Cheltenham Festival winner set for Stratford

CHELTENHAM Festival winner Moon Racer is the star entry at Stratford on Sunday, when long-standing sponsors Avon Estates are supporting the seven-race card, writes David Hucker.

Moon Racer, who made an encouraging re-appearance at Punchestown last month, could make his jumps debut in the stratfordcaravans.co.uk Novices’ Hurdle.

Trainer David Pipe, who landed his 1,000th winner at Haydock Park on Saturday, will have welcomed the recent rain and, should he line up, Moon Racer will be the best horse to have run at Stratford for some time.

Sleep Easy was an impressive winner over the course in March and the form has been boosted by third-placed Red Tornado going on to rattle up a hat-trick.

Another of interest is El Terremoto who, despite failing to score in seven starts in France, could make an impact in this country for new trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies.

With a total of 172 entries, it promises to be a competitive afternoon’s racing and the action gets underway at 1.50pm with the stratfordcaravans.co.uk Mares’ Novices’ Selling Hurdle over two miles, in which Fountains Blossom and recent Newton Abbot winner What A Scorcher look the form picks.

However, whilst this is the only entry of the week for What A Scorcher, trainer Anthony Honeyball has put Fountains Blossom in five races, giving plenty of options for running.

Although she only scrambled home in a close finish, What A Scorcher could win again, with the lightly-raced Isla Fernados, who finished third behind a red-hot favourite at Warwick last time out, a likely danger.

The trip is two-and-three-quarter miles for the following stratfordcaravans.co.uk Handicap Hurdle and with 40 entries, running plans are hard to predict, but Bawden Rocks would be an interesting contender if declared for this race rather than a chase later on the card.

Pipe’s Mount Haven would be running over fences for the first time in the stratfordcaravans.co.uk Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase.

The race is for horses rated up to 120 and he would just creep in, being 1lb below the limit, but has an alternative engagement over hurdles at Perth today.

Ex-Irish chaser Thoonavolla showed improved form to get off the mark for the Tom Weston stable at the second time of asking at Southwell and, although only finishing fourth at Ludlow off today’s rating of 98 on his next run, has plenty of experience under his belt.

Longest race of the afternoon is the Avon Caravan Park Handicap Hurdle (for the Charles Lea Memorial Trophy) over three-and-a-quarter miles, won last year by 9-1 shot Billy Congo who was completing a hat-trick of wins under Rules.

None of this year’s 17 entries are on quite the same roll, although When In Roam has won two of her last three starts, having been disqualified from third place at Newcastle in between when losing her weight cloth after the saddled slipped on the run-in.

Another in good recent form is Wintered Well, who won twice in March, although he has not appeared to see his races out on the last two starts.

Armagh trainer Ronan McNally has the veteran See Double You entered in the Riverside Caravan Park Handicap Chase and he showed he was no back number when winning at Hexham in March.

Ratify is another at the veteran stage, but may find the going a bit lively here, and it may pay to take , who has had just two runs since coming back from a long lay-off.

The curtain comes down on the afternoon with the Rayford Caravan Park Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race in which Lambourn trainer Warren Greatrex has three entries.

Stratford will be one of the stop-off points in a 550 mile charity bike ride that is taking place over five days in support of the Injured Jockeys’ Fund.

Starting at Jack Berry House in Malton, it also takes in York, Newmarket and Newbury racecourses before finishing at John Oaksey House in Lambourn on Monday.

The ride is in appreciation of the help given by the Fund to Angela Dodd, formerly Gingell, who rode and trained point to point horses before breaking her back in an accident in 2008 that left her a paraplegic.

Riders are aiming to raise £15,000 and donations can be made at https://www.justgiving.com/Matthew-Gingell1