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Cotswold trainer lands a Warwick double




ON A bright and sunny autumn afternoon, Guard Your Dreams and Guard The Moon completed a Warwick feature race double for Cotswold trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies and his jockey son Sam, reports David Hucker.

With Asta La Pasta an absentee, the Class Three Clarity Wealth Management Novices Limited Handicap Chase over two-and-a-half miles had a more open look about it and it was top-weight Guard Your Dreams who headed the market from Big Blue Moon.

Hector Javilex had set a good pace until parting company with Lilly Pinchin at the fifth-last fence leaving the two market leaders in command. Big Blue Moon couldn’t maintain the pace, however, and Guard Your Dreams came to the final fence with a decisive lead and looking the likely winner.

Guard Your Dreams clears the last in the Clarity Wealth Management Novices' Limited Handicap Chase. Photo: David Pratt
Guard Your Dreams clears the last in the Clarity Wealth Management Novices' Limited Handicap Chase. Photo: David Pratt

But, making ground in behind was Olly Murphy’s Roccovango who had jumped to his right at several fences and, after being last for much of the race, closed the gap on the run to the line, going down by the minimum margin of a nose.

The winning combination landed a quick double in the following Class Three Ignite Incentives Handicap Hurdle with Hexham winner Guard The Moon, making his handicap debut. Denied an opportunity when Newton Abbot’s meeting was abandoned at the beginning of the week, he took up the running at the fourth-last flight, proving too good for Murphy’s Long Draw, the pair finishing well clear of the rest of the field.

Champion jockey Harry Cobden’s first ride back after injury proved a successful one when he made all the running on 8/13 favourite Captain Marvellous, holding the late run of Pure Carbon, to land the first division of the racingtv.com National Hunt Novices’ Hurdle over two miles.

The second division saw Strong Foundations hold off Don Virginia by a neck, but he had strayed off a straight line on the run-in, carrying the runner-up to his left, and had to survive a lengthy stewards enquiry before being confirmed the winner.

Trainer Dan Skelton withdrew a number of his intended runners on the afternoon, but one who did line up was point-to-point winner Lady Jago in the Explore Shared Ownership At inthepaddock.co.uk Mares’ Maiden Hurdle. Brought with a steady run, she joined the leaders at the penultimate flight and came clear of Jayapura and Miss Kassiopi to win comfortably.

Skelton saddled just one of his three intended runners in the Donald Newis 80th Birthday Celebration Handicap Chase, but his God’s Own Getaway drifted in the betting with others preferred. He didn’t look like winning at any stage of the race, finishing a well-beaten fifth, and, in a close finish, it was 15/2 shot The Flier Begley who got the better of co-favourite Finn Lough by a length, with another co-favourite Realisation a neck away in third.

The money talked in the closing Racing TV Open National Hunt Flat Race when the well-backed 11/8 favourite Kaylan proved too speedy for point-to-point winner Deep Purple in the final furlong.



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