The team have been in outstanding form in recent weeks and a double at Newton Abbot yesterday saw our jumps tally for the month reach seven winners from 16 runners, at a strike-rate of 44%!
The first of them, Master Dancer, has been in the form of his life this summer, winning readily on the flat at Salisbury in August and following up in great style at Chepstow earlier this month. Returning to hurdling for the first time since making his debut over timber at Taunton in February 2015, he continued his recent revival with an impressive display, recovering from being badly hampered at the second flight and from thereon by the loose horse, to hit the front and draw clear from the last, winning by eight lengths.
We will look for another novice for him under a penalty in three weeks or so and will take it from there, but he will certainly stay further than yesterday’s 2m1f trip and looks to have plenty more to offer. Congratulations to his owners, Select Racing Club and Colin Davies!
Winter Walk had recently returned from a long spell on the sidelines with a promising sixth at Uttoxeter in July, and he improved markedly on that when winning yesterday, showing a tremendously game attitude under pressure once sent on at the second-last to hold off several challengers.
A point winner in Ireland in his youth, he shouldn’t go up too much for that win and, with the likelihood of further improvement forthcoming, I hope he can make a very bold bid to follow up next time. We may look to send him chasing in the New Year, but for the time being he will stay over hurdles. Congratulations to his owners Diamond Racing!
Having sustained a career-threatening injury at Taunton in February 2015, it has been quite a long road back for Master Dancer, but he is still only a five year old and it has been a pleasure to see the son of Mastercraftsman really find his form of late, following up his Salisbury win in August with a wide-margin success at Chepstow yesterday.
Ridden by Mitch Godwin, who is excellent value for his 5lbs claim, he raced exuberantly throughout, as had been the case at Salisbury, but nevertheless had plenty left when produced to lead a quarter of a mile from home and kept on strongly to win by four lengths.
Dovils Date has been an absolute star for us over the years, and the Itsfuninit-owned seven year old appears to be better than ever this term at the age of seven, winning his second race within the space of seven days with another wide-margin success at Uttoxeter yesterday.
Having won impressively on his fourth and final outing in bumpers on what was his seasonal reappearance at Newton Abbot last month, Canton Prince continued his improvement to make a winning hurdling debut at Fontwell Park yesterday under Richard Johnson.
Having run well on the flat on his latest outing, Dovils Date returned to hurdles at Southwell yesterday and produced one of the best performances of his career to win the class 3 handicap hurdle in great style!
Bleu Et Noir has really developed into a useful young novice this season and he recorded his third win from his last four starts with an all-the-way success at Newton Abbot yesterday under Alan Johns.
A winner on his second start over hurdles at Chepstow in April, Satellite had a good spell in the paddocks over the summer, and made the perfect return to the racecourse when winning at Fontwell Park yesterday under Richard Johnson.
