Evan Williams (photographed) has opted to run Libberty Hunter in Wednesday’s Queen Mother Champion Chase, rather than the Grand Annual Handicap, for which he was ante-post favourite. He’s a 33/1 shot against the likes of Jonbon, but connections feel it’s worth having a go.
For the second Saturday in a row Sean Bowen was the headline story, this time with his last-gasp success on Go Dante in Sandown’s Imperial Cup. In a dramatic finish he got up in the final twenty yards to win the race for the second consecutive year. The Olly Murphy-trained nine-year-old had a hard race and an attempt at Friday’s County Hurdle, with a £100,000 bonus on offer for completing that double, is in the balance.
Bowen’s day concluded with his first winner for Epsom trainer Jim Boyle in the 2m4f chase on Classic Anthem. He’d been knocking at the door, coming second on his last two outings, and today he came home a convincing six-length winner.
The champion jockey elect made it 150 for the season at Warwick on Sunday riding the odds-on Woodie Flash in the 3m2f hurdle. He certainly earned his fee, for the horse needed cajoling and driving along the whole way. He’s a strong stayer and anything but flash.
Bowen’s twenty-plus lead in the jockeys’ title race means he can afford to ride at Cheltenham on each day rather than ply his trade at the likes of Huntingdon and Fakenham. He has a few decent mounts, mainly for Murphy, though all are at double-figure odds.
Jack Tudor was at Hereford on Saturday, where he scored on Western General. Up ten pounds for a Wincanton success last time, his four opponents had nothing left to give from three furlongs out and he cantered to a 22-length victory. Joe Tizzard’s two-miler has now won on good, soft and heavy this season.
Warwick was also the scene of a James Davies winner, riding the well-supported Northern Poet in the 3m5f chase. Nick Gifford’s ten-year-old had won at Doncaster a week ago but had to be scrubbed along vigorously a mile out. He kept on responding to pressure and hit the front in the last hundred yards.
At Wolverhampton’s evening meeting David Probert was in double-winning form. First came the three-year-old Fearnot, who fetched 90,000 guineas as a yearling and was wearing a hood for this, his racecourse debut. Sent off at 5/2 against two shorter-priced rivals, Probert held him up off a strong pace and although they were ten lengths behind the leader turning into the straight, Fearnot ran on well to sweep past the field and win cosily.
Later he rode Sir Les Patterson (a gelding, unlike his fictional namesake), who had run four stinkers since winning twice in a row a year ago. This evening he was a reformed character, travelling sweetly through the six furlongs and taking the lead 150 yards out to score with authority.
Our next meeting at Chepstow is this Sunday 16th March – it’s our St Patrick’s Race Day with seven races from 2.02pm. There are still places available for lunch in The View Restaurant priced at £89 per person including admission, a table for the day, a three course lunch and a race day programme.
