Newton Abbot set for second evening fixture

It’s the second evening meeting of the summer at Newton Abbot on Thursday 30th April with the first race, the Newtonabbotrace On Twitter Maiden Hurdle, due off at 16.45.

With 132 horses having been entered across the seven races, including fifteen in the feature £10,000 Newtonabbotracing.com Handicap Chase over three and a quarter miles, a good turnout is expected.

The race is for horses rated up to 135 and course winner Prince Tom, trained near Taunton by Alexandra Dunn, and Bertie Boru, twice successful last season for Philip Hobbs, are both on the maximum handicap mark.

Leading trainer at the course Paul Nicholls has entered two in Vesperal Dream, who ran at Sandown last Saturday, and Sin Bin, second in a slowly run race behind Silver Commander at Chepstow, but it may pay to take a chance with Express Du Berlais, who won over hurdles on his British debut for Dr Richard Newland and could be well weighted off the same mark of 114.

The consistent Blandfords Gunner may get his head in front at last in the opening race for trainer Evan Williams, who has a good record over the course with 29 winners over the last five years at a strike rate of 20%.

Amongst the others, Dashing Oscar, who has not been seen out since December, and Irish point-to-point winner Lawless Island are both interesting entries.

Trainer Mick Channon doesn’t have many runners over jumps, but his Paradise Valley would have a chance in the SIS Virtual Mobile Games Beginners’ Chase if bouncing back from a poor run over hurdles at Kempton Park last time.

Another who needs to get back on track is Vicente, who made mistakes when falling at Fakenham in November, but he could add to the impressive 30% strike rate at the course for Nicholls and follow up a stable double at the last meeting.

Taylor, who won a two-horse race at Exeter last week, and Hija, an 80-1 surprise winner here the meeting before last, would both carry a 7lb penalty in the Royal British Legion, Newton Abbot Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle and Susie Sheep, from the David Pipe yard, could make her weight advantage pay.

The fall of Schindlers Rock at the last fence made the task easier for Lamb’s Cross here earlier in the month and Mark Gillard’s runner has gone up 6lbs in the weights as a result of that win. Despite that, he can follow up in the SIS Streaming Handicap Chase at the expense of Alright Benny, who chased him home last time.

Maller Tree took advantage of a drop in the handicap to score on his last visit to the course and has run three more times since in a busy spell. He would top the weights in the concluding Attheraces.com Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle and preference is for Princess Ombu, who dead heated at Taunton last time.

Gates for Thursday’s fixture open at 14:45, ahead of the first race at 16:45. Tickets are available now priced at £12 for the Course Enclosure and £18 for the Paddock Enclosure. Tickets can be purchased online until 5pm on Wednesday 29th April, or alternatively can be bought on the gate on the day.

For further information, visit www.newtonabbotracing.com or call 01626 353235.