Double delight for Skelton brothers at Warwick

DAN and Harry Skelton were the combination to follow at Warwick’s Executive Hire Raceday on Wednesday, landing a first and last race double, writes David Hucker.

Despite facing 16 rivals, Walking In The Air was sent off the red-hot 2-5 favourite to take the opening MHM Maiden Hurdle. A course winner in a National Hunt Flat Race a year ago, Walking In The Air had been runner-up in his last two starts over hurdles and, on form, looked head and shoulders above the others.

Taken straight into the lead by Harry Skelton, he was never seriously challenged, with a mistake at the last flight the only moment of anxiety for his supporters.

Red Infantry stepped up on his previous efforts to finish second and El Bandit ran on for third, with the rest of the field well strung out behind.

There was another short-priced favourite in the following JCB Novices´ Hurdle in Drumlee Sunset, who had been mixing it in better company, having taken in races at Cheltenham on his previous four starts.

Richard Johnson was determined to test his rivals from the outset, setting a good pace on the 8-13 market leader, and Drumlee Sunset ran on strongly in the home straight, jumping the last two flights well clear of the rest to post a 17 length success.

Runner-up Crickel Wood, trained at Over Norton by Charlie Longsdon, was returning from a three-month absence and this course winner could be one to follow now that the ground is drying out.

Under The Phone, trained at Great Alne by Robin Dickin, was sent off joint favourite to take the Brandon Hire Group Novices´ Handicap Chase (for the Stephen Allday Perpetual Plate), but he never got in contention, finishing out of the frame behind 10-1 shot Epic Warrior.

The only runner on the card for Somerset trainer David Pipe, Epic Warrior was brought with a well-timed run by Conor O’Farrell to join Heroes Or Ghosts at the penultimate fence and, despite a mistake at the last, went clear on the run-in for a comfortable success.

Front-running tactics again paid off in the Ricoh Arena Handicap Hurdle when Ceann Sibheal and Gavin Sheehan proved too strong for their rivals, pulling out more when Talk OfThe South came to challenge at the third-last flight and staying on well to follow up their Lingfield Park win off a 9lb higher mark.

The upwardly mobile Sheehan is in his fifth season as a rider and, with a month to go, is just nine short of his best total of 73 set last year.

Not so lucky was Jack Sherwood, who was injured when Nancy’s Trix fell at the second flight, and he was replaced by Ben Poste on outsider Cosmic Diamond in the following Executive Hire Show Thanks For Attending Mares´ Handicap Hurdle.

In what turned out to be a dramatic contest, Jean Fleming had made all the running until being joined by The Last Bar as the runners turned for home. They came to the last hurdle together, with ChantaraRose just behind, but the complexion of the race changed when The Last Bar and Harry Skelton took a heavy fall, leaving Chantara Rose to stay on past the tiring Jean Fleming, with Dubh Eile running on to take third.

You have to turn a lot of pages in the form book to find the last success for Mission Complete, as Jonjo O’Neill’s horse has been beaten 22 times since winning Worcester in June 2014. As a result, he has tumbled down the handicap from a rating of 108 to 91 and was always travelling well for claiming jockey Jack Savage in the Executive Hire News Passionate Industry Voice Handicap Chase, proving too good for Bebinn and Nail’M.

The largest field of the afternoon lined up in the concluding National Hunt Flat Race, with most of the runners making their first racecourse appearance.

Of those that had run, Man From Mars had finished second to Westend Story in very heavy ground at Exeter on his debut and the winner went on to run well at the Cheltenham Festival last week.

But, it was Irish point-to-point winner Robin Roe who was favourite to round off the afternoon for the Skelton brothers, ahead of another well backed runner Beau Du Brizais, who ran here in preference to Ludlow the next day.

Leading around the home bend, Robin Roe was taken to the stand rail and was always holding the chasing pack.