Richard Patrick rode his fourth consecutive winner on his sole mount there. It came on Kerry Lee’s Tommys Charm in a maiden hurdle. He had only seen a racecourse once before, but was a well supported second favourite and showed no signs of greenness taking the lead half a mile out and keeping it. Patrick’s winning streak began with Nemean Lion in Wincanton’s Kingwell Hurdle a week earlier and continued with a double at Exeter on Friday. He made it five in a row on Sunday when riding a nice hold-up race on the maiden Bertie B at Hereford (winning connections photographed).
James Bowen was in the winners’ enclosure after the novice chase courtesy of Thor De Cerisy, who made amends for falling at the final fence in his previous outing when looking sure to win. Thor looked equally certain today coming up the home straight though Bowen had to sit tight when the horse guessed at the last fence.
The Pertemps Hurdle Qualifier was a great all-the-way success for David Brace’s eleven-year-old Classic Concorde. He racked up a series of handicapper-defying wins ridden by Connor Brace in the second half of last year. The party appeared to be over when he finished tenth on his latest start, but normal service was resumed at Chepstow with bottom weight and a generally uncontested lead.
Tim Vaughan and Alan Johns took the honours in the 3m2f chase with Twilight Glory. He scraped home by a nose here over a quarter of a mile less a month ago, but it was a little easier this time. He got a run between the two leaders approaching the second last, jumped the final fence best and stayed on dourly to win.
Finally, Evan Williams won the bumper with Leech, ridden by stable amateur Mr Lewis Gordon. He outstayed his only serious challenger in the last quarter-mile. Chasing will be his game eventually.
Sam Thomas trained Lump Sum to win the Grade 2 Dovecote Novices Hurdle at Kempton for Dai Walters. He was the form horse, and confirmed his running in a similar race last month at Doncaster with the runner-up. He might run at Cheltenham in a handicap.
Walters’ eleven-year-old Al Dancer so nearly made all the running in the Coral Trophy in a bid to add to Sam Thomas’s win in the same race with Our Power a year ago. The grey veteran, the outsider of the field, was only collared in the last half-dozen strides.
David Probert was in action at Southwell, where he rode his 20th winner of the year in a 2m handicap on Alan King’s Spartan Army.
Sean Bowen, without a winner in two weeks, may be in action at Ffos Las’s Proud to be Welsh Raceday this Friday. In the spirit of St. David’s Day, it promises an afternoon of Welsh festivities. Any racegoer wearing a daffodil or leek could be in with a chance of winning a very special prize. There are six races from 2.10pm.
