Exeter trainer Sue Gardner enjoys double on the day at Newton Abbot Races

Exeter-based racing trainer Sue Gardnder secured a fine double on the day at Newton Abbot on Sunday. 

Gardner, whose yard is in Longdown, bagged wins in race three and four on the card at the weekend on a day where a couple of short-priced favourites were turned over. 

Read below for a full report of the Newton Abbot card on Sunday courtesy of Betano, who offer the latest horse racing betting. 

The first race of the day ended up being a match race as just two runners lined up for the two mile and a furlong handicap hurdle in class four, with Bobby’s Fortune taken out of the race due to a cut leg. There was a very slight upset in the opener as the Harry Derham-trained Sergeant Fury got the better of his only rival Gore Point, who went off a 4-5 favourite for the contest , winning by a comfortable three and a quarter lengths. 

Five ran in the second race of the afternoon which was another two mile and a furlong contest, this time a juvenile hurdle. Irish raider Dignam, trained by Joseph O’Brien, duly obliged at odds of 1-4 on to score for a wide four and three quarter lengths from Lord and Manyana Blue back in third. 

Four runners lined up for the class five handicap over three and a quarter mile trip for race three of the Newton Abbot card and Testflight, trained by Sue Gardner, was the winner this time, winning by one and three quarter lengths from 11/10 favourite My Girl Katie, with the winner rallying from falling to the back of the pack four fences from home but kept on very well to land the prize at the finish under a strong Tabitha Worsley ride. 

Gardener picked up her second win of the card in race four, the two and a quarter mile handicap hurdle in class five with 13/2 shot Stinginhisstep, prominent throughout before facing a bit of a challenge three from home and was in fact headed two out, but went clear approaching the last and comfortably stayed on to score by six lengths, with 11/8 favourite Sassified back in third. 

A favourite was back in the winners enclosure in race five as 13/8 chance Impecunious landed three and a quarter mile handicap hurdle for trainer Chris Down, a three and a quarter length winner having always been in touch with the leaders throughout before stretching out two hurdles from home and landing the spoils. 

Finally, the card came to a close with a class five handicap chase which was won by another favourite as Sean and Mickey Bowen teamed up with 11/10 favourite La Quarite, who was victorious by a whopping 36 lengths from 25/1 outsider Believe Jack, with the Bowen’s runner eased down in the final couple of furlongs to score under a hands and heels ride from Sean. 

Newton Abbot results – Sunday 2.25 - Sergeant Fury (Evs) 2.57 - Dignam (1/4F) 3.32 - Testflight (4/1) 4.07 - Stinginhisstep (13/2) 4.42 - Impecunious (13/8) 5.17 - La Quarite (11/10F)