Dramatic finish sees Set List claim glory at Stratford
ANOTHER bumper crowd flocked to sun-drenched Stratford on Sunday for Ladies Day and they were treated to some close finishes and a dramatic end to the afternoon’s feature race, the 102 Touch FM Handicap Chase, writes David Hucker.
For the second week running, the complexion of the feature event changed as the runners came to the final fence, when leader Ballykan, who looked to have the race in safe keeping, jinked and tried to run the wrong side of the rail, depositing jockey Daryl Jacob on the turf.
This left Set List, who had made the running up to this point, in the lead again and he ran on strongly to repel the challenge of hat-trick seeking Relentless Dreamer by three-quarters of a length.
Alyasan made it three wins over the course when running away with the opening Amber Security Selling Hurdle in the hands of Aidan Coleman. Always handily placed on the inside, Alyasan went past leader Garnock before the penultimate flight and soon put daylight between himself and the rest, which were headed by the running-on Avel Vor.
There was some spirited bidding at the post-race auction which saw the winner sold for 15,000gns to Mrs June Watts.
Huntingdon winner No Win No Fee and Aintree scorer Tahira looked to have the best form credentials in the Shakespeare Media Novices´ Hurdle and they had the race between them in the home straight, with just a short head separating the pair at the line.
After Moonday Sun had pulled his way into the lead going up the side of the course, Aidan Coleman positioned No Win No Fee on the inside ready to strike and, having gone back to the front at the penultimate flight, he put his head down to hold off the persistent challenge of Tahira, with the well-bred Holy Cross back in third.
There was a competitive field for the Judith Cooke Memorial Handicap Hurdle and it produced another close finish as top-weight Policy Breach and David Bass put in a good jump at the last and run on well to repel the challenge of second-favourite Kamool by three-quarters of a length.
It was the same winning margin in the following Touch Totally 80’s Night Novices´ Handicap Chase when Presenting Streak, trained in Yorkshire by Peter Winks and ridden by his son Ryan, wore down long-time leader Nefyn Bay, who had looked like bringing up a Coleman treble until running out of petrol approaching the final fence.
Just six lined up for the first division of the Ardencote Spa Novices´ Handicap Hurdle and it was Blagapar, ridden by claimer Charlie Hammond, who ran out a ready winner from Marley Joe to make it a double on the afternoon for trainer Dr Richard Newland and owners Foxtrot Racing after the earlier success of NoWin No Fee.
Trainer Dan Skelton had been in sparkling form the day before when landing a Market Rasen treble, including the two big races, netting over £50,000 in prize money. He had just one runner on the card with top-weight Dynamo in the second division, but he was never jumping fluently and was pulled up by Harry Skelton before the last.
The race went to bottom-weight Ginjo, who followed up his win over the course the previous week, beating Vendredi Trois by three lengths.
Three of the runners in the closing Cotswold Mares´ Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race were behind Libby T Vallance in a race at Worcester last month when, in a tight finish, Raveloe went down by just a head to the winner, with Oscar Rose the same distance back in third and En Joule in fourth.
This time, it was En Joule who came out best, leading into the straight and holding off Mileva Roller, with 11-8 favourite Raveloe well-held in third.
