AN excellent day’s racing at the re-arranged Chipley Park fixture featured a total of 60 runners in seven races, writes Granville Taylor.

With perfect going and the dreaded frost out of the way, there were riding doubles for Darren Andrews and Will Biddick, coupled with an impressive performance from Glamorgan qualified Theshoddytradesman in the Exeter Racecourse Intermediate.

The INEOS Grenadier sponsored Mixed Open went to the progressive Eggesford mare Singapore Saga, runner-up in a recent Taunton hunter chase and second in this same INEOS race last year behind Highway Jewel.

This time hot favourite Highway Jewel fell when leading at the second fence on her return after a year off.

“She was too fresh and lunged at it,” said jockey Bradley Gibbs.

Singapore Saga then went on her merry way out in front to score untroubled in the hands of Darren Andrews with no sign of her jumping out to her left as she did at Taunton.

John Heard trains the winner for a local syndicate and said: “She is really well and has been crying out for a run. She spun me off on the moor the other day but is quiet in her box at home and I love her. We might go for a Stratford hunter chase early next month."

The Okehampton handler followed up when his sturdy home-bred six-year-old Quintin’s Man, who runs in the ownership of the High Rollers Partnership, stayed on strongly to take the Agrii and Greenslade Taylor Hunt-sponsored Restricted under Darren Andrews.

“He is still growing up and is a bit raw, but he has come alive now and is a proper horse. They went too quick up front but he travelled and jumped,” said the trainer.

Jockey Andrews, 29, who was completing his double, reported: “He needs soft ground and this is the ideal course for him.”

Biddick reached double figures for the season on the six-year-old Koenigsstern in the Hunt race sponsored by Stoneman Engineering and the families of the late John Pearcy and Brian Summers.

The seven-times champion jockey always had his mount in a handy position and took command three out.

The gelding was all the rage in the betting ring, backed from 5-1 to evens favourite. Owner/trainer Tom Malone was away on holiday, but the Taunton bloodstock agents representative Nick Taylor said: "Koenigsstern won four times on the flat in Germany at Dresden, Dortmund and Mulheim twice, up to 1 mile 7 furlongs on soft ground. He is still qualified for Restricteds.”

In true bloodstock agent style, he added: “He is on the market.” 

Lagan Valley added to Biddick’s winning tally when beating 13 opponents in the Open Maiden sponsored by The Mountpleasant Inn, Steve Marsh and friends of the late Geoff White.

Front-running A Jet of our Own looked sure to give Fred Philipston-Stow his first winning ride until the former champion got Lagan Valley’s head in front inside the last 100 yards.

“Mine jumped and travelled well and landed with more momentum at the last,” said Biddick.

The Warwickshire qualified winner was backed down to 5-4 favourite having run well at Horseheath on New Year’s Eve. Owned by Charlie Wadland, the Shirocco six-year-old is trained at Leamington Hastings near Rugby by his wife Julie, who said: “He was bought privately in Ireland after a few pointing runs. Will Biddick was riding him, for the first time and I was very, very nervous. We got half way here on the day the meeting was abandoned two weeks ago but it was well worth coming again.”

Theshoddytradesman was an impressive winner of the Exeter Racecourse Intermediate ridden by his trainer Bradley Gibbs. Adrian Simpson heads the ownership syndicate called The Shoddy Friends, but their seven-year-old is anything but shoddy and won in a canter with ears pricked.

”We got him through Jimmy Kelly in Ireland. He had no weight on him and was very light when he arrived last year so we put him away after one run (which he won),” said Bradley, whose Hertfordshire stable is in great form.

His gelding looks a strong contender for either the Exeter or Cheltenham Intermedite finals. There was plenty of incident in the closing stages of the Jockey Club and Clarke Willmott Solicitors Mares Maiden.

The Sumba Island departed when leading three out before Melusine De Pail came down at the last when disputing the lead. This left the door open for Josh Newman’s mount Bang on Target to beat the luckless A Tipple or Two with Lady Valkyerie staying on well in third.

Jointly owned by Terry Hamlin and John Gardener, the Milan mare Bang on Target is trained by her rider at Woolminstone near Crewkerne, having been sourced in Ireland where she was placed in a bumper.

Welsh yards rarely leave Chipley without a winner and this duly came in the closing PPORA Novice Riders event sponsored by Tozers Solicitors and McVeigh Parker.

Veteran pointer Doc Carver sailed clear of his nine rivals under 23-year-old Rebecca Pugh, who works for the Nikki Evans stable. Rebecca was enjoying her third career success in the colours of her father Dennis, who trains the family gelding at Pontypool and reported: “He disappointed when he ran at Chaddesley but we have treated him for stomach ulcers since then.”

Dennis was displaying a blood-stained hand in the winner’s enclosure, having been bitten by the Doc in the preliminaries.