Midnight Cowboy reigns supreme for King
THE consistent Midnight Cowboy and Wayne Hutchinson proved too strong for their rivals in Stratford’s feature £10,000 Sheppard Family Handicap Chase on Thursday, landing his third win of the season and a 16 in all for trainer Alan King, writes David Hucker.
Midnight Cowboy had finished third behind Alcala at Newton Abbot on his previous run and, with the winner having won both his subsequent starts, including the valuable Betfred Summer Plate at Market Rasen, the form looked rock solid.
Reilly’s Minor and Harry Bannister set a good pace up front until blundering at the ninth fence and dropping back quickly, leaving Newton Geronimo in a clear lead.
But, Wayne Hutchinson on Midnight Cowboy always looked to be travelling well and able to pick off the leader at any time and they asserted in the home straight, running on strongly to deny the staying-on Cut The Corner by half a length.
Strumble Head put in an exhibition round of jumping to take the opening Duralock Handicap Chase over two and three-quarter miles. After vying for the lead with Fort Gabriel early on, James Bowen sent Strumble Head clear going down the back straight for the first time and they were never headed from there on, finishing six lengths clear of Wade Harper, who could make no impression from the home turn.
This was a sixth career win for 16-year-old Bowen, who is following in the footsteps of his brother Sean, and looks to have a bright future.
Mister Universum followed up his course win in July when scoring again at Bangor-on-Dee under a 7lb penalty. He had to step up again to land his hat-trick in the John Smith’s Novices’ Hurdle, but was backed as if already past the post, going off the 2-5 favourite.
His supporters were in for a shock, however, as Thahab Ifraj, a promising second at the course on his last run over jumps, set a steady pace before quickening up turning up for home and, in receipt of a stone in weight, ran on strongly with Richie McLernon to score by four and a half lengths.
Trainer Robert Stephens passed up an opportunity to run Jazz Thyme at Newton Abbot two days earlier in favour of the Marion Ward 65 Birthday Novices’ Handicap Hurdle and she headed the betting at 5-2, just ahead of Mr Mafia, who shortened in price in the minutes before the off.
Going past leader Romann Angel on the run between the last two flights, Jazz Thyme looked like vindicating her trainer’s decision, but she found nothing extra when tackled by Mr Mafia at the final hurdle, finishing runner-up for the third race in a row.
Winning rider Lee Edwards was chalking up only his fourth success of the season and, for Worcestershire trainer Tony Carroll, it was even more welcome, being just his second of the campaign.
Conditional jockey Bryony Frost’s 5lb claim partly off-set the double penalty carried by the consistent BraqueurD’Or in the competitive-looking Allsoppandallsopp Top Achievers Novices’ Chase, but it didn’t prove quite enough in the end, as they couldn’t peg back the front-running Ballinure, who was a length to the good at the final fence and maintained the advantage on the run to the line with Jeremiah McGrath.
Just four lined up for the Stratford Interactive Novices’ Handicap Chase, with Newton Abbot winner Going For Broke shading favouritism ahead of Adrrastos.
With Going For Broke reaching for the third fence and parting company with Jonathan Moore on landing, the race developed into a duel between Adrrastos and Deauville Dancer. The two matched strides until the end of the back straight where Adrrastos asserted and Aidan Coleman pushed him out for a ten-length success.
The largest field of the afternoon lined up for the concluding Bet At racinguk.com Amateur Riders’ Handicap Hurdle and it produced a surprise winner, as 20-1 shot Berry De Carjac, ridden by Catherine Walton, led his rivals a merry dance and, despite a mistake at the last flight, was well clear at the line.
