John P McManus Owner: Trainer: P J Hobbs

Soft

2:10 European Breeders Fund Sunderlands "National Hunt" Novices' Handicap Hurdle Final Grade 3 (class 1) (4-7yo)

[off 2:12] £34,212.00, £12,834.00, £6,426.00, £3,204.00, £1,608.00, £804.00 9 hdles (2m4f110y) 2m4½f

Comments In Running OR TS RPR

1 Killaghy Castle (IRE) N J Gifford 6 11-7 L Aspell 15/2 120 97 125

2 3 Sharajan (IRE) A King 6 11-7 R Thornton 20/1 120 94 122

3 ¾ Yaboya (IRE) P J Hobbs 7 11-9 R Johnson 9/1 122 95 124

4 ½ Snakebite (IRE) M Pitman 6 11-7 P Moloney 20/1 120 93 121

5 1 Wogan N J Henderson 6 11-6 M A Fitzgerald 7/1 119 91 119

6 hd Hibernian (IRE) O Sherwood 6 10-10 G Lee 12/1 109 81 109

7 11 Nice Horse (FR) M C Pipe 5 10-11 T J Murphy 14/1 110 71 99

8 1½ Youlbesolucky (IRE) Jonjo O´Neill 7 11-7 B Harding 40/1 120 79 108

9 shd Portland Bill (IRE) R H Alner 6 10-9 T Scudamore 33/1 108 67 95

10 2 Principe Azzurro (FR) H D Daly 5 11-2 M Bradburne 10/1 115 72 100

11 12 Easter Present (IRE) Miss H C Knight 7 10-7 S Thomas 33/1 106 51 79

12 dist Bougoure (IRE) Mrs S J Smith 7 11-12 D Elsworth 10/1 125 — —

13 19 Billyandi (IRE) N A Twiston-Davies 6 10-8 C Llewellyn 14/1 107 — —

PU Tokala B G Powell 5 11-9 A P McCoy 9/2F 122 — —

PU Dunsfold Duke P Winkworth 6 11-1 T J Malone(3) 50/1 117 — —

PU Top Brass (IRE) K G Reveley 5 9-4 J Reveley(10) 20/1 99 — —

PU French Envoy (FR) Ian Williams 7 11-2 P J Brennan 25/1 115 — —

17 ran TIME 5m 7.67s (slow by 22.67s) TOTAL SP 120%

NON RUNNER: Idris (GER)

1st OWNER: Mrs S N J Embiricos BRED: Gabriel White TRAINER: N J Gifford

2nd OWNER: Tony Fisher & Mrs Jeni Fisher

3rd OWNER: John P McManus

TOTE TRIFECTA Not won. WIN £8.40 PL £2.00, £4.70, £2.60, £3.80; Ex £163.50; CSF £150.25; TRICAST £1379.52Not won.

ANALYSIS: With the top-weight rated ‘only' 125, this was by no means the classiest renewals, but it was certainly a competitive one, with plenty of in-form contenders in a big field. The action all took place towards the stands' side in the home straight.

KILLAGHY CASTLE had looked good at Folkestone, and he had the excuse of a splint problem next time at Chepstow. He came here well fancied after his break, and having raced a bit keen under restraint he moved up nicely down the far side and took it up at the second last. He was soon three or four clear, and he was in command up the run-in despite having landed on all fours at the last and then hung badly left up the hill. He probably won't run again this season and will be chasing next term, when the SunAlliance will be his target. He looks the part and should go a long way.

Sharajan had ran well against a useful sort at Exeter and confirmed the apparent improvement he showed there by staying on to snatch second close home. He has yet to win, but this was a useful effort.

Leicester winner Yaboya, who carried the McManus first colours even though the pulled up Tokala was a warm order, was also going on at the finish and looks a through stayer.

Snakebite, second to Killaghy Castle at Folkestone, ran virtually to the pound with him, putting up a bold effort from the front but having his measure taken at the second last.

Wogan was struggling to hold his place on the home turn but stayed on again and was by no means disgraced in fifth, just ahead of Hibernian, who had arrived on the scene cruising on the outside approaching the straight but then merely plugged on at one pace when his rider had to go for him approaching the second last. A mistake at the last made little difference to Hibernian, who remains a novice but shapes as if he might be capable of better than the bare form suggests.

The first six were clear of Nice Horse, who along with top-weight Bougoure was surprisingly kept to the inside in the home straight, Youlbesolucky struggled in this better class and dropped away to be beaten a fair way, along with Portland Bill, who was well held when blundering at the last, and Principe Azzurro, who had a similar chance to Wogan on Warwick form.

Soft

4:15 European Breeders Fund "National Hunt" Novices' Hurdle (Qualifier) (class 3) (4-7yo)

[off 4:19] £6,263.00, £1,850.00, £925.00, £463.00, £231.00, £116.00 12 hdles (2m4f110y) 2m4½f

Comments In Running OR TS RPR

1 Yaboya (IRE) P J Hobbs 7 11-4 A P McCoy 5/2 34 109+

2 1¼ Five Colours (IRE) A King 6 11-9 R Thornton 9/2 37 113+

3 hd Menchikov (FR) N J Henderson 6 11-9 M A Fitzgerald 9/4F 37 112

4 ½ Taking My Cut Jonjo O´Neill 6 11-4 R Johnson 8/1 32 106

5 22 Major Oak (IRE) G M Moore 5 11-4 F Keniry 20/1 9 84

6 nk Geordie Peacock (IRE) Miss Venetia Williams 7 11-4 S Thomas 10/1 9 84

7 dist Witness Run (IRE) N J Gifford 6 11-4 L Aspell 14/1 — —

8 19 Campaign Charlie H D Daly 6 11-4 M Bradburne 40/1 — —

9 1½ Incandescence (IRE) Mrs P Robeson 5 11-4 J A McCarthy 100/1 — —

10 14 Benefit Fund (IRE) D J Wintle 6 11-4 H Oliver 200/1 — —

PU The Bees Knees M Appleby 6 11-1 R Young(3) 150/1 — —

PU Lordington Lad B G Powell 6 11-4 James Davies 25/1 — —

PU Moritz (FR) K G Reveley 6 11-4 R McGrath 150/1 — —

13 ran TIME 5m 19.50s (slow by 28.50s) TOTAL SP 118%

1st OWNER: John P McManus BRED: T W Nicholson TRAINER: P J Hobbs

2nd OWNER: Knightsbridge BC & J Sigler

3rd OWNER: Sir Robert Ogden

TOTE WIN £4.50 PL £1.90, £1.10, £1.50; Ex £14.90; CSF £13.90Place 6 £66.72, Place 5 £53.62

JACKPOT Not won. £4,993.00 carried over to Wincanton today

PLACEPOT £98.20 to a £1 stake. Pool: £52,280.10. 388.50 winning tickets.

QUADPOT £12.00 to a £1 stake. Pool: £6,137.50. 377.10 winning tickets.

After a stewards' inquiry, the placings remained unaltered.

ANALYSIS: A fair novice hurdle run at a steady early pace, but it produced a thrilling finish, with YABOYA coming out on top in the end under a strong ride from McCoy. He had shaped encouragingly behind a decent type at Haydock last time and appeared to appreciate the hold-up ride he got here. Bred for the Flat, he could improve again for a faster surface.

Five Colours, who has an entry in the Brit Insurance Novices' Hurdle at the Festival, was a shock winner last time out, but he confirmed the favourable impression of his Hereford success with a solid effort under his penalty. He is clearly no star on the gallops but his performances on the track suggest he has a fair amount of ability.

Another penalised runner Menchikov was far from disgraced back in third. A French-bred, he coped with this easier ground well.

J P McManus' second string Taking My Cut did not look to be going anywhere fast early in the straight but he was finishing better than anything at the death, and a step up to three miles could see him off the mark.