Caspers Court is well fancied to fare well at Exeter
EXETER stages the Samworth Brothers 25 Year Club Celebration Raceday today, its second meeting in the month of Novembner and, with over £80,000 in prize money on offer, there will be plenty of competitive racing over the sevenrace card.
It all begins at 1.00pm with the RGB Building Supplies Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle over two miles and seven furlongs and, in a tight handicap with only 12lbs between top and bottom, Caspers Court, second in an amateur riders contest here last month, could come out on top this time in the hands of the most successful rider in the race, Tom Buckley.
Although the Class 3 RGB Building Supplies Adier Rayner Novices’ Chase over two miles and three furlongs has attracted just four runners, it has the makings of a fascinating contest as, apart from Merchant In Milan who looks out of his depth, a case can be made for all of the other runners.
Top on official ratings is the promising McFabulous, who was pulled up by Harry Cobden on his last run at Wincanton after losing his footing on landing over a fence, but this winner of eight races should get off the mark over the bigger obstacles this time.
He competed at a high level over hurdles, winning the Grade 2 bet365 Select Hurdle at Sandown Park in April, and should make his mark over fences.
Camprond, a winner of a 24-runner handicap hurdle at the Punchestown Festival, makes his chasing debut and should ensure that McFabulous doesn’t have it all his own way and Unexpected Party returns after wind surgery which should see an improvement on his last run when pulled up at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
Fifteen will line up for the Samworth Novices’ Hurdle in which Paul Nicholls runs Timeforatune, who will be looking to score over hurdles at the second time of asking.
Philip Hobbs runs both his entries, with stable jockey Tom O’Brien on Newton Abbot bumper winner Far Sight, and Alan King runs another hurdles debutant in Aldsworth, who will come on for his run in a Stratford bumper in March.
Saltash trainer Jackie du Plessis runs Kingsmill Gin from her two entries in the Haynes Handicap Chase and, although she hasn’t see a racecourse since April, the trainer’s horses run well here and can’t be discounted. William Philo makes his chasing debut against some experienced types and it may pay to side with Dan’s Chosen, who won a small race at Fakenham by a wide margin and has only been raised 3lbs for the effort.
Dan Skelton’s Hidden Heroics needs to bounce back after being pulled up over hurdles at Aintree last time out, but this winner of an Irish point-to-point meeting could go well off bottom weight in the second Class 3 race of the afternoon, the Ginsters Peppered Stake Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase over three miles.
Paul Nicholls runs dual hurdles winner Mr Glass, who is retuning after wind surgery, from his two entries and Masters Legacy, a good winner over the course at the last meeting, may carry top weight to victory.
Warwick bumper winner Lutinebella was sent off favourite when returning to the course over hurdles last time, finishing third to Notnowlinda, and sets the standard in the Pasty Past The Post Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle.
The winner was trained by Dan Skelton and he runs hurdles debutante Dime Store Cowgirl, so will have a good idea of her chance.
The closing Wadge’s Wager National Hunt Flat Race looks a bit of a conundrum, but dual point-topoint winner Broomfields Cave, runner-up in a bumper at Aintree, should run well on his debut for trainer Neil Mulholland,