Seven-up for Skelton as Speed Demon cruises to victory

DAN Skelton consolidated his position as Stratford’s leading trainer for the season when Speed Demon came home in splendid isolation to make it seven wins for the year so far at his local course, writes David Hucker.

With no rain falling for two weeks, clerk of the course Nessie Chanter had been busy watering the track, having applied 41mm in the previous seven days and further selective watering ahead of the meeting to maintain the mainly good going.

Just four lined up for the opening Jenkinsons Caterers Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle over two and a quarter miles with Passmore, still seeking her first win after nine races, a red-hot favourite.

Leading from the off, Passmore wasn’t too clever at her jumps early on but, once the pace quickened on the second circuit, she hurdled far more fluently and looked to have the race in safe keeping turning for home.

But, victory didn’t come quite as easily as her 1-3 starting price would suggest, as she suddenly found outsider Tara’s Rainbow looming up alongside approaching the final flight and had to dig deep to scrape home by just a head.

Favourite backers collected again in the following Charlie Longsdon Racing Club Novices’ Hurdle when Kelso winner Champagne City was brought with a well-timed run by Adrian Heskin to head Thahab Ifraj going to the last and stay on well to score by three lengths, earning trainer Tom George 10 points as he chases Skelton to land the Bordeaux Undiscovered sponsored prize of two cases of wine for the winning-most yard.

The Skelton trained second-favourite Mister Showman had every chance, but didn’t jump the flight as fluently as his two rivals and couldn’t close the gap on the short run-in.

There was another exciting finish in the feature John Smiths Handicap Chase, with prolific point-to-point winner Play The Ace, ridden by Sean Bowen, proving too strong for course winner Hepijeu, who had made most of the running, but still had enough reserves of energy to come back for more after being headed at the penultimate fence.

Skelton again had to settle for a place with Honkytonktennesse who, like his stable companion in the previous race, looked to be in with a chance of winning going to the last, but couldn’t quicken on the run to the line.

There was a fierce dual up front in the Pizza Heaven Handicap Hurdle with favourite Our Three Sons and Burning Heat going head to head.

Course winner Our Three Sons won that battle, going clear entering the home straight, but he didn’t win the war as Sailors Warn, who had been backed before the off, sailed past approaching the last to forge clear under Tom O’Brien.

With second favourite Spader a faller at the second last flight, it had been a frustrating afternoon for Team Skelton, but Speed Demon put matters right in some style in the SD Photos Novices’ Handicap Chase, coming home well clear of favourite Jonagold.

Run over two full circuits of the course, it was Whos De Baby who took them along until the water jump, where SpeedDemon went to the front.

He had just the favourite for company until the third last fence where another good leap put the race to bed and Speed Demon went further and further away for a wide-margin win to extend Skelton’s advantage over George.

The money talked in the concluding Racing UK Welcomes Stratford On 4 July Handicap Hurdle, as 6-4 favourite Cillian’s Well, who was always travelling well within himself for Robbie Dunne, surged past Frozen Over on the turn for home and, although not finding a lot more going to the final jump, had too much in hand for his rivals, led home by Anton Dolin after the fading Frozen Over had unseated Page Fuller after the flight.

Racing returns to the course with an evening on Tuesday, 4th July, the first of three fixtures in the month.