Vaucelet continues top hunter chase form with feature race victory at Stratford Racecourse

VAUCELET recorded his fifth win in seven hunter chase starts by running on well to land the Pertemps Network Stratford Foxhunters Champion Hunters’ Chase, highlight of Stratford’s seven-race card on Friday.

The seven-year-old was prominent from the off and after being pushed along after the 16th fence by jockey Barry O’Neill, the odds-on favourite went on to win by four lengths for trainer David Christie.

Also run over the trip of three miles and three furlongs was the Pointtopoint.co.uk Champion Novices’ Hunters’ Chase, in which Christie and O’Neill recorded another success with Irish horse Ask D’man.

The eight-year-old had been at the rear early on but put on a late rally and then recovered from a slight stumble over the last to edge out second-favourite Go Go Geronimo by three-quarters of a length.

There was an even tighter finish in the meeting’s opening race, the PPSA Open Hunters’ Chase, where the former Dan Skelton-trained Across The Line, now handled and owned by Syd Hosie, beat 5-2 favourite Azzuri by a neck to record his first win over fences since 30th November at Southwell.

Next up was the Nimrod Veterinary Products Ladies Open Championship Final Hunters’ Chase which only had three entries, but when Caid Du Berlais was pulled up before the last, it became a straight shootout between Fumet D’Oudairies and Igor.

Igor had led briefly approaching the last, but Fumet D’Ourdairies jumped well to seize the advantage and claim victory by two-and-a-quarter lengths.

Zamparelli won by the biggest margin of the meeting in the White Swan Hotel Handicap Hunters’ Chase run over two miles and four furlongs.

The 10-year-old, trained by Victoria Collins, was well clear of the field before the final flight and would eventually cross the line 15 lengths ahead of 2-1 favourite Clondaw Westie.

Say About It won his first hunter chase after claiming a three-length success in the Llewellyn Humphreys ‘Restricted Point-To-Point’ Novices’ Hunters’ Chase, before 6-5 favourite Patanita pipped second-favourite Mystic Man in the closing Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Champion ‘Point-To-Point’ Bumper Standard NH Flat Race.