Hold Your Fort holds his nerve at Newton Abbot

HOLD Your Fort came out on top in a stirring battle with Dripsey Moon to land the Class 3 Mark And Vicky Golden Wedding Anniversary Celebration Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase, feature race of Newton Abbot’s popular Family Fun Day.

Bidding for a course hat-trick, Hold Your Fort not only raced from a 23lb higher mark than for his first win last month, but was also 12lbs out of the handicap for this race and, under his usual rider James Best, took full advantage of an untidy jump by the runner-up at the penultimate fence to win by a head.

Golden Path, the choice from three entries for trainer Evan Williams, was sent off the 8/15 favourite to follow up last month’s course success in the opening Sky Sports Racing On Sky 415 Juvenile Hurdle, for which the usual last flight was omitted.

She could only finish a well-beaten third, however, to newcomer Final Entry, a 28,000gns purchase from Ireland, on whom winning jockey Jack Tudor had done well to stay in the saddle when his mount made a mistake at the very first flight. Final Entry’s jumping wasn’t too fluent at times, but he rewarded Tudor’s persistence through the race when seeing off the challenge of Kalkaroo in a close finish.

The Newton Abbot Racecourse Conference Centre Handicap Hurdle had been divided into two and Eurkash, having his first run for trainer James Owen, headed the market in the first division. There was also money for six-time hurdle winner Good Impression, who hadn’t won since last September, and he was to get closest of the two at the finish, but found Karannelle and Outback Frontiers too good for him.

Good Impression had led over the final flight, but was quickly challenged by 12/1 shot Karannelle, who had been brought with a well-timed run by James Bowen to hit the front on the run-in, with Outback Frontiers snatching second place close to the line.

Seren Y Teigr was well-supported from 17/2 to 9/2, before drifting back out to 11/2, to land the second division, but the money was lost as the race went to Konigin Isabella, who had followed a good effort behind Getmetothemoon at Stratford with a win over the course last month, becoming the first winning favourite of the afternoon when fending off the challenge of Get The Value by a length.

Saint Bibiana was seeking a fourtimer in the William Hill Betting TV Handicap Hurdle over an extended three and a quarter miles and, having been raised 4lbs for a neck win last time at Cartmel, faced her stiffest task yet from a rating of 109. She almost pulled it off, but found the concession of 12lbs to Grove Road too much, being caught just yards from the line, going down by a head.

The money came for Zhang Fei, backed from 7/1 to 10/3 in the Racing Partnership TRP Handicap Hurdle and punters got it spot one as Fern O’Brien, riding for her father Fergal, got off the mark for the season, making all the running to beat Bravewhenineedtobe by 12 lengths. The runner-up was ridden by Danny Mullins, who bred her in Ireland, taking a big step up from her handicap debut in January.

Noah’s Light became the longest priced winner of the afternoon when landing the closing Book Our Winning Post Restaurant Handicap Chase at odds of 18-1 for trainer Richenda Ford.

The course takes a break now, with the next meeting on Thursday, August 22.