Sky Bet Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle |
|
| Grade 2, Kempton Park 15:05 £30,000 added, 4yo only, 2m, Class 1  |
|
| Saturday 27th February 2016 | |
1 Winter Escape 4/6F
2 Marracudja 9/2
3 Welsh Shadow 5/1
5 ran Distances: 1¼l, 1¼l, 15l
TIME 3m 49.60s (slow by 7.60s)
Winter Escape runs down Marracudja to win for trainer Alan King and jockey Barry Geraghty
Alan King's five-year-old was a warm order as 4/6 favourite following two victories at Doncaster this season and he just did enough to justify those short odds following a protracted battle with Paul Nicholls' front-runner.
Sam Twiston-Davies had tried to make all aboard Marracudja and he looked to have Winter Escape in a bit of trouble in the closing stages, but the favourite warmed to his task under Barry Geraghty close home to win by a-length-and-a-quarter.
Geraghty said: "We went very quick and it's not far off good ground, so it will have been a rude awakening for a horse with so little experience.
"It was a big lesson for him, he's a lovely sort and going the right way.
"We'll have a chat (about Cheltenham) and see, but he'll improve an awful lot for the experience."
Sky Bet Dovecote Novices' Hurdle
£30,000 added, 4yo plus, 2m, Class 1
5 ran
Going: Good to Soft, Good in places
| Pos | D | Horse SP | Jockey Weight | Trainer | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Winter Escape (IRE) 4/6f | B J Geraghty 11-6 |
A King | 5 | |
| 2nd | 1¼ | Marracudja (FR) 9/2 | Sam Twiston-Davies 11-9 |
P F Nicholls | 5 |
| 3rd | 1¼ | Welsh Shadow (IRE) 5/1 | Harry Skelton 11-9 |
D Skelton | 6 |
| 4th | 15 | Oceane (FR) 12/1 | Wayne Hutchinson 11-0 |
A King | 4 |
| 5th | 12 | Cold March (FR) 14/1 | Aidan Coleman 11-2 |
Miss V Williams | 6 |
