Countryside Race Day was mostly bright and breezy. Recent heavy rain meant the going was heavy, and as a result the third last fence (the open ditch) was omitted.
The first event was a 2m chase. Air De Rock was clear and looked the likely winner when getting too close to the second last and coming down. That left Le Coeur Net (13/2) with a similarly large advantage and he extended it to run out an 18 length winner for Anthony Honeyball and promising claimer Rex Dingle. The gamble of the race, Alf’N’Dor, was second. Air De Rock’s good effort gave hope that the Venetia Williams yard, in the doldrums last season, might be on its way back
Some promising sorts contested the 2m novice hurdle, notably Good Boy Bobby, already the winner of three bumpers and a hurdle. He slightly disappointed by only finishing third to hurdles debutant Remastered (9/4), who disputed the lead for most of the way. He went ahead on his own coming into the straight, gradually drawing away from his rivals. Smiths Cross kept on for second, seven lengths behind. The winner could be very useful and David Pipe and Tom Scudamore have a lot to look forward to with him.
A 3m novice chase full of interest came next. Colin Tizzard’s Albert Bartlett winner Kilbricken Storm (8/11 fav) was making his debut over fences. He led some way out, but jumped to the right in second half of race, giving his pursuers hope. He jumped the last straight, but very slowly, and this allowed the 40/1 shot Cobolobo to dash past him on the run-in. Sam Twiston-Davies conjured up a rally from Kilbricken Storm and the two horses flashed past the post together. The photo revealed that the Tizzard horse had got up by a short head. Steely Addition wasn’t far away in third. It will be fascinating to see how the first three progress.
Nine of the fourteen in the 2m4f maiden hurdle had shown ability by winning bumpers or point-to-points. The Philip Hobbs-trained Truckin Away (14/1) wasn’t one of them, but he took the lead at the final flight on the far side, and once he began to increase his advantage in the home straight he could be called the winner. He understandably tired on the run-in, letting Acey Milan reduce the gap to three and a half lengths, with the recent Chepstow third Volcano filling the same berth again. Micheal Nolan rode the winner, who was running in the same colours as Remastered.
The seven runners for the 3m hurdle were sure to be in for a dour struggle. Having his first run since the Welsh National, Buckhorn Timothy’s burden of twelve stone two pounds was reduced by Harry Kimber’s ten pound claim and this proved crucial. It was the young man’s first winner under Rules. The 16/1 outsider of the party led after the third last and although the petrol gauge was down near empty on the run-in, the same was true of his opponents. Long-time leader Quiz Master plugged on to take second, five lengths away. It completed a double for Colin Tizzard.
Jepeck, a prolific point winner for the Woolacotts, had his first run for the Anthony Honeyball stable and was gambled in from 2/1 to 6/5 favourite. He jumped violently to the right for most of the race, yet still won easily. Steel Native almost reached his quarters at the third last but couldn’t stay with the leader. The 12 length winning margin would have been much greater if Jepeck had jumped straight. Honeyball and Rex Dingle were completing doubles. Oddly enough the stable’s main hope before racing was Acey Milan, who was second in the maiden hurdle.
There was a brief downpour before the finale, a 2m hurdle for conditional jockeys. Queen Of The Wind (5/1) travelled well and took up the running after the penultimate flight, and despite flattening the last she ran on strongly to hold off Some Can Dance by a length. It was jockey Benjamin Godfrey’s third career victory. It was Colin Tizzard’s third success of the day here, and as he had two more winners at Sandown it completed a memorable day for the yard.
