Boss Man Fred and Harry Skelton's win the highlight at Warwick Races

WARWICK REPORT SUNDAY 13TH MARCH 2022

Boss Man Fred and Harry Skelton landed the Class 3 Micky Boughey, Cobblers to 'Em All Handicap Hurdle, highlight of Warwick's Four Legged Friend Race Day on Sunday, writes David Hucker.

Coming to join Skandiburg at the final flight, Boss Man Fred saw out the three and a quarter mile trip in determined style to bring up Skelton's sixth winner at the course this season, having scored earlier in the afternoon on hot-favourite Lac De Constance.

Disappointments of the race were Guillemot, backed into favouritism, but pulled up down the back straight, and In Rem, who had rattled up five wins in a row, but was struggling with four flights still to jump.

The Pony Racing Authority Graduates Handicap Hurdle for conditional and amateur jockeys got proceedings underway and it saw an exciting tussle up the home straight between top-weight Pilsdon Pen and Stanley Pincombe. They jumped the final flight together, but it was Stanley Pincombe and Freddie Gordon, fresh from riding a point-to-point winner at High Easter the day before, who found the better turn of foot to prevail by half a length.

Trainer Dan Skelton ran two of his three entries in the Racing TV Profits Returned To Racing Novices' Hurdle with brother Harry on top-weight and odds-on favourite Lac De Constance. It proved to be a pretty straightforward affair as, having led early, Lac De Constance went to the front again going down the back straight and was always in control of the race from thereon, coming home 12 lengths clear of Ben Bulben.

Just four set out in the EBF Mares' Novices' Chase over two and a half miles, but Precious Eleanor and Fortunes Melody ensured there was no hanging about as they set a good pace from the off. It was Precious Eleanor, backed from 2-1 to 13-8 clear favourite, who won the battle up front, entering the home straight with a commanding lead to go 20 lengths clear and land a deserved success after finishing runner-up in her last five races,

The grey Volcano was seeking back-to-back wins in the longest race of the afternoon, the Join Racing TV Now Handicap Chase over three miles and five furlongs, for which Vinnie Dev was sent off the 3-1 favourite.

Volcano and Boughtbeforelunch cut out the early running, but it was Volcano who was clear going out on the final circuit and, leading into the home straight, he readily held off the late challenge of Eclair De Guye to score by eight lengths for trainer Sheila Lewis.

Making his handicap debut, Hyland was always travelling well in the Watch On Racing TV Handicap Hurdle over two miles and five furlongs and ran out a clear winner from well-backed favourite Sidewaysinmilan before Ernest Gray, bought for £105,000 after winning his only start in Ireland, ran right away with the concluding National Hunt Flat Race to win by 13 lengths.