Jump racing returned to Warwick on Tuesday after its summer break with the Solihull Moors FC Season Opener and it was Fever Dream, trained at Bridgend in Wales by Christian Williams, who landed the feature £15,000 Paul Ferguson's Jumpers To Follow Handicap Chase, writes David Hucker.
Alcester trainer Dan Skelton had three of the six entries in the feature race, in which he saddled runner-up Sail Away last year, choosing five-time winner Snipe who went off the outsider of the three runners. Taken into the lead by Harry Skelton, Snipe made all the running until the second-last fence where Fever Dream, a course winner back in March, jumped to the front. It wasn't all over, however, as Snipe rallied on the run-in, but Fever Dream and conditional jockey Charlie Maggs held on by a short head.
Kiwi de Cotte who was entered in three races on the afternoon, including the feature, was Skelton's representative in the opening Man Commercial Protection Novices' Handicap Chase over three miles. He made the running until joined on the home turn by 5/2 outsider In The Trenches, who jumped to the front at the penultimate fence and held the late rally of favourite Passengerontheship by 1½ lengths.
Six set out in the Molson Coors Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Chase over two and a half miles and it was last year's winner King Of The Story who made the running, closely tracked by favourite Malinas Glory. Challengers came and went, but jockey Ciaran O'Shea, riding his first winner at Warwick, had judged the pace perfectly and King Of The Story was five lengths to the good at the line with top-weight Saint Arion running on to be second.
Skelton's Sedgefield winner Tralee Girl was made the 4/7 favourite in the Jerroms Financial Group Novices' Hurdle, but found one too good this time as Sixpack, three times a winner on the flat this summer for Newmarket trainer James Owen, transferred that good form to the jumps, taking the lead approaching the final flight and going clear to win by 5½ lengths
Guts And Glory, who swerved an engagement at Newton Abbot on Friday, shortened in the betting before the start of the Zulus Gonna Get Ya Mares' Novices' Hurdle to go off the 10/11 favourite. Never out of the first two, she came to challenge Miracles Do Happen at the penultimate flight, but couldn't get past the strong-running leader, who went away again on the run-in to score by two lengths.
There was not much between the leaders throughout the longest race of the afternoon, the Abi and Brad Divorce Handicap Hurdle, and three turned for home in a line. Jumping the last flight, it was the veteran Belles Benefit who showed the greater turn of foot to beat Piper Cross and Prince De Juilley and make it a blank afternoon for favourite backers.
Racing returns to the course next Wednesday (30th) with the Oddschecker Autumn Meeting for which the first race will be at 2.00pm.
Photograph - Fever Dream jumps the last fence ahead of Snipe in the Paul Ferguson's Jumpers To Follow Handicap Chase (David Pratt Photography)
