By Peter Moore at Newbury Thursday 7th November 2024
Newbury commenced their first jump meeting of the season with the Bet Victor Jumps
Season Opener.
The feature race of the afternoon, the Pretemps Network Handicap Hurdle series
Qualifier run over three miles included last year’s Cheltenham Festival winner and
Pretemps Series Final winner Monmiral.
The Paul Nicholls trained seven-year-old was carrying top weight under Harry Cobden,
but it wasn’t to be his day today with the race going to the well supported American
Sniper.
The David Pipe trained bottom weight with Jack Tudor aboard held on despite a blunder
at the second last to hold off the late challenge of Emitom who loves Newbury, by a
neck.
Leading the trainers championship by a fair way is Dan Skelton, who saddled another
winner to continue his outstanding start to the campaign when Listentoyourheart bolted
up for the second race in a row.
Over a month ago, the mare cruised home at Market Rasen by over 20 lengths. Today,
under Harry Skelton the five-year-old comfortably despatched her three rivals to win
easing down by eight lengths.
Alan King’s Masaccio made a winning chase debut in the 2m 4f handicap. Despite a
mistake at the second last, the gelding ran on well to beat Twinjets by two lengths.
Former football manager Harry Redknapp was in attendance to see his eight-year-old
Bowtogreatness take the 2m 7 and a half furlongs novices handicap chase.
Last time out the gelding made a bad mistake at the water jump at Chelmsford two
weeks ago.
Today, no such problems with a perfect round of jumping under Ben Jones for trainer
Ben Pauling to win by one and three quarter lengths from Destroytheevidence.
Earlier, Jones was on the odds on chance Roysse in the 2m half a furlong novices hurdle
race. The five-year-old never looked like troubling eventual winner Hartington who was
successful for the Joe Tizzard yard.
Aurigny Mill defied top weight to capture the opening race on the card.
Having left Victor Dartnall, new trainer Robert Walford looks to have picked up a useful
horse after the seven-year-old had no problem seeing off his six other rivals to win going
away by ten lengths.