Ozzie The Oscar claims third successive win at Warwick

FAVOURITE Ozzie The Oscar and Richard Johnson made it three wins from three runs over the course when taking the Wigley Group Carnival Chase, feature race at Proudly Warwick Raceday, the third leg of the Qatar Airways May Racing Carnival on Wednesday, writes David Hucker.

San Benedeto, who boasts an official rating of 158 and finished last season chasing home Altior at Sandown Park, topped the weights, but he never looked like collecting as Ozzie The Oscar took up the running at the fifth fence, making light of the 6lb rise in his handicap mark for beating Sister Sibyl at the end of April and now starts a well-earned break.

Just three lined up for the opening Qatar Airways William Eborall Novices’ Hurdle and there was a red-hot favourite in Dead Right, who was re-appearing after a break of 309 days, having last been seen when beating Grade 1 winning hurdler Next Destination in a bumper at Punchestown in April 2017.

Held up last of the runners by Aidan Coleman, Dead Right came to challenge Serosevsky, who was conceding weight, over the last two hurdles and, whilst he got there in the end, he had to fight for his win, which was only achieved by three-quarters of a length.

There was a bigger and more competitive-looking field for the following Hook Norton Brewery 1849 Classic Coronation Handicap Hurdle over three miles and one furlong, with hat-trick seeking Black Sam Bella heading the betting market for Dan and Harry Skelton.

For jockey Harry, the meeting offered a chance to extend his lead in this season’s title race before dashing off to Southwell’s evening fixture where he had four more rides.

Although unsuccessful on three short-priced favourites at Huntingdon the night before, he came into the meeting with 23 winners on the board for the 2018-19 season, which is only in its third week.

Despite having less rides than reigning champion Johnson, his strike rate of 35 per cent has propelled him to an early advantage and he added another winner with Black Sam Bella at the expense of the Johnson-ridden Wait For Me.

After David Bass had injected some pace into the race when sending Rocky’s Treasure to the front at the fourth-last hurdle, Skelton covered the move on Black Sam Bella and, despite an untidy jump at the last, she ran out a ready winner by five lengths.

Sister Sibyl was ridden closer to the pace than when runner-up on her last appearance at the course and, having come to challenge at the final fence, ran on well to take the USB Wealth Management Birmingham Novices’ Handicap Chase by three-quarters of a length from Dandy Man who, having conceded the lead down the back straight, came back for more over the last two jumps.

There was another good prize up for grabs in the £25,000 Feldon Dunsmore Building Carnival Handicap Hurdle over two miles and plenty were in with a chance jumping the second last flight.

At the final obstacle, it was Mister Universum who had emerged from the pack to jump to the front and he ran all the way to the line to deny Mystic Sky and bring up another winner for the Skeltons.

Irish Octave and Ben Poste got up on the line to land the three-mile handicap chase by a short head for Balscote trainer Rosemary Gasson, before Barbados Blue ran away with the concluding Flat Race for conditional jockeys and amateur riders.

After the main card, the Pertemps Network Jockey Club Challenge Charity Race saw the first ride on a British racecourse by a transgender jockey with Victoria Smith, who won more than 250 races when known as Vince, piloting Roy Rocket for Newmarket trainer John Berry.

This was the third running of the race held in aid of the Air Ambulance Service and which has raised more than £35,000 for the charity in the last two years.

Four of the nine runners were saddled by Wilmcote-based Olly Murphy, including Knight Commander, the mount of clerk of the course Jane Hedley.

But it was Catchin Time, trained at Kineton by Laura Hurley, who made every yard of the running with former apprentice Evie Brown to beat Rory Rocket and Knight Commander by a commanding margin.

The final leg of the Carnival is Celebration Raceday next Wednesday (30)with the first race due off at 5.10pm, after which the course takes a break until racing resumes in September.