Newton Abbot set for Sun Racing Summer Jumps Championship finale

The Sun Racing Summer Jumps Championship, involving 16 racecourses and 84 fixtures, started at Worcester on 22 May and finishes at Newton Abbot on Friday with the Sun Racing Summer Jumps Championship Finale Handicap Hurdle over an extended two miles, the closing race on a seven-race card.

Not surprisingly, Dan Skelton is already assured of the top trainer title and will be represented at the presentations on Friday by his assistant Tom Messenger. His brother Harry is well clear in the battle to be top jockey and should make it a family double.

With double points on offer, it could get close in the race to be leading small trainer. At the beginning of the week, David Pipe had a lead of five points over Micky Hammond and eight over Nick Scholfield who has entered four and, if there are eight or more runners in the race, the winner earns 20 points which could prove decisive.

The meeting gets underway at 2.02pm with the Edmundson Electrical Cabletec Plymouth Maiden Hurdle over two miles, five and a half furlongs in which Skelton could run Premier Tenor, placed in both his starts this season. The Irish-trained Penzance, five times a winner on the all-weather and placed in five of his eight hurdle starts, is another to note.

There are 17 entries in the following Southlands Care Home Mares Novices Hurdle in which the weights are topped by the Skelton-trained dual winner Fine Thing who looks the one to beat.

Babs came good at the third time of asking over hurdles with a nine-length win at Worcester and Guts And Glory was another good winner at Stratford.

Thickthorn Tom beat It’s A Breeze over the course last month and they could re-oppose in the £15,000 Devondale Novices Limited Handicap Chase. The winner has since been beaten by Tamarind Bay at Bangor-on-Dee but, even with the weights favouring the runner-up, who would be 10lbs better off, the ease of Thickthorn Tom’s win suggests he could come out on top again.

Flashy Boy, a 12-length winner on his last visit to the course, could double-up in the Bayside Signs & Display Conditional Jockeys Handicap Chase over three and a quarter miles. Edgewell and Honey I’m Good fought out a close finish here in June and Testflight would have a good chance if reproducing the form that saw him beat My Girl Katie over the course 14 months ago.

Also worth £15,000 is the Colin Willcocks Memorial Handicap Hurdle and, with four entries, including five-time winner Edelak and Loriko, a winner of four races this season, Dan Skelton would seem to hold the key to the race. Stratford winner Rebel Tribesman and course winner Morning Mayhem should be in the mix, as should Kam Tu Voudras, a faller in the race won by Rebel Tribesman, who has been raised 5lbs in the weights for her win at Fontwell Park.

Also entered in an earlier race, chasing debutant Broadway Honey could go close in the Tony McCarthy Handicap Chase, but preference would be for Mr McWhinny, who escapes a penalty for his win over My Cullen at the last meeting.