- Monday, 20 April 2026 11:04
- Written by David Pipe
Way of Stars Intended Runner at Sandown
We are now entering the final week of the 2025-26 National Hunt season with the finale once again coming at Sandown on Saturday. Fear not, with a little break in jumps racing after the weekend, we do have Punchestown to look forward to next week! We already know the Champions elect, so no closely fought battles to come this week like last year but there is plenty of racing in the coming days before the curtain comes down. More reflections on the season next week.
Last week, Show Your Hand was a little unlucky to get pipped at the post at Exeter in the bumper. He travelled well in a slowly run race and was last off the bridle but he just lost out to the favourite in a battle inside the last half a furlong. He is a lovely young horse and we can now look forward to him going over hurdles in the autumn. October Hill finished third in the maiden hurdle, looking like the winner two out but she finished a little weakly after the last hurdle. I thought the track and trip would suit but her best form has come on the sharper tracks so we will have to go back to one of these next time. Green Sky was unsuited by Exeter and will try her luck again at Taunton this week while Bashful Bay ran his usual honest race to be fourth at Bath on Friday evening. Penn Avenue was a little unlucky to lose out on third place close to the line at Ayr while Phantomofthepoints is now on holidays after he disappointed up in Scotland.
This Week
Our first runner of this week will be Mancero at Ffos Las on Tuesday evening. He ran his best race to date last time at Wincanton to be a staying on fourth in a race that you actually had little chance of winning coming from off the pace. The track and ground will suit at Ffos Las and if he can build on his last run then I hope he should not be too far away.
It is a busy evening for the team at Taunton on Wednesday with five runners providing the ground is as currently described, good. Parchment will run in the novice’s hurdle, making what will be just his second start for us since coming over from France. He was very disappointing on debut back in the autumn and to be honest he took a long time to come right following that run and so we know it was too bad to be true. He has blossomed this spring with the sunshine and I hope he can show his true colours in this. Old Bridge returns from a winter break and is in good form at home. He actually finished second four times for us last summer without winning and he deserves to get his head in front. This looks a good opportunity for that and fingers crossed he can get his first win over hurdles. Best Night and Green Sky are in the same race, a handicap hurdle over 2m3f. Best Night has run well in her last two starts over hurdles and a repeat of those runs would see her go very well in this, while first time blinkers for Green Sky need to have a positive effect but a return to a sharper track should suit. Final Entry completes our quintet and will appreciate stepping up in distance in this race. If he puts his best foot forwards then he could run a big race. My son, Jack has been riding him all the time during the Easter holidays so I will know who to give credit or stick to depending on how he runs!
On Saturday, Way Of Stars is an intended runner in the novices handicap hurdle final at Sandown. He is a real likeable four-year-old who has run well and improved in each of his three starts over hurdles. A rating of 115 looks fair on what he has done so far but I would hope there is room for improvement in this mark based on in his innate flat ability and what he shows us at home.
Horse for Sale – AFFECTION
We have just claimed a lovely three-year-old grey filly called Affection and she is looking for an owner! She is by the sire Bow Creek and is rated 83 on the flat. She has won four of her ten career starts to date, including a handicap off this rating and we claimed her after she won on her first start over 1m4f at Salon Provence the other day. While she will be arriving with us later in the week we loved her attitude in all her races to date and for any horse to have such a good strike rate is impressive. The plan would be for us to aim her at the first Juvenile hurdle race at Hexham in June but she can of course mix hurdling with runs on the flat so there is plenty of fun to be had with her this summer. Please click on the link below to see her form and watch the race replays and in her win the other days she was giving the runner up 24lbs. Her current connections tried to defend her which is always a good sign. She looks great value at £28,000 to include paperwork and getting her back to England so if you would like to know more information, please do get in touch!
https://www.attheraces.com/form/horse/Affection/FR/3796862
Point to Point and Pony Racing Update
Jack Pipe and Little Chiefy ran a good race to be second at Flete Park on Saturday in the 148cm pony race. He enjoyed stepping up in trip to 1m2f and rather than being flat out from the start, Jack was able to ride a nice race on him. He got in a good position and was upsides in front when not handling a sharp bend that well. The winner, Chloe Fox-Pitt, on pony She’s A Corker gained valuable lengths by cornering much better and while Jack was closing on them at the line he couldn’t quite get there. We had spoken about the notorious bend before the race and had a plan in place on what best to do but it didn’t quite come to fruition in real time! It is all a learning curve and when we return back to the track on 2nd May I am sure it will be a different story! The winning pony finished second in the final at Aintree last year so we know it is a good pony and we will definitely be hoping to reverse the form next time!
We didn’t have any runners point to pointing over the weekend and while both Ashley Dascombe and James Shaw were in action there are no winners to report. Our thoughts however are with James, who had a nasty fall and was knocked out at Cotley on Sunday. He went to hospital for tests but thankfully they come back clear and so it will be just a question of rest. Martin McIntyre is still on the side lines and while he is improving he will not be back in action in this point to point season.
Well done to young Stanley Dixon who rode his first point to winner at Cotley on Sunday. Stan gained quite a lot of experience here in school holidays in recent years with his parents, Ben and Mel and is brother Tom all working at Pond House. Stan is just about to finish his first season with Philip Hobbs and Johnson White and it was nice to ride a winner on just his second ride.
The local pointing action this week is at the Axe vale meeting at Stafford Cross in Devon. The first race is at 1.30pm and it is always a good day out if you fancy a day point to pointing.
