As attention now turns to the end-of-season finale at Sandown Park this Saturday, plenty of South West-based trainers were making headlines further north last weekend, writes Martin Higgs.
Several leading yards sent their runners to Ayr Racecourse for the Scottish Grand National meeting, staged across Friday and Saturday.
On the opening day, Paul Nicholls, who sent a total of eight horses to the meeting, landed the feature chase with Twinjets, an admirable nine-year-old who was given a superb front-running ride by local jockey Jay Tidball.
He was chased home by Donnacha, sent north by Nigel Hawke, having already shown good form with a win at Cheltenham in January.
That was just a taster for what was to come on Saturday.
During Friday and overnight, the rain arrived, and a meeting that had begun on soft, good-to-soft ground was transformed by the start of racing on Saturday into heavy ground, soft in places.
The change in conditions led to a number of non-runners, but it also set the stage for a memorable day for the West Country raiders.
It wasn’t to be for Anthony Honeyball’s Kdeux Saint Fray in the Novices’ Champion Chase, but he remains one to keep firmly in the notebook for next season, a lovely horse with plenty of promise.
Next up was the Scottish Champion Hurdle, where it was a case of so near yet so far for the West Country contingent.
Captain Hugo, representing the team of Philip Hobbs and Johnson White, along with Ooh Betty for Ben Clarke, filled the runner-up and third spots respectively.
However, Mosterton-based Clarke went two places better in the very next race as Game Colours stormed to victory.
It has been a record-breaking season for Clarke, who has sent out 13 winners from just 84 runners.
His trip north to Ayr proved a masterstroke, sending four horses and returning with a winner, two thirds and a fourth.
That is outstanding placement and targeting from a small but highly effective team.
It was then time for the Scottish Grand National over four miles on heavy ground, a searching test of stamina.
Step forward Kap Vert, ridden by Sean Houlihan and trained by Philip Hobbs and Johnson White.
Always travelling strongly and never far from the pace, Kap Vert (pictured) moved into contention before taking it up four fences from home.
From there, he stayed on strongly, always doing enough to land the prize by just over a length.
It was a tremendous triumph for the team and for his enthusiastic syndicate aptly named, If The Kap Fits.
They are true West Country racing supporters who embody everything that is good about shared ownership.
Fittingly, they recently sponsored a race at Taunton Racecourse’s ownership day.
The Taunton connection does not end there.
Kap Vert had already won twice at the track this season over trips just short of three miles on good ground, conditions markedly different from those he faced at Ayr.
That contrast perhaps explains his generous starting price of 20/1.
Congratulations to all involved on a tremendous success, one that connections, both in the yard and the syndicate, are sure to be dining out on for years to come.
Attention now turns back to Taunton Racecourse, which hosts its evening meeting today (Wednesday) for the ever-popular Ladies’ Evening.
Racegoers will have the chance to see Scottish Grand National hero Kap Vert up close, as he parades between the first and second races.
Racing commences at 4.53pm and tickets can be purchased on the gate.
It promises to be a fitting end-of-season celebration, with plenty of style on show both on and off the track.
Racegoers are encouraged to don their finest outfits for the ‘Best Dressed’ competition, where prizes include a £1,000 holiday voucher, a £500 Wadworth voucher, and a host of other rewards.
All eyes are set firmly on the end-of-season finale at Sandown Park Racecourse this Saturday.
It promises to be a superb day’s racing, with the 2025–26 champions set to be crowned.
See you next week for my own end-of-season round-up before I head off to sunnier climes.
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