Even the most capable marketing manager would have trouble trying to sell this afternoons card as being high class.

Moderate it was, however moderate does not mean boring as we were treated to some exciting racing, including a ride which will surely be a candidate for ride of the season.

The opening race, a 2m 4f hurdle, set the tone for the afternoon and we also saw the biggest gamble of the day with Venetia Williams Pliny attracting strong support being backed in from an opening 5/1 on course into 5/2 favouritism. The support resulted in the original favourite Aldertune drifting markedly.

The top two in the betting progressed no further than the fourth flight when Beau Lake fell, bringing down Pliny and hampering Aldertune causing him to unseat his rider.

At the business end of the contest it was Dot’s Delight who took the honours under Peter Toole, having been held early on before hitting the front two out.

A family affair in the second contest, a 2m 4f chase, with the Tizzard family, trainer Colin and jockey son Joe taking the contest with Midnight Queen, who put in a great front running performance and never looked to be in any danger. Cool Friend briefly looked to be a danger making progress three out and closing on the leader but was one paced in the closing stages.   

Race three a 2m 2f selling hurdle was the one producing the possible ride of the season, giving Peter Toole a double.

Caroline Bradleys Earlsfield Raider, sent off the 6/4 favourite looked to be in all sorts of trouble approaching the last, having blundered over the second last. Gary Moore’s Alrafid had stolen a march on his rivals and had a good fourth lead.  Earlsfield Raider’s luck got even worse at the last as Aston Lad jumped badly to his left and Earlsfield Raider cannoned into him, losing momentum.

On the run-in Toole somehow managed to regain the favourites momentum and he launched a decisive run up the hill. By contrast Alfrid was beginning to tire and Toole got Earlsfield Raider up to win by an improbable half length.  

A 2m 6f handicap chase was next and a great training performance from Nick Gifford to bring Shaka’s Pearl back from a 964 day lay off to come home seventeen lengths clear of the favourite Jump Jet. The winners last run was a runner-up at the course but he picked up a leg injury which Gifford has gently treated. Jump Jet, giving two stone to the winner, was carrying a 7lb penalty for win at Uttoxeter last week. It could be today’s race came too soon as he led for most of the contest before tiring in the final quarter mile.

Another 2m 4f hurdle for race five and another incident packed contest, although this time the drama came on the flat. Iconoclast, who was under pressure in fourth place, slipped on the bend turning for home and bought down Near The Water in a nasty looking incident in which horses and jockeys walked away safely, although Leighton Aspell was on the ground for a while. Nick Gifford’s Nur Tau, who had been doing bucking bronco impersonations before racing, was pulled up at the same point seeming injuring himself attempting to avoid the melee. The race provided a double for the Tizzard’s as Wise Men Say held off a challenge from Bob Run to take the race.

The weather was deteriorating by race six, a 2m 2f handicap chase, run in the murk. It was a two runner race throughout with One Of The Boys and Wondersobright battling it out in front and the former won the contest with the field running up the run-in in what looked like a slow motion replay they were so tired.     

There was a strong clue in the final bumper with David Pipe sending Horsford as his only runner of the day with Tom Scudamore also making the trip just for the ride. Punters latched on and he was sent off the 11/4 favourite from an opening 4/1. Scudamore set of to make all and at the end of the back straight on the final circuit he was the freshest runner with his rivals all under pressure.

He still had a good lead half way down the home straight but approaching a furlong out the first distress signals began to show.

Iona Days and King Billy both emerged from the pack to challenge and a dour battle ensued in the final half furlong with Horsford’s stride shortening. Iona Days was closing in on the long time leader but just did not have enough in the tank to nail him on the line and Horsford came home the half-length winner.

King Billy was finishing best of all and was only a neck behind Iona Days as they crossed the line. The front three coming home 22 lengths clear of their rivals.  

07:33 After a dry night the going remains Good to Soft

Our selections are:-

17:30 Thursday

The advance going report is:-

Going

Good to Soft (GoingStick: 6.1 on Thursday at 07:00)

All bends will be run on the inner.

0.5mm of rain overnight. Forecast: Overcast possibility of showers this pm. Fri sunny but clouding over later in the day.

Whole course has been verti-drained since the last meeting so goingstick readings will be lower than expected. All race distances reduced by 26 yards due to temp movement of the Winning Post.

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

14:10
7 Rare Article

15:10
9 Ouste (pulled shoe off - VC 16:03 Thu)

Results

13:10 Novices' Hurdle 2m 4f

1st 15 Dot' Delight 16/1
2nd 6 Little Al 14/1
3rd 4 Fabulous Fred 7/1
15 Ran
Distances 3½ & 4
Fav 9 Pliny 5/2 (BD)
Tote
Win £14.30
Places £3.60 £4.10 £2.10
Exacta £152.30
CSF £211.04
Time 4' 48.4" (slow 13.4")

13:40 Beginners' Chase 2m 4f

1st 5 Midnight Queen 16/1
2nd 2 Coole Friend 6/4 fav
3rd 4 Mewstone 12/1
8 Ran
Distances 10 & 19
Fav second
Tote
Win £8.70
Places £1.80 £1.40 £2.50
Exacta £23.90
CSF £40.74
Time 4' 59.9" (slow 11.9")

14:10 Selling Hurdle 2m 2f 110yds

1st 6 Eralsfield Raider 6/4 fav
2nd 1 Alrafid 3/1
7 Ran
Distances ½
Fav winner
Tote
Win £2.30
Places £1.50 £2.60
Exacta £7.90
CSF £6.46
Time 4' 28.5" (slow 14.5")

14:40 Handicap Chase 2m 6f

1st 7 Shaka's Pearl 6/1
2nd 1 Jump Jet 11/10 fav
7 Ran
Distances 17
Fav second
Tote
Win £6.70
Places £2.80 £1.20
Exacta £14.90
CSF £12.53
Time 5' 32.1" (SLOW 9.10")

15:10 Handicap Hurdle 2m 4f

1st 10 Wise Men Say 10/1
2nd 4 Bob Run 7/1
3rd 17 Shropshirelass 33/1
4th 8 Lennox Gardens 16/1
16 Ran Nr 9
Distances 2½ , 10 & head
Fav 15 Local Present 11/4 (9th)
Tote
Win £17.70
Places £3.30 £1.80 £5.30 £4.60
Exacta £129.00
CSF £82.63
Tricast £2,254.42
Time 4' 49.6" (slow 14.6")

15:40 Handicap Chase 2m 2f

1st 5 One Of The Boys 5/2 fav
2nd 6 Wondersobright 11/1
7 Ran
Distances 1¼
Fav winner
Tote
Win £3.10
Places £2.00 £4.20
Exacta £28.90
CSF £27.78
Time 4' 38.6" (slow 18.6")

16:10 Open NH Flat 2m 2f 110yds

1st 4 Horsford 7/2 jf
2nd 6 Iona Days 8/1
3rd 7 King Billy 7/1
13 Ran
Distances ½ & neck
Favs winner & 11 Running Upthehill (12th)
Tote
Win £4.20
Places £1.90 £3.20 £2.90
Exacta £48.30
CSF £32.28
Time 4' 30.1" (slow 23.1")

Jackpot: not won
Placepot: £178.40