Clerk of the Course Carly Sage and her team did an excellent job in preparing the course in great condition, after it had been covered in snow a few days earlier. The Maiden was divided on the day and fifty-eight runners declared for the eight races, which were well contested. There was a double on the day for trainer Nicky Sheppard and jockey Milo Herbert courtesy of Yippee Ki Yay in the first division of the Maiden, and No Dice in the Restricted.
Huw Edwards took it up on the favourite Iskander Pecos four out in the first division of the Maiden and was headed by Yippee Ki Yay before the second last, who stayed on well to win by three quarters of a length. The winner had been acquired privately from Harley Dunne just over a month ago after finishing fourth in an Irish point at the end of January. The five-year-old winner is owned by the jockey, his parents and brother Ivor.
In the Restricted, Sheppard saddled two of the five runners, and it ended being a great duel between them with Milo Herbert on No Dice taking the lead at the last fence from Chato Santana, ridden by his brother Ivor, and outstaying him by one and three-quarter lengths.
In the Mixed Open, the eleven-year-old Encounter a Giant, ridden by Henry Crow, was always prominent and took it up from Write it Down after the third last and won going away by five lengths. The horse had looked promising when winning his Intermediate at this meeting four years ago and went into training with Alistair Ralph, winning a Hereford chase later that year. He has returned to pointing this season and is now owned by Mike Fothergill. This was the first training win for Tom Britten who has a satellite yard adjacent to Ralph’s stables in Bridgenorth.
The Ladies Conditions Race over two-and-a-half miles saw Golden Tobouggan take it up on the final circuit and win by a length and a half from Zalvados. This was a repeat win in the race from last year for jockey Izzie Marshall and trainer Julie Wadland.
The Veteran and Novice Riders race saw a debut win for Felix Barlow on his father’s The Dubai Way, taking it up at the second last and winning by seven lengths from Craigmor. The sixteen-year-old jockey has graduated from the pony ranks and is a student at Shrewsbury School. His dad Charles who trains the horse, bought the ex-winning chaser privately from Nick Bannister, having been trained previously by Alex Hales.
The Conditions Race (Level 3) was a closely fought affair with Toby McCain-Mitchell on Forest Chimes staying on well to beat Hidden Charmer and Ipsos des Bordes. The winner, who won his Restricted at Chaddesley Corbett last May, is owned by Diane Williams and is trained by Phil Rowley.
In the second division of the Maiden Tom Greenwood on Torngat led at the second last and held the last fence challenge of Tommie O’Brien on Shady B to win by two-and-a-half lengths. Greenwood is a fish merchant and owns and trains the horse on Morecambe beach. He bought the seven-year-old gelding privately from Tristan Davidson.
In the opening Bumper for four- and five-year-olds, all of the eight runners were seeing the racecourse for the first time. Tommie O’Brien brought Sweet Honey B with a well-timed run in the straight and won going away from Peter Bryan on Thank You Ma’am, who had tried to make all. The winning five-year-old mare was bought by owner and trainer Clive Boultbee-Brooks as a two-year-old and has taken time to mature. He is looking forward to running her under rules next season.