our feature contest the totesportgames.com Veterans’ Handicap Chase also saw our smallest field of the afternoon as four lined up.

For most of the contest they ran two by two, with Picts Hill and Mister Quasimodo in front and Magic Sky and Borora behind.

Half way down the back straight Christian Williams kicked Mister Quasimodo on and it was race over as he pulled well clear.

Picts Hill fell two out (both horse and rider up OK).

17:02 Sad news, after almost an hour and a half of treatment, Orana Conti did not make it.

17:27 Not for the first time a controversial Chepstow bumper as once again the urge to go back to the stables overcomes a runner.

The culprit this time was Educated Evans who was leading as they began the turn out of the home straight but he had clearly decided he wanted to go home so did a swift u-turn back to the stable exit.

Wyck Hill almost decided to follow but he rider kept him on track, albeit taking a wide route.

The field were very well bunched for most of the contest with Dirty Deal and Cresswell Crusader amongst those to the fore.

It was these two who had a clear advantage as they came down the long home straight and although both had chances two out it was Cresswell Crusader who had the better turn of foot and the result was soon a foregone conclusion.

Eased on the line Cresswell Crusader came home twelve clear of runner up Dirty Deal.

There was a minor battle for third spot with the favourite Five Star Wilsham eventually getting the better of Grafite by half a length.

17:34 That is it from this afternoon’s “action” at Chepstow, it has to be said not in ideal conditions and any form from this afternoon can safely be ignored.

Events were somewhat overshadowed by the loss of Orana Conti despite determined and efforts from the vets.

It was good to see the veteran Mister Quasimodo roll back the years in the Veterans’ Chase.

However the “best” part of the afternoon was the pragmatic decision to allow Ringsend Rose to keep the 3 mile chase. OK a strict interpretation of the rules of racing would have resulted in the mare’s disqualification and a void race. As the Stweards report pointed out no advantage was gained in by-passing the fence. A case of common sense prevailing.

Return to race archive:

Non-Runners

The time in brackets is the time the horse was officially declared a non-runner.

SC - Self Certificate
VC - Vet's Certificate

Non-runners

no non-runners

Results

13:50 Maiden Hurdle 2m 4f

1st 4 Crannaghmore Boy 7/4 fav
2nd2 Bring On The Judge 8/1
3rd 8 No More Whispers 66/1
13 Ran
Distances 1 & 12
Fav winner
Tote
Win £3.00
Places £1.30 £1.80 £10.80
Exacta £15.80
CSF £14.95
Time 5' 38.9"

14:25 Handicap Chase 2m 110yds

1st 8 Star Galaxy 6/1
2nd 10 Littleton Aldor 16/1
3rd 2 Rudivale 7/2
9 Ran w/d 6 & 11
Distances 11 & 21
Fav 6 Ballymorn 3/1 (w/d)
Tote
Win £5.30
Places £1.40 £3.90 £1.50
Exacta £63.30
CSF £58.03
Tricast £192.61
Time 4' 43.1"
Rule 4. 20p for bets struck before withdrawal of No 11. 25p on all others

14:55 Novices' Chase 3m

1st 4 Ringsend Rose 28/1
6 Ran
Distance Finished alone
Fav 1 Moulin de la Croix 13/8 (ur)
Tote
Win £21.60
Place £8.50
Exacta £23.50
CSF £
Time 8' 03.6"

15:30 Maiden Hurdle 3m

1st  4 Hopeful Start 6/1
2nd 5 Viking Blond 6/1
3rd 8 Timetoring 8/1
11 Ran
Distances 4 & 7
Fav 2 Magnifico 4/1 (pu)
Tote
Win £9.30
Places £2.70 £2.80 £2.80
Exacta £34.40
CSF £41.50
Tricast £293.67
Time 6' 55.4"

16:05 Handicap Hurdle 2m 110yds

1st 1 Oscar Gogo 14/1
2nd 7 Anay Turge 3/1 fav
3rd 4 Salontyre 7/2
9 Ran
Distances 9 & 1¼
Fav second
Tote
Win £14.10
Places £4.00 £1.50 £1.50
Exacta £76.90
CSF £55.22
Tricast £183.32
Time 4' 42.5"

16:40 Handicap Chase 2m 110yds

1st 3 Mister Quasimodo 4/1
2nd 1 Magic Sky 11/10 fav
4 Ran
Distances 28
Fav second
Tote
Win £4.30
Exacta £10.20
CSF £9.02
Time 4' 41.0"

17:10 NH Flat 2m 110yds

1st 1 Cresswell Crusader 12/1
2nd 10 Dirty Deal 14/1
3rd 3 Five Star Wilsham 11/4 fav
14 Ran
Distances 12 & 9
Fav third
Tote
Win £16.20
Places £3.80 £3.70 £1.60
Exacta £203.90
CSF £161.40
Time no time taken