Johnson extends lead with Warwick double
WARWICK again proved to be a happy hunting ground for champion jockey Richard Johnson, as he extended his lead at the top of this season’s table with a double on Tuesday afternoon, writes David Hucker.
It was at Warwick back in March that Johnson notched his 200 winner of the 2015/16 campaign on Cheat The Cheater.
A month later at the course, he made it win number 222 with Draytonian to surpass Peter Scudamore’s tally set in 1988/89, eventually finishing with a total of 235 as he landed his first title.
Johnson was seen at his best in the feature £12,000 Asset Finance Brokers Handicap Chase, getting 6-1 shot Kilfinichen Bay up to win by a neck, after favourite Master Dee had looked all over the winner when leading out of the back straight.
There was tight betting between the five runners in the John Allen Memorial Interactive Novices´ Limited Handicap Chase, with top-weight Wells De Lune, ridden by Johnson, just shading favouritism from chasing debutant A Little Magic, who was to get no further than the first fence where he unseated jockey Aidan Coleman.
Out in front, Johnson had stolen a good lead on Wells De Lune and, although Jarlath tried to close the gap, he had enough left in the tank to come home seven lengths in front, with No Ceiling staying on for third.
Twelve runners lined up for opening Arkle Finance Novices´ Hurdle over two miles, with Tahira, who was making her first appearance since going down in a photo finish to NoWin No Fee at Stratford in July, sent off the 11-8 favourite.
She had changed stables since that run and was making her debut here for Gloucestershire-based Richard Hobson.
Second favourite Bleu Et Noir, already a winner of three races this season, took the field along at a good pace, but his lead was narrowing approaching the third-last flight, as Tahira and Furiously Fast began to throw down a challenge.
It was Tahira who proved the stronger, gong clear off the home bend and running on well for conditional jockey Conor Shoemark to deny Furiously Fast, with outsider Hag Stone, benefiting from the last flight fall of a tiring Bleu Et Noir, a long way back in third.
A number of the runners in the Rathbone Investment Management Handicap Chase had been active during the summer jumping campaign and it was Highbury High, a winner at Wincanton in May and racing off the same handicap mark of 96, who headed the betting.
The gamble of the race was Copperfacejack, trained at Mollington by Paul Webber, who was backed from 5-1 to 7-2 to step up on his last run when tailed off at Uttoxeter in July.
Although he stayed on to snatch second place close home, Copperfacejack couldn’t get near to Highbury High, who took the lead approaching the final fence and stayed on strongly for Noel Fehily to give trainer Neil Mulholland his 31 winner of the season.
The lead changed hands several times in the Ken Muir Memorial Handicap Hurdle, with top-weight For ‘N’ Against taking the runners along to the fourth-last flight from where Presence Felt and Decimus both took a turn in front.
But, they couldn’t resist the challenge of 10-1 shot Patsys Castle who hit the front at the penultimate flight to make a successful return to hurdles after his chasing career failed to take off over the summer.
Top-weight What A Scorcher brought the curtain down on the afternoon’s racing when taking the Rathbone Investment Management Mares’ Handicap Hurdle, leading after the third hurdle and holding off the challenge of Loves Destination, who looks to be high in the weights after winning three times last season.
