NEWTON ABBOT

27 April 2007

Good To Firm

6:45 professionalconnection.co.uk Novices' Chase (Class 3) (5yo+) 16 fences (2m5f110y) 2m5½f

[off 6:45] £9,507.00, £2,808.00, £1,404.00, £702.00

1 Wild Is The Wind (FR) Jonjo O´Neill 6 11-6 Noel Fehily 100/30 120 — —

2 6 Which Pocket (IRE) B G Powell 9 11-1 C M Studd(5) 13/8 126 — —

3 25 Fourty Acers (IRE) D E Pipe 7 11-10 t Tom Scudamore 5/4F 123 — —

4 25 Matrix (AUS) J H Berwick 10 10-7 T O´Connor(7) 28/1 78 — —

4 ran TIME 5m 18.30s (slow by 9.30s) TOTAL SP 109%

NON RUNNER: Dancing Bay

1st OWNER: T Mohan BRED: N Pharaon TRAINER: Jonjo O'Neill

2nd OWNER: A D Peachey

3rd OWNER: Ms Y Spencer-Thompson

TOTE WIN £4.20; Ex £9.70; CSF £9.31

The defection of Dancing Bay dented the competitive edge of this novice chase but take nothing away from WILD IS THE WIND who kept plugging on for his rider and eventually won going away. At the end of the back straight his chances were not that great as he was only third but showed he stays well to pick up the others.

Which Pocket was trying this far for the first time under rules and looked home and hosed on the home turn. He got the three miles in points so stamina should not have been a problem.

3:20 Percy Browne Memorial Handicap Chase (Class 3) (5yo+,0-125) 17 fences (2m7f110y) 2m7½f

[off 3:20] £6,971.80, £2,059.20, £1,029.60

1 Fourty Acers (IRE) D E Pipe 7 11-7 t Tom Scudamore 15/8 120 — —

2 1¾ Mr Ed (IRE) P Bowen 9 11-12 p T J O´Brien 15/8 125 — —

3 1½ Twisted Logic (IRE) R H Alner 14 10-0 1 Robert Walford 7/4F 99 — —

3 ran TIME 5m 37.40s (fast by 2.60s) TOTAL SP 105%

1st OWNER: Ms Y Spencer-Thompson BRED: Greg Lawler TRAINER: D E Pipe

2nd OWNER: Gwilym J Morris

3rd OWNER: P M De Wilde

TOTE WIN £2.80; Ex £6.80; CSF £5.28

A three horse affair for this handicap chase where they all had some question marks hanging over them.

FOURTY ACERS was sent off in front and kept up the gallop to make amends for getting rid of his rider last time. He obviously relishes this faster ground but winning this in the circumstances is hardly solid form.

Mister Ed can be expected to come on for his first outing since last November as he is a summer horse through and through these days.

2:20 Arrow Beginners' Chase (Class 4) (4yo+) 17 fences 2m4f

[off 2:20] £5,010.40, £1,480.00, £740.00, £370.40, £184.80, £92.80

1 Fourty Acers (IRE) D E Pipe 6 11-6 t A P McCoy 5/4J 98 122+

2 5 Down´s Folly (IRE) H D Daly 6 11-6 Mark Bradburne 5/4J 93 118+

3 16 Secured (IRE) Ian Williams 6 11-6 David Dennis 12/1 77 100

4 ½ William Butler (IRE) S A Brookshaw 6 11-6 Tom Siddall 50/1 92 76 101+

5 10 Absolutelythebest (IRE) J G M O´Shea 5 11-6 Dave Crosse 10/1 66 91+

6 1 Cashel Dancer S A Brookshaw 7 10-10 Joffret Huet(3) 50/1 58 82

7 11 Goforthegap (IRE) R Lee 7 11-6 Tom Doyle 20/1 53 78

8 16 Stantons Church Mrs P Ford 9 11-1 Wayne Kavanagh(5) 100/1 69 36 62

9 60 Little Trethew R C Harper 7 10-6 James White(7) 100/1 — —

F Lyon T Wall 6 10-10 Lee Edwards(10) 66/1 — —

PU Let´s Rock Mrs A Price 8 10-13 Mr Rhys Hughes(7) 100/1 67 — —

11 ran TIME 5m 8.00s (slow by 16.00s) TOTAL SP 118%

1st OWNER: Ms Y Spencer-Thompson BRED: Greg Lawler TRAINER: D E Pipe

2nd OWNER: Strachan,Gabb,Clarke,Griffith & Barlow

3rd OWNER: Favourites Racing VIII

TOTE WIN £2.60 PL £1.30, £1.10, £2.00; Ex £4.70; CSF £3.01

The two market leaders fought out the finish of this average beginners' chase with FOURTY ACERS showing more resolution in the closing stages to deny Down's Folly.

The winner, having his first try over fences, jumped well enough in the main and showed that this trip on a tight course such as this holds no terrors. Connections now have the option of a switch to handicap company or going for a novice.

Down's Folly looked as if he would win at one stage in the straight but could not cope with the winner's renewed efffort.

Both his wins over hurdles came on galloping courses, and maybe that suits him better. In the context of this race the form is okay as the front pair came away from the others.

Secured, making his chasing debut, made a couple of errors and this was not a great effort considering that he was rated about the same as the front two over hurdles, but was beaten a fair way.