Sunday meeting at Sandown abandoned after three races

The ground was predominantly good at the Esher venue on Saturday afternoon, but persistent rainfall during the course of the morning led to the going being changed to soft and later heavy.

The first three races took place, albeit with obstacles omitted both on the chase track and over hurdles, but an inspection was called prior to the feature event of the afternoon – the Future Stars Intermediate Chase.

Concerns raised by the veterinary and medical teams on their ability to service any incident due to waterlogged ground and following the inspection and in the interests of safety for all participants, the Stewards ordered the remainder of the card to be abandoned.

Clerk of the Course Andrew Cooper explained: “I would probably say it was that latter five millimetres plus of rain during the course of those last races (which tipped it over).

“If you are purely judging the ground conditions, as they were at the time of the inspection, I think arguably you might just about get through it from the ground that we looked at, but that was a very isolated section of the course between the last two fences. The greatest concern is the ability for us to promptly, within the required timeframe, service a medical or veterinary incident on the track.

“There are a lot of areas here at the course at Sandown which are some way away from a roadway. The ground conditions such as they were after the running of the third race prompted both my medical and veterinary team to raise their concerns about their ability to service an injured horse or jockey. I think when you are in that territory it is not for me as the Clerk of the Course to suggest that we should keep going.

“That is the most important thing we do is equine and human safety. We wouldn’t have gone ahead if we didn’t feel we could service things as we should do as that is part of our consideration - it isn’t just if the stretch of turf is raceable.

“I’ve been Clerk here since 1994 but I don’t think we have had anything like this. We abandoned a Flat card a year or so back, but that was just waterlogged ground.”

Remarkable Nicholls run continues

Paul Nicholls continued what has been a profitable few days after reaching the 50 winner mark for the season following the tenacious success secured by Halo Des-Obeaux in the opening Jumps Are Back Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle.

After rattling up a four timer at Wincanton on Saturday and a treble at Exeter on Friday, the 13-times champion Jump trainer hit the ground running at the Esher track thanks to a first British success for the gelded son of Al Namix.

Making light work of the testing conditions the 13-2 chance took full advantage of the mistake made by favourite Top Of The Bill to score by a length and provide jockey Freddie Gingell, grandson of now-retired trainer Colin Tizzard, with his first winner since joining Nicholls in the summer.

Nicholls said: “That’s 50 up and it is Freddie’s first winner for us. He is a good lad and did what I said. I told him to take his time and don’t commit too soon as it is a long way up that hill. I thought he would go quite well.

“He was a typical four year old last season. He was weak as weak could be. He has had another summer and he is a stronger horse. That was just the job.

“It is a long way up that straight and he had never ridden here before. That was ideal but Cobby (Harry Cobden) had helped him out. He is a hard working lad and he will be a good lad for the future.”

The victory also marked a winner from his first ride at the track for 16 year old Gingell, who admits to having settled in to life working with Nicholls.

He added: “That was the first winner for the boss which was good to get. Halo Des Obeaux stuck to the task really well and the ground probably suited him in the end. He travelled very well and took me all the way. He did it very nicely in the end.

“I’ve settled in well at Ditcheat and I could not have wished to make a better start there. It is a long season ahead so hopefully it is onwards an upwards.”

Ditcheat team have Solo back on track

Solo has proved largely frustrating since securing victory on his British debut in the Grade Two Adonis Juvenile Hurdle at Kempton Park in 2020, however he looked back to his best in the Celebration Of Autumn Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase.

The six year old ended his losing sequence stretching back more than two years when carrying top weight to glory by five lengths under Harry Cobden to open his account of fences and complete a quick-fire 23-1 double for Nicholls.

The Ditcheat handler said of the successful 9-4 Joint-Favourite: “He didn’t really jump last season. He was a bit unlucky not to win first time over fences at Ascot then he fell apart a bit.

“I knew he had come back right. He was just a more mature and fitter horse. He jumped superbly and galloped all the way to the line. These big French horses want more time than people think. We’ve done some serious work to get him fit as he is a big tank of a horse.

“He will be like Dolos (over fences). A great fun horse that will win plenty of races at the right level.”

Tolworth target for Harry

A tilt at the Grade One Unibet Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle back over course distance in January could be on the cards for Colonel Harry (100-30), who was described by trainer Jamie Snowden as ‘pretty smart’ following his seven-length victory under Gavin Sheehan in the Falling Leaves Maiden Hurdle.

Snowden said: “We ran him the first day over two and a half at Uttoxeter on good to soft ground and on the back of that we bumped into a good horse called Mofasa.

“We felt we would drop back in trip and come for the softer ground and luckily it has worked nicely. He quickened up like a really smart horse at the bottom of the straight there and hopefully he can be pretty smart.

“He is a forward going buzzy kind of horse. He enjoys his jumping and galloping and a lovely horse to look forward to the future.

“That (the Tolworth Hurdle) has kind of been on the back of our minds. He is a nice horse.”

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