Winter Festival beats the weather
The stormy weather leading up to Warwick's PricedUp Winter Festival abated just in time for the course, which had been waterlogged in places, to dry out and allow the two-day meeting to go ahead.
Just three runners lined up for the opening Warwick Supports Our Farmers Novices' Limited Handicap Chase and it turned into a procession as Excelero made all the running to beat Mister Cessna with favourite Spirits Bay well beaten after making a bad mistake at the first open ditch.
Onewaywest was another to make all the running when taking the pricedup.bet Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle, beating outsider Vocito by 12 lengths, to give young rider Elliott England his third career winner.
Alcester-based Dan Skelton came into the two-day meeting with 69 winners on the board for the season, earning over £1.25m in prize money, and he saddled Irish point-to-point winner Sallyville Lady in the pricedup.bet Novices' Hurdle. She ran encouragingly on her racecourse debut but, in a close finish, was no match for Sogna In Grande and Dig Deep.
It didn't take long for Skelton to add to his tally, however, as 11/10 favourite Chuggy took command of the following Hazelton Mountford Insurance Handicap Chase at the third-last fence, coming right away from pace-setter Another Folly and could be a horse to follow.
The closest finish of the afternoon came in the Denis O'Connell Memorial Handicap Hurdle when Gwennie May Star, making his stable debut for Olly Murphy, came late on the scene under Lewis Saunders to catch Gataway Theatre right on the line, winning by a nose.
Top-weight Kykorock became the third Warwickshire-trained winner on the card when brought with a perfectly-timed run by Harry Skelton to take the closing PricedUp Daily Sports Boosts Handicap Chase, beating long-time leader Bobbi's Beauty and Superstylin.
The second day, which included five races for mares and fillies, was headlined by the Class 2 Warwick Supports British Breeding Veterans’ Handicap Chase worth £30,000 in which Torn And Frayed was sent off favourite to follow up his win in the race in 2024. Jumping soundly in the lead, Torn And Frayed saw off all his rivals apart from Nocte Volatus who joined him at the penultimate fence and drew clear from the last to win comfortably.
Earlier, Exeter bumper winner La Luna Artista made an impressive jumping debut in the opening EBF Fillies Junior “National Hunt” Hurdle and £400,000 purchase Cristal D'Estruval led from start to finish to floor odds-on favourite Baron Noir in the maiden hurdle. Crazierthandaisy proved too good on the run-in for Audacious Annie in the mares' handicap hurdle in which the three flights down the back straight were omitted because of the low sun.
All the jumps were back in place for the novices' handicap hurdle which saw the easiest of winners in odds-on favourite Dream Shadow before Kalista Love made a winning chasing debut in the PricedUp Mares' Handicap Chase and newcomer The Flaggy Shore rounded off the afternoon with an eye-catching win in the concluding flat race.