This course has witnessed landmark victories for some of steeple chasing’s greats including Best Mate and Desert Orchid. It has also been the venue of sad events such as the demise of Best Mate and Noddy’s Ryde. Whilst a remote location and hardly the best facilities in the world, this is a place to see some very useful horses often early in their career’s as this is a real test for future engagements and if you stay Exeter’s trip and jump their fences well the horse is unlikely to meet much stiffer examination on their ability.
The first thing to note about this course is the fact it is a good six miles from Exeter so would after that analysis be a strong candidate for the Ryanair. However we need to take into account the history of this circuit on the basis of the fact that it was originally The Devon and Exeter Steeplechase Company Limited and the name stuck. This became known as Devon and Exeter before being further simplified to Exeter. This is a difficult track to get to without a car so a free bus service from Exeter St David’s to the racecourse is provided. However with a car it is very simple being a mile off the A38 Exeter to Plymouth main dual carriageway, which can be seen from the course.
It is set adjacent to the forestry commission owned Haldon Forest Park which is a picturesque place, having some great walks, ten miles of bridle ways and cycle routes within it. For families with school children there are often fun events going on and on the times I have been here have proven very popular and well supervised allowing parents a bit of down time. There is a nature trail with some interesting rest point furniture, there is the Obelisk with a tactile sensory feature, there is the opportunity to Nordic walk which is a stiff workout, there are great views from Mamhead and the forest is home to some rare breeding Goshawks.
The Obelisk
Car parking was free and adjacent to the course which meant a very good value freemans to be had as this puts the skinflint about fifty metres from the winning line in the pulling up zone. I couldn’t see how racegoers could get across to the centre of the track, vehicles were parked here but they were either attached to the circuit or the camper-van type things you see for holiday makers. The entry to the course from the car park was unobtrusive to the point of non-descript. You stump up £15 for paddock and grandstand which is pretty well par for the course these days. However the card was not great so was not that entertaining, more lily as a result of the firm ground and the south having a dry spell which may well have put some stables behind in their work so despite some good pots today it could well be that targeted horses were not forward enough to be risked on the going and at this tough course.
The race card was stinger at £3 being plating class however the redeeming feature from a customer communication was some great interviews broadcast with winning connections which is very welcome. So not a complete down although I would like to see a £2 limit on race cards unless there is some substantive information rather than the basic runners and riders plus streams of adverts which presumably have already generated income. If the price was less more cards might be sold and therefore the value of the advert increased.
The view from Mamhead
The facilities are bit claustrophobic to me. You are corralled in, there is little in the way of chilling out areas, it was not clear that you could get into the middle to stretch the legs a bit by getting closer to the action, there was no fence to get close to at all, the undulations make viewing other than via the big screen a problem and there is a curious seating enclosure entirely behind glass perched over one of the terraced viewing areas. I found he experience a bit sterile and slightly boring really. Which was a shame as I was looking forward to coming here. I think there should have been an access all approach on a fairly low key card as there were some non riff raff areas, including what looked like a specific tea room specifically for winning connections which is something I haven’t seen before. Oh well not as ridiculous as Thirsk and Ponte bit certainly nagging enough to detract a bit on the experience.
It's all a bit basic at Exeter
No water feature could be identified, although there may have been something stuck out of eyeshot in the middle somewhere, not a tree to be seen in the paddock. The tea on offer was lukewarm, I saw several coffee cups returned on the grounds of poor quality and the bette noir of the miserable miserliness of UHT milk exuded its sour stench was in attendance at a racecourse yet again. A West Country Pasty I purchased for £3.50 (presumably the West Country being somewhere in The Americas) would have had Cornishmen choking on the lard-doe (which was at my guess a finely ground grass-seed mixed with fat from road kill to create a Pleistocene consistency) and sludge filling of the Heinz Babyfood 1970 collection genre and spluttering in disbelief, before emerging from the tinmines like little moles before scuttling off to Brussels to file for protection of their great culinary innovation. This pasty combined with the sort of joyless service from the miserable till operative that made you yearn for the black bread queues of post war Leipzig to lift your heart. For that alone the Homer is coming home to Devon, Ffos Las and the Carmarthen dream has ended because although their food was rotten molten grease at least it was served with the jolly swagger of a slate cleaver on a day off. Rather than this insult to Devonian joie de vivre and the craft of the pastyman.
There wasn’t a bad crowd all things considered and a plus to the day was the atmosphere and knowledge of the spectators which was rich and thus attempted to make up for the many downsides of today‘s excursion. There are great views to be had and the stewards box is an old quaint building adding charm to the generally utilitarian fabric. The meeting of course comes amid great hubbub surrounding the use of the foam cracker which parodies for a whip. This is hardly a riding crop a la Lord Flashheart of Blackadder fame. Perhaps the powers could give jockeys one of those triangular paper things often free with kids comics to make a banging sound, better still advice jockeys to blow up a crisp packed and then smack it between their hands. Some of the debate is ridiculous, I heard some middle aged twot on breakfast telly trying to impress a coquettish giggling blond thin thing that if he had his way he would get a jockey over a table and slap him with the ’whip’ to see how he liked it. I have to say he described it with such relish that you would not have been shocked if later revelations evidenced unbecoming acts with down on their luck tapdancers.
The Racing
We began with a three runner amateur rider novice hurdle over three miles. None jumped with alacrity and none merit optimism for future success. The favourite Soulard was returned at a 1/9 price which whilst the winning distance would suggest reasonable he did clatter more than one hurdle and those that were buying money would have experienced that tingling of the tongue combined with significant light headedness as the realisation that as JP McManus might say 'If I already had the money to lay nine grand I wouldn’t be that desperate for another one' would have inevitably sprung to mind. I would he say he is a better chaser than hurdler and I would be looking to lay him if he decided to carry a penalty in a novice event sometime soon. Second home was Knight Blaxer who ran much better than I thought he would having a chance three out before appearing to fail to stay. However this is more useful for giving some parameters of the winner’s effort than a positive to the runner up going forward. I would say remains useless. Third home was old boy Jacardo who was hopelessly detached, is much better off over fences and has a good record at stiff righthanded tracks like Towcester. This was presumably a spin over the thickets before reverting to the larger obstacles.
Soulard returns after a pretty bloodless victory
Second race was a five runner novice hurdle over seventeen furlongs. It was a match on paper between Numan and Shallow Bay who had been first and second at the previous meeting here and strictly on the book Shallow Bay was made a shade odds on favourite on the basis of the seven pound penalty his principle opponent was set to carry. However they both jumped well for novices in the main and despite the extra weight AP McCoy rode a super race to win by a cosy length. I think Numan can win again and make him a slight positive. The second also has potential but might need a less demanding track to be seen to better advantage. Of the remainder the only one to attract any support was a debutant off the flat having picked up a summer seller at Windsor. In fact Resplendent Light has some tasty form on the level including winning the tradesman’s derby at Musselburgh, the Bibury Cup at Salisbury, third in the Cadbury Cup at York and third in the Brighton Challenge Cup. Clearly has ability, jumped OK but was not given any real push and if I didn’t know any better I would say this looked like a bit of public schooling. One to keep an eye on as was probably never expected to harry the two experienced novices so third was the best position his current ability could have warranted.
Well beaten Resplendent Light (red) has some smart flat form and was fairly fluent on debut to suggest could pick up a small maiden event
The big race of the day was a novice chase set as a limited handicap over two mile one. It was for the Best Mate Trophy and the pot on offer was substantial as was the prize money for this level of race. Only five faced the starter. Favourite at 7/4 was bottom weight McCauley who jumped erratically. Sometimes spectacularly flamboyant other times crack clenchingly scatty. Ultimately a giant leap was followed by a blunder from which Richard Johnson could do little to recover from. Can he win again? I would say only if a return to the more genteel arena of hunter chasing / pointing is followed. Of the remainder the only horse to jump with enough consistency was the winner and 9/2 chance Trooper Clarence. Goes well right handed and has a good partnership with Adam Wedge. Perhaps at 130 is a touch high in the handicap. Needs fast ground to be seen to nest advantage. The remainder all jumped with a lack of confidence that whilst not negative I cannot be positive about any of them going forward on the basis of this evidence.
Trooper Clarence and Oceana Gold (yellow cap) fought out a decent novice chase for the Best Mate Chase
Only three turned up for the two mile three handicap hurdle set as a class 4 event. The winner by more than 30 lengths was the Pipe trained Brother Sylvest who hurdled well. Tumbled from 124 to 99 and had won a Stratford novice unchallenged. Likely to be punished but on firm ground is likely to win again. Tips on faourite was Run Along Boy soon had the white flag up today as was outclassed at the weights. A fence and over sixty lengths back in third was Captain Becket who at least picked up best turned out which is probably the only way he is likely to bother a judge again.
A panoramic view of the winner's enclosure / paddock as My Brother Sylvest arrives back having won the handicap hurdle
The class 4 handicap chase had the comparative M25 congestion issue as five decided to brave the firm. It was a good battle between three of them from heading into the straight. However it should be noted that the fancied Wrapitupboys was travelling strongly before a blunder led to unseating coming out of the back straight and at an easier course he would be worth a squint at. The favourite Coach Lane ran and jumped well in the main but just failed for toe. Needs to be on a mark less than 100 merits respect when conditions are in his favour and he rates a positive today. This left a fair battle between Rory Boy and Moorstead with the former prevailing. Rory Boy was rated 134 on the basis of some flash novice chase form and had fallen to an attractive 109 mark today so entitled to go close as had won over the tricky Wetherby fences. He just prevailed by a length and a half from Moorstead who had previously picked up minor events at the Sussex courses so this was an improvement.
There was the dispiriting sight of a match for a beginners chase over three miles. It was very tactical and was very slow on the prevailing fast ground. The winner Mumbles Pier idled, made mistakes and all together did not give a strong impression that there was more to come. A neck separated him from 8/13 odds on favourite Spring Moon who in a similar vein gave little to encourage a major punting expedition.
Finally and with blessed relief after some dispiriting racing we came to the finale that coupled with the previous match enabled the car park to be clear. This enables the sad spectacle of the many absent minded race goers meandering round the car park searching for their car like so many rookie twokers. The bumper was a 1m5 event. For what possible benefit other than at least it takes out the half mile canter which masquerades as racing that many two mile bumpers present up with. All we learnt was the first three can gallop at a fair pace but we have no idea if they can stay, that the remainder are probably paceless but might stay further like the minimum two miles. The winner was Megans Motivator who is entirely flat bred and sort of undermines what bumpers where instigated for. I thought their existence was to give the more backward and stamina based stock from the national hunt world the opportunity to get some racecourse experience before embarking on their main purpose which is jumping. Do I think Megans will make the grade over the sticks? I have doubts that he’ll stay even if he jumps. Second was the sinisterly named Balaclava who is from the Bering family and has group winners as close relatives and cost a couple of hundred grand. What was the point of this then? Third was Staigue Fort who has a bit of jumping ability in the family. Best bred for the game was The Happy Warrior who may just pop in when there is some give and he races over the two miles.
Notebook
Numen (P) down £10
0 2
Went right up to a cheltenham handicap where he had no chance so wwent unbacked. Slipped back to claimer and had a good chance but could only finish second. But i am sure he will pick up a claimer or seller but I will only back in that class 5 zone.
Soulad (N)
NR
Has not reappeared yet
Resplendent Night (P)
NR
Has not reappeared yet
Wrapitupboys (P) finished £30 down
0 0 F
Not run well in any of the three runs since the Exeter race and recent fall has now led to my confidence evaporating. He is off the list
Coach Lane (P) up £45
1 9/2
Won off 97 on next run. Has now gone above the 100 line and will not be backed until is below 100. At the moment is running OK so if slipping I will back but will give it three runs tops