The Point-to-Point Authority had already directed that this Bank Holiday would be the cut off point for all the National awards for the 2024 season with the two fixtures at Chaddesley Corbett and Upcott Cross.
A first and last race double clinched a first ever National trainers title for Josh Newman at Upcott Cross . This is the category for 15 or more horses, and the Woolminstone, near Crewkerne handler topped the list by saddling 28 winners, narrowly ahead of Alan Hill and Max Comley.
Newman struck with Whitsand Bay in the opener before Bruce Gobbler set the champagne flowing in winning the last.
Ella Herbison took the mount on John and Sonia Gardener’s progressive Whitsand Bay to win the Grass Roots Conditions race sponsored by Totnes & Bridgetown Races Company. The eight-year-old was left in front when long time leader Step Back fell at the penultimate and just saw off the strong challenge of Premier D’Troice (James Earnshaw). “He is a strong stayer and the plan was to wait as long as possible. I might even have come too soon,” reported Ella.
It was left to Bruce Gobbler to put the finishing touch to the title bid in the FC Cleaning Systems Maiden. The mount of Darren Andrews, the Blue Bresil gelding just got the better of fellow five-year-old Chateau du Lys after a spirited duel from the last. The winner runs in the familiar Unity Farm colours of Richard House and had a few runs from the Hobbs/White yard last season. “We think he was unsuited by mud and he seems to like being in a smaller yard. He jumped and travelled well today,” was the jockey’s summary.
Jet Smart is in pole position to take the Devon & Cornwall Novice horse award (points in the area count up to and including Umberleigh). The six-year-old scored for the fourth time this season under Darren Edwards in the Simpkins Edwards Level 1 Conditions race, helping the Lifton trainer to lift the National trainers title for 6 to 14 horses. Jet Smart stayed on strongly to beat recent Exeter winner Hearts Corner. “He relaxed well and has gears to quicken,” related the delighted trainer who thinks highly of the gelding and is in no hurry to give him stiffer tests.
Edwards completed his double thanks to 33-1 outsider Assassins Lullaby in the Maiden Conditions race sponsored by PRJ Engineering. “They went too fast,” said the experienced rider, setting up his eighth winning ride from his last 10 mounts. The long standing maiden strode clear of some better fancied rivals to win virtually unchallenged despite clumsy jumps at the last two fences. Having been treated for ulcers recently, the Janet Ackner trained gelding, in the colours of the Everhopeful Partnership, never looked in danger of defeat.
Edwards had to settle for the runner up spot in the Dunbia sponsored Mixed Open as Young Buck went down by a head to 8-1 chance Sizing Cusimano after blundering at the last.
Purdy Peaster had the mount on the winner who was repeating last year’s success in this race. 23-year-old Purdy is a work rider for Joe Tizzard and said, ”He dislikes soft ground really but loves this track and flew down the hill.”
Christopher Barber saddled his 10th winner of the season when All Star Boy just held the challenge of Jean Genie (Ed Vaughan) to win the Giffords Chartered Accountants Restricted. Eight times champion jockey Will Biddick, who has ceded his title to James King this year, was riding his 34th winner of the campaign and said, “He jumped well and did it easily.”
So, with titles decided this Bank Holiday was deemed to be the climax to a very wet season that really never got into swing thanks to numerous cancellations and postponements. It was a surreal feeling that titles had to be handed out with three fixtures still left in the West Country – a bit like awarding Manchester City the premier league trophy with three games left.