17:20 And that is it from Sandown, a good afternoons racing in pleasant weather.
Tomorrow we shall be down the road at Ascot where they have a high class card.
Until tomorrow a very good evening from Esher.
17:05 Well I have to say the Hunters’ Chase is one of the oddest I have seen in the long time and believe me I watch plenty of races.
The almost white Marblehead attempted to make it a pillar to post victory, only being headed at the second last.
Normally the runners behind the leader tend to settle into a rhythm and the order hardly changes. In this race it seemed every other runner bar the leader was running in snatches. Positions were changing all the time and I don’t think any of the 17 fences were jumped with the field in the same order.
Turning for home it looked as though the “true” pointer Marblehead was going to grab the spoils for the traditionalists. However coming to the Pond Fence Bob Hall was looking alongside and looked as though he was going to take the lead, however he fluffed the landing and rider Alan Berry did very well to keep the partnership intact.
Coming to the second last a new challenger appeared in the shape of Herecomestanley. He had been with the pace in the early stages, before fading. However under Tom Greenall he seemed to get a second wind and he jumped into the lead at the second last. Bob Hall was also back in contention.
Coming to the last Herecomestanley was still in front but Royal Auclair, whose jumping early on could best be described as iffy, was coming with a late run and he took the race in the dying strides to win by a neck.
16:46 The finale is another of those strange Hunters’ Chase’s where the runners are very familiar, Royal Auclair, Contraband, Herecomestanley and Bob Hall for example.
There was a time these races were the preserve of the true amateur trainer and permit holder, now the “big boys” are attempting to farm them.
Whilst there is nothing in the rules to stop this happening it does strike me as being against the spirit of theses races.
16:35 Silk Affair holds a Triumph Hurdle entry and he did his cause no harm whatsoever with an impressive win in the 2½ mile handicap hurdle.
Barely noticed during the race Tom O’Brien kept him covered throughout before coming with a late run, taking the lead in the run-in and winning the race convincingly by 3¾ lengths.
Wise Men say was the front runner leading for a circuit, although he never had much of a lead with Dastardly Dick, Youngstown and Sangfroid all in contention.
As would be expected with a tight handicap there were many in with chances as they turned for home.
French raider Troque looked to be making eye catching progress and arguably would have been in with a decent shout had he not had been almost run out at the second last.
Suntini was running on well after the second last and jumped the final flight in front with Youngstown and Sangfroid looking to be the main rivals. However Silk Affair was coming with his run and, frankly, made his rivals look flat footed.
16:00 A very interesting betting heat for our fourth contest, another 2m hurdle.
Three runners vied for favouritism before the off with Awesome George, Polyfast and Ronaldo Des Mottes all vying tor the honour, in the end it was Awesome George who went off favourite but came home unplaced, despite being in with every chance between the final two flights.
Sir Ian had a flyer at the start, setting off with a six or seven length start on his rivals. As he reached the turn out of the home straight he tried to run out and it took all of Tom Siddall’s strength to keep him on the track. Indeed it looked at one point as though he was going to have a go at jumping the plain fence on the side of the course, which he only just avoided. He stayed with the leaders for a while longer but eventually paid the price and tailed off.
Theophrastus took up the running until they began the turn for home.
It then became a decent contest with the well backed El Dancer (7/1 into 9/2) taking up the running but Ronaldo Des Mottes had him in his sights and jumped into the lead at the final flight, running on well to record a one length victory from the battling El Dancer, with Saddlers Star six lengths further back in third.
15:25 The Royal Artillery Gold cup is one of the oldest races in the calendar, first run in 1863 and this was the 126th running of the chase, over 3m in the Surrey mud.
We witnessed a brave front running performance from Bannister Lane, giving Captain Tim Edwards his first win under rules.
He didn’t have his own way up front and The Big Breakfast kept him company, harrying him up front.
The Big Breakfast made a mistake at the 18th and that ended his challenge.
Turning for home it was a two horse race with Heart Springs, under Sally Randell, the only conceivable challenger. There two were ten lengths ahead of The Big Breakfast and Mr Big, with the others coming home in their own time.
Coming to the last Bannister Lane still had a couple of lengths on Heart Springs, who looked to be running well. However at the last the leader put in a fluent jump, whilst Heart Springs pecked on landing, throwing Sally Randell out of the side door, leaving the winner to come home virtually alone.
The Big Breakfast was a fortunate runner up, with Mr Big taking third prize money.
14:52 A slog in the mud for our second contest, a 3m chase.
Supreme Keano was sent off the uneasy favourite, opening at evens, touching 6/4 before coming back in to 5/4.
It was the outsider Nudge And Nurdle who set the pace for the first circuit before dropping through the field.
This left Supreme Keano and the well backed Appleaday to contest the lead. The pair had a good lead on the field before the favourite unseated AP McCoy at the last of the railway fences.
Approaching the Pond fence, three out, there were four in with a chance and the bottom weight,
Mistress Nell was very lucky not to be taken out by the loose horse.
Appleaday jumped well to maintain a good lead. Recent Exeter winner Mistress Nell did her best to challenge the leader but, in truth, it looked to be a hopeless challenge, with the grey holding on for a 2¾ length victory.
Maletton came home third, Golden Child fourth and Nudge And Nurdle was a distance the last of the five finishers.
Lord Killeshanra, who holds a National entry, was pulled up down the back straight.
14:17 Three of the eight runners hold entries in the Triumph Hurdle and two of the three Torphichen and Trenchant impresses, whilst True Blue Saga was very green and needs to improve his attitude if he is to be a serious contender.
It was one of those annoying races where the field were not keen to set off and it was a good few seconds before they began racing. Even when they did set off the pace was funereal.
True Blue Saga tried to pull Tom Scudamores arms out as, reluctantly, Art Exhibition set what pace there was, accompanied by Torphichen.
It was not until the back straight that the pace picked up and the favourite Torphichen took up the running and establishing a good lead.
Art Exhibition tried to stay in contention but it was Trenchant under late jockey change, Robert Thornton, who emerged from the pack as the main danger although, in truth, the winner had plenty
in hand.
Both the front pair acquitted themselves well.
The second favourite James De Vassy was disappointing, although it could be argued he did not like the heavy going.
Art Exhibition held on for third spot and fourth place Psi was running on well in the closing stages.
14:00 A tasty looking novices’ hurdle for our opener, arguably a better quality than most.
They all looked OK in the parade ring, Torphichen from the David Pipe yard is the odds on favourite. The French raider True Blue Saga looks to be an interesting contender.
13:44 It is Royal Artillery Day here at Sandown, lots of military types and regimental ties on show. Also a couple of military bands playing away inside the grandstand.
13:13 Good afternoon from Sandown where the sun is out but the breeze is cool. Three non-runners now, details on the right.
09:24 Another non-runner, Intensifier in the 3:45, who also ran at Chepstow yesterday.
09:07 We currently have one non-runner, Stolen Moments in the second, who ran at Chepstow yesterday.
09:05 Our selections for this afternoon:-
2:05 4 Trenchant
2:35 9 Mistress Nell
3:10 4 Triggernometry
3:45 1 Awesome George
4:20 7 Youngstown
4:50 No bet
09:03 Racing goes ahead at Sandown.
The official going is:-
Chase - Soft , Back Straight Good to Soft
Hurdle - Soft , Heavy in Places
The home bend is to be shared between the chase and hurdle courses, meaning each hurdle circuit will be approximately 25 yards shorter.
The first hurdle in back straight and open ditch in front
of stands will be omitted, for the latter the adjacent plain fence jumped in its place.
Return to race archive: |
Non-Runners
2:35
2 Bowleaze (travel)
3 Stolen Moments (ran yesterday)
3:45
3 Intensifier (ran yesterday)
Results
2:05
1st 3 Torphichen 4/6 fav
2nd 4 Trenchant 14/1
3rd 1 Art Exhibition 12/1
8 Ran
Distances 3¾ & 6
Fav winner
Tote
Win £1.80
Place £1.20 £2.70 £2.10
Exacta £8.60
CSF £11.70
Time 4' 16.63"
2:35
1st 5 Appleaday 3/1
2nd 9 Mistress Nell 13/2
7 Ran NR 2 & 3
Distances 2¾
Fav 7 Supreme Keano 5/4 (US)
Tote
Win £3.90
Place £2.00 £2.30
Exacta £19.70
CSF £22.62
Tricast £172.09
Time 6' 32.15"
3:10
1st 1 Bannister Lane 5/4 fav
2nd 8 The Big Breakfast 16/1
3rd 3 Mr Big 7/2
8 Ran
Distances 20 & 1½
Fav winner
Tote
Win £2.20
Place £1.20 £3.10 £1.60
Exacta £21.00
CSF £21.84
Time 6' 37.09"
3:45
1st 10 Ronaldo Des Mottes 3/1
2nd 2 El Dancer 9/2
3rd 6 Sadler's Star 10/1
9 Ran NR 3
Distances 1 & 6
Fav 1 Awesome George 3/1 (5th)
Tote
Win £3.40
Place £1.60 £1.80 £1.80
Exacta £22.70
CSF £16.63
Time 4' 11.16"
4:30
1st 16 Silk Affair 9/2
2nd 5 Sangfroid 16/1
3rd 8 Suntini 4/1
4th 7 Youngstown 12/1
16 Ran
Distances 3¾ , ¾ & 1
Fav 14 Hohlethelonely 5/2 (5th)
Tote
Win £6.10
Place £1.80 £3.30 £1.60 £3.00
Exacta £94.20
CSF £64.84
Tricast £321.28
Time 5' 09.16"
4:50
1st 5 Royal Auclair 11/8 fav
2nd 1 Herecomestanley 11/1
7 Ran
Distances neck
Fav winner
Tote
Win £2.30
Place £1.50 £3.10
Exacta £10.80
CSF £15.91
Time 5' 30.53"
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