LAST MEETING REVIEW

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It was a real varied day at our last meeting with a whole variety of trainers, jockeys and owners making their way into the winner’s enclosure. It was a good day for favourites and punters will have gone home happy with the biggest price winner being only 5/1!

Ultimate Getaway was an emphatic winner of the first by a runaway 23 lengths. Liam Harrison travelled so effortlessly into the race and ended up winning more like a 1/10 shot rather than almost 2/1! His winning distance was helped by the fall of favourite, Ship of the Fen but Ultimate Getaway was already the winner when left alone at the last. The other market principle was Van Meegeren who also unseated but his untimely exit was at the first rather than the last. If was a chaotic opener and thankfully all horses were just fine after the race. Our second race, The St Austell Brewery Novice Handicap Hurdle, was a an extremely open looking affair. Of

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the nine runners, five were single figure odds, which gives some indication of the openness of this race. It 4 was the John Flint trained Gibraltarian who came home the victor after being hampered by a faller three hurdles from home. He stuck on quite nicely and eventual second placed Vanderbilt had no answer once passed. It wouldn’t be a Newton Abbott raceday without Paul Nichols getting his customary winner. Young claimer Ben Bromley made use of his 7lb claim to win on Chez Hans and overturn Alexandra Dunn’s favourite Thahab

Ifraj. Quite a tactical little affair, Chez Hans kept on nicely and the handicapper looks to have his work cut out to stop him from winning again next time out. He made it four wins on the bounce and the two have built up an excellent partnership. Fvourite Manor Park obliged in the next and continued the theme of run-away winners. Patrick Cowley and Manor Park are another example of horse and jockey being on the same level and the two now have three wins when partnering up. Patrick knew he had a good horse underneath him and kept it nice and simple by tracking Ayr Of Elegance before kicking for victory two hurdles from home. Stanley Stanley gave Paul Nicholls his second winner on the card but this time it was retained jockey Harry

Cobden doing the steering. This race was our closest of the evening and Outlaw Jack put up a valiant effort back in second. Kevin Brogan became the hard luck story of the afternoon and made it two seconds on the card. Stanley Stanley and Outlaw Jack could be two to follow for the future as they pulled well clear of the third, Thirsty Farmer. Our final race of the evening was the Talk Tidy Marketing Open Maiden National Hunt Flat Race and saw five runners go to post. The market had it as a three way go between, Maxcel, Don’t Stop Now and Waterbreak. The latter was the first to bow out and after leading for most of the way tailed of tamely at the three-furlong marker to finish an eventual 25 lengths behind the other two. Don’t Stop Now and Maxcel settled down to fight it out and fight it out they did with Maxcel just getting the better of the argument. Don’t Stop Now did try to battle back in the final half furlong but you could tell Maxcel was always doing enough to hold him.

5 PHOTOS: 1 - ultimate getaway 2 - gibraltarian 3 - chez hans 4 - manor park 5 - stanley stanley 6 - maxcel