66-1 outsider Chosen Dream claims shock success at Stratford
THERE were plenty of shock results at Stratford’s big hunter chase meeting on Friday, including the success of 66-1 rank outsider Chosen Dream in the evening’s feature race, writes David Hucker.
With £25,000 in the prize fund, the Pertemps Network Stratford Foxhunters Champion Hunters’ Chase is one of the richest of its kind in the racing calendar and was being run for the prestigious Horse And Hound Cup for the 60 time.
There was a pretty short priced favourite in Balnaslow, ridden Derek O’Connor, who was second in the race last year and had scored at the Aintree Festival in April.
Punters sent him off at 7-4 to go one better this time, but he could finish only fourth behind his stable companion Chosen Dream who led at the last fence and readily drew away from Asockastar.
The opening novices’ race had gone to 3-1 shot Caryto Des Brosses with the well-supported RobinDes People leading just yards from the post to take the following White Swan Hotel Open Hunters’ Chase by half a length from Brave Jaq.
Warwick scorer Garde Ville followed up at the rewarding odds of 11-1 with regular jockey Stephen Paul Davies to land the pointtopoint.co.uk Champion Novices’ Hunters’ Chase, run for the John Corbet Cup, but he may have been a lucky winner as Master Baker was still in front at the final fence when veering to the left and giving Jo Supple little chance of staying in the saddle.
The meeting saw the climax of the amateur rider championships for 2017/18 and last year’s title holder Page Fuller held an unassailable lead in the women’s section, having already notched up 16 successes for the season.
She was on board 11-8 favourite Monsieur Gibraltar in the Skinner’s Ladies Open Point-To Point Championship Final, but finished down the field behind veteran Owen Glendower, who jumped to the front at the final fence, running on strongly to spring a 25-1 surprise in the hands of owner/trainer Hannah Gregory.
The men’s title was less clear cut, with leader Lorcan Williams, who is attached to the powerful Paul Nicholls stable, coming into the meeting on 12 wins, one ahead of Zac Baker and two in front of Alex Edwards, both of whom had rides during the evening.
It was Edwards who looked to have the best chance of catching the leader with five rides, but he could only make one count when 3-1 favourite Crazy Jack took the racing uk.com/freetrial Handicap Hunters’ Chase.
He was on even-money favourite Shalltoo in the closing Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Champion “Point-To-Point” Bumper, but could only finish third behind Lily The Pink who, despite jumping the path a furlong out, ran on well to score for Leanda Tickle.
It was the turn of the professionals on Saturday and the latest round in the battle for the jockeys’ championship.
Harry Skelton has been setting a scorching pace at the top of the table and, although the season is only just over a month old, had set up a clear lead with 35 wins at a strike-rate of 36 per cent.
He looks to have every chance of topping last season’s career-best score of 131, but whether he can keep up the pace and deny reigning champion Richard Johnson a fourth title remains to be seen.
Johnson himself was on the 17-winner mark, but his strike rate of 14 per cent is well down on previous years.
He couldn’t have wished for a better evening, however, landing the opening race on Calarules for Tim Vaughan, before making virtually all the running on Imperial Presence for his principal trainer Philip Hobbs in the next.
He made it a treble on the evening when the Warren Greatrex trained Aardwolf took the Frontline Hospitality Management Novices’ Hurdle from Jamacho, who was making his debut for the the Stratford Racing Club.
Skelton drew a blank, with third place on Ashkoul behind the well-backed All Set To Go in the Mark Nield Wealth Management Handicap Hurdle his best effort from three rides.
