There was good racing at Chepstow today as well as at the other two big meetings. The going was soft, heavy in places.
A 2m4f chase got the card under way. Louse Talk made a good attempt to lead all the way, but once Gavin Sheehan took it up on Domaine De L’Isle (9/2) after the third last the result was no longer in doubt. The further he went, the easier it became for him and he came in 10 lengths ahead of Indian Brave. Sean Curran was the successful trainer.
Anthony Honeyball’s Jepeck (3/1) led all the way to win the 3m novice hurdle, though he gave his backers a bit of a fright on the run-in as he tired, allowing Blackjack Kentucky to reduce an eight-length deficit to one and a quarter. Rex Dingle was alert to the danger, though, and kept him going. The winner’s next assignment is the Veterans Chase Final at Sandown in four weeks.
The winner of the Welsh Horse Racing Award for Chaser of the Year, the locally-trained Midlands Grand National victor Potters Corner (11/1), returned to form in a 3m handicap hurdle. Christian Williams was exploiting his hurdling handicap mark being 16 pounds lower than his rating over fences. The horse relished the soft going and rallied in ultra-game style under Jack Tudor to take the lead on the run-in. He held off Remastered and According To Gino by a neck and a short head, Supreme Escape finishing faster than any of them a length and a half away. The winner will now head towards the Welsh National.
Next came the Welsh Grand National Trial over 3m, and another exciting finish. Acting Lass jumped into a narrow lead five out, only to blunder so badly at the third last that his nose scraped along the ground. He forfeited two places, but responded gallantly to join the other pair at the next and surge ahead after the last. Another Venture fought back to finish just half a length down with Captain Cattistock running honourably in third. The winner – who’s a gelding, despite the name – was ridden by Paddy Brennan for Harry Fry.
The See More Business Trophy, a race for novices over the same 3m course as the preceding race, went to the Oliver Sherwood-trained Dominateur (11/2). Gavin Sheehan had to sit tight as the horse jumped awkwardly at the last two obstacles, but he’d hit the front between them and finished full of running. He beat Sojourn by four and a half lengths.
Few were fancied for the 2m4f hurdle, and Nightboattoclyro (50/1 - pictured) wasn’t one of them. Nevertheless, he had shown some ability on the few occasions he’d run, and trainer David Dennis wasn’t completely surprised by today’s victory. Jack Tudor brought him from well behind to lead after the penultimate flight, and when Meyer Lansky drew upsides at the last, he battled on bravely. Edging ahead three or four strides from the line, he finished half a length on top. It was Tudor’s first double.
The bumper was won by Cadmar (3/1), giving Gavin Sheehan a treble and the in-form Chris Gordon stable proof that they have a good horse on their hands. He cruised into the lead a quarter of a mile out and wasn’t hard pressed to hold off Paul Nicholls’s Mortlach by four lengths.
