The Doyen Chief scoops Warwick's top prize in a thrilling finish
On an afternoon of close finishes, The Doyen Chief beat Sail Away by just a neck to take the feature Class 2 eventmasters.co.uk Challenger Staying Chase Series Final at Warwick on Thursday for trainer Alan King.
A winner at Kempton Park last time, The Doyen Chief took up the running turning for home and, staying on strongly over the three mile trip, saw off the challenge of the Dan Skelton- trained Sail Away who couldn't quite close the gap. Although the first prize eluded Skelton, with Snipe finishing third, his two runners picked up nearly £12,000 in place prize money to extend his lead at the top of the trainers table.
There was a good tussle between the two market leaders in the opening Join Racing TV Now Novices' Hurdle with 5/6 favourite Ebony Warrior, ridden by Kielan Woods, proving too strong on the run-in for Aviation who had cut the running. Back in third was the Skelton-trained Chuggy, who looked to be mounting a challenge approaching the final flight, but couldn't go the pace of the front two.
Eleven lined up for the Tony Darby Retirement Novices' Limited Handicap Hurdle over three and a quarter miles and, again, the finish involved the two horses who had been prominent from the outset with 9/1 shot The Dark Edge, trained at Over Norton by Charlie Longsdon and ridden by Lilly Pinchin, just getting the better of Just Four Fame by ¾ length.
The close finishes kept on coming when the grey Ceolwulf, who was taken to the front a long way out by James Bowen, held the determined challenge of King Of The Hill to land the Celebrating 15 Years Of JRFB Novices' Handicap Chase for Yorkshire trainer Fionn McSharry.
On an afternoon for front runners, Holeshot was always at the head of affairs in the Weatherbys & Northampton Town FC Handicap Hurdle and, after seeing off the challenge of Denzil at the penultimate flight, came home 11 lengths clear of top-weight Chief Sunday, who easily defied a 10 lb rise in the weights for his Taunton win last time.
Money talked in the closing Visit racingtv.com "Newcomers" National Hunt Flat Race, with the Skelton-trained favourite Dutch Corner drifting from 7/4 to 3/1 in the face of sustained support for Liam Mera Kai, who shortened from 13/2 into 4/1 and duly obliged to give James Bowen a double on the afternoon. Dutch Corner was not disgraced in third, however, and will be better for the experience next time.