On-song Noel calls the tune with Warwick treble
JOCKEY Noel Fehily was in sparkling form at Warwick’s Business Networking Raceday on Friday, landing a treble, capped by a never-say-die ride on Ballydague Lady for in-form trainer Neil Mulholland, writes David Hucker.
Only two horses ever really got into contention in the opening Willmott Dixon Supply Chain Juvenile Maiden Hurdle, with Nucky Thompson and Castafiore fighting a ding-dong battle up the home straight. There was nothing between them coming to the final flight, but Nucky Thompson and Fehily jumped the better of the two and ran on well to prevail by a neck.
Owned and bred by Phil Cunningham, whose colours were also carried by his sire, dual Classic winner Cockney Rebel, the useful Flat performer Nucky Thompson was stepping up on his debut fourth at Wetherby to provide Newmarket trainer Richard Spencer with his second success over jumps.
In the absence of likely favourite Blue Heron, just two set out in the afternoon’s feature, the £10,000 Lewis Badges 1832 Novices´ Chase, but there was only one left in it when Bantam and champion jockey Richard Johnson parted company at the fourth fence.
That left Towcester winner Pinkie Brown, himself a faller at Cheltenham on his last run, out on his own, but there was to be no more drama, as he put in a clean round of jumping this time to give Fehily his second winner.
Trainer Neil Mulholland had entered Ballydague Lady in a number of races over the week, but he opted to run her in the Willmott Dixon Supply Chain Handicap Chase, which, in the absence of Butlergrove King, had been reduced to only three runners.
It proved the right choice as, having been passed by Kitchapoly at the 11 fence, Ballydague Lady produced a storming run to get her head in front again near the line to bring up Fehily’s treble and Mulhulland’s half century of winners for the season.
Three lined up for the Willmott Dixon Supply Chain Novices´ Hurdle over three and a quarter miles and, although top-weight Linguine disputed the lead early on, it was Braventara who made most of the running to give Johnson his 99 success of the campaign.
Although stepping up in distance from her debut run over hurdles, Braventara was bred to get this trip, as her dam L’Aventure won the Scottish Borders National over four miles at Kelso, finishing her career when runner-up to subsequent Cheltenham Gold Cup hero, Synchronised.
The Willmott Dixon Supply Chain Handicap Hurdle was another race to cut up, with Beau Du Brizais, who was making his handicap debut, well-supported to beat his four rivals and bring up Johnson’s century.
But, it was not to be, as Beau Du Brizais was beaten when falling at the penultimate flight, with the race going to Angus Glens, who was having his first run for trainer Grace Harris, showing improved form from his last effort when a beaten odds-on favourite at Stratford in October.
Brownville was a hot 2-5 favourite to land the ROA/Racing Post Owners Jackpot Conditional Jockeys´ Handicap Chase (Challenger Series Qualifier) over a trip of nearly three and a quarter miles, but he met his match in Vikekhal, who jumped into the lead at the third-last fence and came away for a seven-length success.
Trained by Gary Moore at Horsham in Sussex, Vikekhal provided William Clarke with the second win of his career, having got off the mark over hurdles at Huntingdon five days earlier.
Despite having taken two falls, Johnson got back up to partner 15-8 favourite Katy P in the closing Willmott Dixon George Mernagh Memorial Mares´ Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race, but they couldn’t peg back Odello, who made a winning debut under a well-judged front-running ride by Gavin Sheehan.
There is racing again at the course next Wednesday (16), when the seven-race card gets underway at 12.35pm.
