Molly’s A Diva gets up to deny Tickity Bleue outright victory

Wood Yer, ridden by Sam Twiston-Davies, held off Roseneath to win the feature at Warwick. Picture: Jass Lall 

MHLC-31-12-13 Warwick Races Dec77Wood Yer, ridden by Sam Twiston-Davies, held off Roseneath to win the feature at Warwick. Picture: Jass Lall 

MHLC-31-12-13 Warwick Races Dec77
Wood Yer, ridden by Sam Twiston-Davies, held off Roseneath to win the feature at Warwick. Picture: Jass Lall MHLC-31-12-13 Warwick Races Dec77
Despite a wet and blustery start to the day, there was a large crowd for Warwick’s popular New Year’s Eve meeting, with a dead heat in the fifth capping an exciting afternoon’s racing.

The EBF Stallions/32Red.com Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle looked an open affair on paper, but Stratford bumper winner Mrs Jordan was backed as if defeat was out of the question, going off the odds-on favourite.

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Although she led to the home straight, Mrs Jordan had nothing left to give and it was Tickity Bleue who looked like scoring until Molly’s A Diva, whose jumping was much improved from her previous two runs, came with a storming late run to force a dead heat on the line.

Twelve lined up in the opening The 32Red Casino Novices’ Handicap Hurdle, but few got into contention as Landenstown Pearl set the pace up front.

Although he was still in the lead coming out of the back straight, Mudita Moment was stalking him and, once jockey Aidan Coleman pressed the accelerator, the well-backed 2-1 joint favourite went clear for an easy win.

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At three miles and one furlong, The 32Red On The App Store Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle was the longest race of the afternoon but it produced a close finish when Gunna Be A Devil, who made just about all the running, held off the determined challenge of Kilrush by a neck.

Just three went to post for the day’s feature event, The Whitson Bloodstock Novices’ Chase, and, with outsider Rio Milan jumping slowly, it was left to the front two in the betting to fight out the finish, with favourite Barrakilla having too much speed on the run-in for Persian Snow.

All four runners who took part in the next qualified for the final of the Jockey Club Grassroots Jumps Series at Haydock Park on Easter Saturday and it was top-weight Wood Yer, ridden by Sam Twiston-Davies, who capped a game front-running display by repelling the late challenge of Roseneath and champion jockey AP McCoy.

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The sun came out as the much-travelled Free World and amateur rider Lorna Brooke took the two-and-a- half mile handicap chase by three lengths from Todareistodo and, in the final race of 2013, it was 16-1 shot Call Me Vic who led all the way to score by nine lengths from Monbeg Theatre.

Looking ahead, there will be 21 meetings in all in 2014, starting with the Betfred Classic Chase Day on Saturday January 11.

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