Winners keep flowing for Skelton at Warwick
THE winners keep flowing for Alcester trainer Dan Skelton and Ardera Cross made it 203 for the season when landing the Lovely Lorna’s Cinquenta Celebration Handicap Chase at Warwick’s Kissing It Better Charity Raceday on Thursday, writes David Hucker.
Presented with a bottle of champagne by course chairman Andy Clark to mark his achievement of becoming only the second trainer to send out 200 winners in a season, Skelton celebrated in the best-possible style as Ardera Cross, well-ridden by Conor Shoemark, took advantage of Glance Back’s jumping errors down the back straight to score for the first time in this country at the seventh attempt.
Ten lined up for the start of the opening Hortons’ Estate Limited Maiden Hurdle over two miles and three furlongs, with the aptly-named My Charity, who showed improved form when runner-up at Wetherby earlier in the month, sent off the 6-4 favourite.
It was One More Fleurie who took the field along, with My Charity never far behind and the favourite came to take over the lead approaching the penultimate flight, running on well with Kielan Woods to score comfortably.
Course winner Coopers Square had won five of his last six races, rising from an official rating of 74 back in February to a current mark of 98.
He lined up again in the UBS Wealth Management Novices’ Handicap Chase with Charlie Poste in the saddle and, taking a clear lead down the back straight, looked ready to land another success.
But, having been out on his own for so long, Coopers Square started to lose concentration approaching the final fence which he just scrambled over, allowing Danseur Du Large to seize the initiative.
It’s a short run-in at Warwick and, although Coopers Square rallied when he had another horse to race with, he ran out of track and Danseur Du Large held on by a short head.
There was an open betting market for the Tappex 63 Years Of UK Manufacturing Handicap Hurdle with three horses vying for favouritism and it was Midnightreferendum, sent off the 4-1 joint favourite, who ran out an easy winner for trainer Alan King and jockey Wayne Hutchinson.
Hallings Court set a good pace, but Midnightreferendum took over turning for home and never looked like being caught as she went clear of Nigh Or Never with Forgot To Ask, the other joint favourite, back in third.
Most valuable race of the afternoon was the fifth, the £11,400 Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle and, at three miles and a furlong, it was also the longest.
Three non-runners reduced the field to seven, but they were tightly packed going out on the final circuit with Nestor Park setting the pace, closely followed by Robin The Raven Nestor Park dropped away as Robin The Raven and David Bass led into the home straight, the combination having seven lengths to spare over Max Forte at the line.
Trainer Graeme McPherson, on the mark in the opening race, doubled up with Follow The Swallow, who was winning for the first time in more than three years, in the Local Parking Security Limited Handicap Chase over three miles.
Never in danger after the second-last fence, he ran on strongly for amateur Lilly Pinchin, who was recording her fifth winner of the season.
The concluding Tilney For Professionals Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race was divided into two, with Olly Murphy’s debutant Overthetop, a £150,000 purchase, coming round the outside of the field to land the first division in impressive style, and Stoner’s Choice outpointing Kemble’s Cascade, who had kept anything but a straight line up the home straight, in the second.
