A sun-filled evening at Chepstow drew a big crowd for seven races and a Madness concert. The going was good to soft, soft in places.
In the 13-runner opener, over 1m4f, the locally-trained Ascot Day was favourite to follow up a recent course win, but he had to play second fiddle to Kingfast (8/1). The pair went for home over a quarter of a mile out, and Kingfast soon got the upper hand, but couldn’t get any further than half a length in front of his dogged pursuer. First-time cheekpieces helped spur some improvement out of the winner, who was trained by David Dennis and ridden by Charlie Bennett.
Gendarme (7/1) continued the good form of the Alexandra Dunn yard by taking the 1m2f race in fine style. George Wood pushed him into the lead approaching the two pole and soon it was game over; he went well clear, and even when eased down he had two and a half lengths in hand. Love And Be Loved was a never-nearer second.
David Evans’s two-year-old Lili Wen Fach has had a short but busy career; in two months her form figures read 63742. Today she added a 1 to them by winning the fillies’ race over 5f. Liam Jones was niggling her along from halfway to stay in touch with the freewheeling Silver Start, and in the last 50 yards their persistence paid off. Six furlongs will suit her better. Go Well Spicy ran on late to pinch second place, three quarters of a length behind.
Unfancied when second at Chepstow on her debut, Zephyrina (13/2) went one better tonight dropping down to seven furlongs. She was fourth and looking held with a furlong to go, and then Kieran Shoemark conjured up a fine burst of speed from her to dash past her rivals. She scored with some authority, finishing three quarters of a length ahead of Moveonup and Quirky Gertie. It was Lambourn trainer Daniel Kubler’s first winner here.
The fifth race was also over 7f. Bungee Jump (11/2) bounced back to form two weeks ago at Chepstow and won again tonight for Grace Harris. The increasingly impressive Rossa Ryan angled the filly out of stall 2, on the far side, and brought her across to the stands side rail, abetted by the slow pace the others were going at. Before long she was bowling along with a three length lead, and she kept it all the way to the winning post for a very easy success. Rock Of Estonia ran on well, but much too late to pose any sort of threat.
It was high time a favourite obliged, and A Sure Welcome (100/30 fav) did so in the next race. He had a clear run down the middle of the track and took the lead a furlong out to win. Ryan Tate rode him for veteran Worcestershire trainer John Spearing. There were two hard luck stories. The runner-up, Ladweb, was carried violently left coming out of the stalls, coincidentally by the horse that won. He lost much more ground than the length and a half by which he was beaten. In third, National Glory met traffic problems getting a run on the rails and would also have finished closer.
There was a rousing finish to the finale, over 5f, in which Rossa Ryan completed a double. He came from last to first aboard the Tony Newcombe-trained Sovereign State (11/1). The jockey found a good run on the stands side, but had to work hard to keep the horse from hanging to his left. He still made up ground inexorably, and joined the leader, David’s Beauty, a stride or two before the winning post. The photo went his way, by a short head.
