Christmas in April pips Quiz Master in thriller at Warwick

DESPITE the weather turning cool and cloudy, there was another good Carnival crowd for Warwick’s Ladies Night on Saturday and they were treated to a thrilling finish to the feature Qatar Airways Handicap Hurdle where just a nose separated the first two home, writes David Hucker.

After Barbrook Star had set a good a pace for most of the race, it was Spectator, who had travelled well throughout, and market leader Quiz Master who looked to have it between them jumping the last.

Favourite backers must have started to count their winnings as Quiz Master asserted with the post coming up, but the race wasn’t over as Nico de Boinville brought the Nicky Henderson trained Christmas In April with a storming run to snatch the prize by the minimum margin right on the line.

There was little room for manoeuvre jumping the final flight in the Lawton Tubes Centenary Handicap Hurdle, with five horses in contention and any one of them capable of winning.

But, it was Cultivator who came out on top, denying top-weight I’m A Game Changer in another photo finish, to make it a double for the Henderson/de Boinville combination, who look to be in for another good season.

With nobody keen to make the running, Turangi and Richard Johnson set a steady pace in the opening Lawton Tubes Novices’ Hurdle, but they had nothing left to give when Clondaw Anchor swept past on the turn for home.

Another winner for Dan and Harry Skelton looked on the cards, but travelling strongly in behind was Minella Warrior, who was making his first appearance in 407 days.

Once David Bass pressed the button, Minella Warrior soon put the race to bed and brought up his first win to start repaying his £180,000 price tag.

The threatened rain started to fall as the five runners set out for the Listers Audi “National Hunt” Maiden Hurdle and there was a red-hot favourite in the shape of Deyrann De Carjac, who had run with promise on his last start at Ayr.

Wayne Hutchinson was content to track the front two until turning out of the back straight where he injected some pace into the race and it proved decisive as the combination went further and further away to post a 20 length win over Sgroppino.

Course director Aiden Murphy had hopes of lifting the Ardencote Destination Spa Mares’ Novices’ Chase with Poppy Kay, successful in a Listed event at Sandown Park in January, and she was sent off the 11-8 favourite to make a winning debut over the larger obstacles.

Settled near the rear of the field by Richard Johnson, she put in some awkward jumps and never threatened to get near to the leaders.

Up front, it was second-favourite Whatduhavtoget who was bowling along under Harry Skelton and she ran on strongly over the last two fences to hold off the late challenge of Treackle Tart by two lengths.

“She has always looked like a chaser” said winning trainer Dan Skelton. “I want to give her another race to show the owners that this wasn’t just one good day at the office and to build some consistency.”

Only four completed the course in the three-mile Agetur Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Chase but, judging by the cheer from the crowd, plenty were on the winner Goodnight Charlie, who was well clear from the third-last fence with Bridget Andrews, adding to her course win over hurdles a year ago.

The largest field of the evening lined up for the concluding GoCruise&Travel Warwickshire Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race and it proved eventful with Simon The Great unseating Sean Bowen at the start before getting off with the rest of the runners.

The race itself was more straightforward with Balli Martine building up a commanding lead before being passed inside the last furlong by first Kingofthecotswolds and then down the outside by the winner Nobby, who completed a double for trainer Alan King and jockey Wayne Hutchinson.

The third leg of the Carnival comes up next Wednesday with Proudly Warwick Raceday, which celebrates the town and the racecourse’s involvement in the community.

It is the richest day of the Carnival, with two feature races on the programme being the £30,000 Wigley Group Carnival Chase and the £25,000 Feldon Dunsmore Building Legal Solutions Carnival Hurdle.