Newbury Saturday

Weatherbys Super Sprint

ZIGAZIG Ah (Richard Spencer/Saffie Osborne) came out on top in a typically frantic Weatherbys Super Sprint at Newbury last Saturday, edging out Angels Lane (Henry Candy/Laura Pearson) by a nose, with Final Appeal (Karl Burke/Darragh Keenan) only a short head away in third and the winner’s stablemate and favourite Etienne hot on their heels.

Sent off at 17/2, the winner showed the speed and toughness required for this five-furlong cavalry charge, stopping the clock at 59.64s on good to firm ground.

With 24 runners hurtling down the straight, the margins told the story, and any one of the first four home might have won had things panned out only slightly differently, and it’s worth noting that the horses drawn in the centre had the best run of things, with the first five home all drawn between stalls 11 and 16.

Godolphin winner

Symbol Of Honour (Charlie Appleby/William Buick) landed the Group 3 Hallgarten And Novum Wines Hackwood Stakes on the same card, travelling in midfield before making smooth headway two furlongs out and keeping on best inside the latter stages. The 7/2 winner had a length and a quarter to spare over Mitbaahy (Charles Hills/David Egan), with favourite Soldier’s Tree (James Owen/Sean Levey) a neck further back in third.

The six-furlong race was run in a rapid 1m 9.46s, and Symbol Of Honour looked well suited by the strong, straightforward sprint test. Mitbaahy, held up before making late gains, posted his best effort for some time, while Soldier’s Tree again ran creditably while giving the impression the best is yet to come from him.

Earlier in the day Persica (Richard Hannon/Sean Levey) justified even-money favouritism in the Listed BetVictor Steventon Stakes, beating Oceans Four (Brian Meehan/Tom Marquand) by three-quarters of a length, with Arabian Light (Charlie Appleby/Kieran Shoemark) the same margin away in third.

The five-runner contest was run on good to firm ground and developed into a proper test from the top of the straight, with Persica making his move approaching the final furlong before idling late but always doing enough.

Oceans Four deserves credit for keeping on gamely after doing plenty of the donkey work, while Arabian Light shaped better than the bare result having been slowly away and left poorly placed the way the race developed.

Market Rasen Saturday

Betway Summer Handicap Hurdle

HIGH Fibre (James Owen/Sean Bowen) continued his new trainer’s fine record in the Betway Summer Handicap Hurdle at Market Rasen on Saturday, landing the £50,000 contest by two and three-quarter lengths from Indemnity (Emma Lavelle/Ben Jones), with Squeezebox (Tom Lacey/Stan Sheppard) a further three and a half lengths away in third.

Sent off at 7/2 on his first start over hurdles for Owen after a recent spin on the flat at York, the seven-year-old was off the bridle for much of the strongly-run race but kept finding, jumping the last still with ground to make up before staying on best to lead close home.

Owen said afterwards that the stronger pace had helped High Fibre, who was able to learn plenty from his recent flat outing, while the decision to fit a visor appeared to bring about further improvement. For Sean Bowen, it was the middle leg of an excellent afternoon, and for Owen it was a third win in the race, underlining the Green Ridge yard’s knack for targeting the summer jumping prizes.

Bowen family thriller

Queensbury Boy (Mickey Bowen/James Bowen) took the Betway Summer Plate Handicap Chase in a tight finish, beating Kingston Narcissus (Dan Skelton/Harry Skelton) by a neck, with Breizh River (Tristan Davidson/Harry Reed) three and a quarter lengths back in third.

The 15/2 winner travelled strongly into the two-mile-and-five-furlong feature and found enough after the last to repel the runner-up, giving the Bowen family another notable success in one of the highlights of the summer jumping calendar.

The race was run on good ground and produced the sort of competitive finish expected of a premier handicap, with Queensbury Boy proving toughest where it mattered. Kingston Narcissus may have been a beaten favourite but lost little caste in defeat and shaped as if still capable of winning a useful prize when things fall his way.

In terms of training honours, the day belonged to James Owen, who enjoyed an outstanding afternoon, saddling a treble courtesy of High Fibre, No More Bolero in the Betway Bet The Responsible Way Handicap Hurdle and Oneinthewell in the concluding Watch Live Racing At Betway Handicap Hurdle.

Elliott double

Gordon Elliott rarely goes long without a winner in Britain and struck with an across-the-card double on Saturday, with Master Haku, the 11/8 joint-favourite getting up under Sean Bowen to beat Loriko by half a length in the Betway Free Bet Club Novices’ Hurdle at Market Rasen, and Newbrook Diamond (Sam Ewing) landing the opening novice hurdle at Cartmel 25 minutes later.

McParlans strike at Cartmel

On Monday at the Cumbrian venue, the father and son team of Sean and Noel McParlan struck with Drumlee Myth in the Molson Coors Handicap Hurdle. The feat was a remarkable one as the 14/1 shot had been absent since finishing well held in the corresponding race 12 months previously.