Folkestone shock for Free Gift
The Sally Alner-trained seven-year-old was sent off the 1-2 favourite for the R. E. Sassoon Memorial Hunters’ Chase after winning eight successive races, seven in point-to-points and one in a hunter chase last May.
However, Free Gift never really looked like fighting back after being headed two fences from home and he was eventually beaten six lengths by Paddy For Paddy.
Meanwhile, amateur jockey Richard Tate was suspended for 18 days and The Butterwick Kid disqualified after the pair took the wrong course on the way to ‘winning’ the Culture 10 Hunters’ Chase at Newcastle.
The Butterwick Kid had made all the running and passed the post five lengths in front of Red Rampage, but unfortunately he had taken the hurdle course into the straight after the third fence.
It was inevitable he would lose the race and Harry Hogarth’s Red Rampage (4-1), ridden by Philip Kinsella, was awarded the first prize.
Tate also owns The Butterwick Kid, who is trained for him by his father, Thomas.
Tate snr said: “It is a shambles, we will take a film home and have a look at it and see whether we shall appeal.”
His son was suspended for 14 days for taking the wrong course and a further four for continuing in the race, and they will be served on the days there are amateur rider races.
The Andrew Parker-trained Em’s Royalty was an unlucky loser, having taken a heavy fall when a length and a half in front at the final flight in the Sporting Index Maiden Hurdle, although the horse and his rider Brian Harding both escaped injury.
Irish raider McKelvey (4-1), ridden by Robert Thornton and a half-brother to good staying chaser Chives, was left in the lead and he went on to pass the post with 16 lengths to spare over Leading Man.
McKelvey is trained in Co Cavan by Shane Donohoe, who has a large team of point-to-pointers plus 15 to run under Rules.
He said: “The horse wants good ground really and his owner Noel Elliott has decided to sent him to Peter Bowen for a month and he will then come back to me. We took in this race on the way and it worked out well.”
