FFOS LAS RACECOURSE: Double for the Skelton brothers as the jumps season gets going

Wednesday’s jumps card at Ffos Las was a treat for National Hunt fans, with a host of horses from the big Saturday meetings back out for the new season.

The ground was soft, and several horses were withdrawn as the day went on.

The racing was competitive all afternoon, but the main story was a double for trainer Dan Skelton and his brother, jockey Harry Skelton.

Read on for a report of the Ffos Las card, with odds brought to you by BetVictor Online Casino.

1.45pm: Tell The Tale stays on

The card opened with a three-mile novices’ handicap chase. Neil Mulholland’s Tell The Tale went off the 3/1 favourite and ran a solid race, staying on into the lead over the last to win by nearly five lengths.

Bells Of Ufford (14/1) was second and Miss Pearl (18/1) third.

2.20pm: Sinnatra cruises home for the Skeltons

Paul Nicholls’ Pourquoi Pas Papa was the 2/1 favourite for the two-mile JCP Solicitors Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase, but it was the Skeltons who struck first.

Sinnatra (9/4), ridden by Harry Skelton on his chasing debut, made a seven-and-a-half-length win look easy despite carrying 19lb more than his younger rivals. The favourite was second, with Desertmore News third.

Dan Skelton admitted he was “blown away”. He had expected Sinnatra to be short of fitness, given the testing ground and the big weight he was carrying.

Sinnatra was our pick of the day, and he won comfortably. On this evidence, he now goes into the mix for the Arkle Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Bookmakers have taken notice. Sinnatra was 50/1 for the Arkle before Wednesday, and has since been cut to between 14/1 and 25/1, depending on the bookmaker.

2.55pm: Local success for Rebecca Curtis

The favourite, Guard Your Dreams, was pulled up by Sam Twiston-Davies in the three-mile veterans’ chase.

That opened the way for Pembrokeshire trainer Rebecca Curtis’ The Boola Boss (5/1), ridden by Sean Bowen. The 10-year-old tracked the leaders, hit the front approaching the final fence and kept on strongly to win by three lengths from 12/1 shot Hold Your Fort, with Curtis’ Fanion d’Estruval third.

It was a welcome winner for Bowen, who was named Welsh National Hunt Jockey of the Year for a record sixth time last week. He is trying to close the gap on Harry Skelton, who leads the jockeys’ championship.

3.30pm: Captain Teague completes the double

Nicholls had the favourite again in the Listed novices’ chase, Tutti Quanti, and once again the Skeltons beat him.

Captain Teague (7/2), making his stable debut for Dan Skelton having left Nicholls’ yard earlier this year, won by just over a length to complete the brothers’ double.

4.05pm: Ballycamus picks up the pieces

Ben Solo was favourite for Rebecca Curtis and Sean Bowen in the three-mile handicap chase, but could only finish a distant third.

Three of the runners pulled up, leaving Nigel and Willy Twiston-Davies’ Ballycamus (6/1) to win, with Gyenyame second.

4.38pm: Torneo beats the big names

The three-mile handicap chase was packed with household names. Jonjo and AJ O’Neill’s Crebilly was the market leader, and Il Est Francais, Saint Segal and Riskintheground also lined up.

But it was the lesser-known Torneo (4/1) who won for Jamie Snowden and Gavin Sheehan, keeping on well after the final fence.

5.13pm: Gingerbred lands the odds

Joe Tizzard’s Gingerbred was the 10/11 favourite for the three-and-a-half-mile handicap chase, and left little doubt.

He raced prominently, took the lead at the second-last and stayed on to win by nearly four lengths from Jaccours.

Two winners for our tips

Our preview tips found two of the seven winners, Tell The Tale and Sinnatra.

We also picked out Captain Teague as an interesting new recruit for the Skeltons, while Pourquoi Pas Papa and 12/1 shot Hold Your Fort, both named as dangers in the preview, each finished second.

Ffos Las results, Wednesday

1.45pm: Tell The Tale (3/1 fav)
2.20pm: Sinnatra (9/4)
2.55pm: The Boola Boss (5/1)
3.30pm: Captain Teague (7/2)
4.05pm: Ballycamus (6/1)
4.38pm: Torneo (4/1)
5.13pm: Gingerbred (10/11 fav)

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