Flat meetings at this time of year often have eight races and it’s kept David Probert busy with 51 rides in nine days in a row up to and including Saturday. He had a well-deserved day off on Sunday before getting back on the treadmill at Wolverhampton on Monday evening, where he needed three more winners to reach his century for 2024.
His winner at Newbury on Saturday, Mustazeed, has also had plenty of exercise. He won a Class 2 handicap over a mile and a quarter on heavy ground having run second, beaten a neck, in a Class 4 the day before over the same course and distance ridden by Kieran Shoemark.
The six-year-old Harry Eustace-trained gelding is a bit of a monkey at home and this plan of running on consecutive days worked a treat. Well supported during the day into 3/1 favoritism, he settled in last place to begin with. Probert was unconcerned, and when the field turned into the long home straight they left a large gap on the far rail for Mustazeed. He easily made up the ground and finished three lengths to the good, appearing not to have had too a hard race.
Running an older horse twice in quick succession is a reasonable tactic towards the end of a season. If the second run is unsuccessful or leaves the horse very tired he would be due to have a break soon afterwards anyway.
The Bowen brothers dominated the finish of a two-mile hurdle at Newton Abbot, with James beating Sean narrowly. The winner, Karannelle, is owned and trained in Pembrokeshire by David Rees. She needs to come from behind to take the lead as late as possible. Addosh, ridden by Sean, came from well behind in great style only to be joined at the last by Karannelle, who found a little more on the run-in to win by a neck, her third course victory.
The Newton Abbot card closed with a competitive and dramatic three and a quarter mile chase that went to Debra Hamer’s Hold Your Fort. He’d already won three times over course and distance in the summer by wide margins. Up 38 pounds in the handicap and carrying top weight, a place looked the best he could hope for when overtaken turning into the straight. But the ability to stay three miles does not guarantee staying those next two furlongs; the leader tied up, Hold Your Fort went back in front and won by four lengths.
Earlier in the race Ben Jones was lucky to avoid serious injury when his horse was cannoned into by an opponent approaching the first fence. Jones was knocked out of the saddle and flew over the fence with another horse following almost jumping on top of him. Happily he was able to walk away unscathed.
We’re now little more than two weeks away from Chepstows two-day Jump Season Opener on Friday 11th and Saturday 12th October. As usual, cheaper tickets are available if buying in advance.
