VIDEO: Spinner’s a winner at Fontwell

Up-and-coming jockey James Best’s double was the highlight of an afternoon of jump racing at Fontwell on a track made heavy going in places by rain.
Southway Star's win is celebrated by connectionsSouthway Star's win is celebrated by connections
Southway Star's win is celebrated by connections

The weather might have put some off attending and might have made the figure-of-eight track a slog for the runners, but the card still served up some decent contests.

Best is a relative newcomer to the weighing room but you wouldn’t have known it from his two winning rides.

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First he was a thre-length winner on 4/7 favourite Rock The Kasbah, trained by Philip Hobbs, in the Winner Rental Services Conditional Jockeys’ Novices Hurdle, and he followed that with a thrilling finish and win on Withy Mills (7/2) for Kevin Bishop in the Rob Bright Handicap Chase.

Southway Star's win is celebrated by connectionsSouthway Star's win is celebrated by connections
Southway Star's win is celebrated by connections

Another high point was a family success in the Louise And Mark Mares’ Handicap Hurdle. Ryan While - normally a flat jockey - was riding 12/1 shot Floral Spinner for his grandfather trainer Bill Turner, while his While’s mum Cathy, who rides the horse at its Dorset stables, was present too. Turner was in tears when it came in first.

See Floral Spinner’s win in the video above.

Turner’s runner was far and away the biggest priced winner on an afternoon better for the favourites than the outsiders.

But there was an 11/2 triumph for a horse tipped on this website on Friday morning as Don’t Do Mondays, ridden by Tom Scudamore and trained by David Bridgwater, led all the way to take the Mike And Janie Handicap Chase.

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Trevor Whelan was on board Southway Star to finish first in a field of three in the John Bishop Mares’ Novices’ Handicap Chase at a 9/4 starting price for trainer Neil King.

American Life, ridden by James Banks, was an impressive winner of the Chris Foice Handicap Hurdle at 4/1 for Anthony Middleton while the bumper - the Ben Charrington Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race - was claimed by Leighton Apell on Weststreet, a 9/4 joint favourite trained by Oliver Sherwood.

Fontwell’s next meeting is Southern National raceday on Sunday week (Nov 16).

See the full 2015 Fontwell fixture list in this week’s Chichester Observer.

STEVE BONE