The success story that is Macarone (photographed) had another chapter penned when the gelding struck at Ffos Las on Sunday. Trained by Grace Harris, the five-year-old only moved to her Shirenewton stable in the spring and did not show heaps in his first two starts for the operation.
Things, however, began to click and Macarone showcased some promise before winning at Ffos Las under Rossa Ryan in August.
Ben Ffrench Davis took over for a race at Bath this month and needed all of his skills in the saddle to guide him home and that jockey was again on board at the weekend.
A 3-1 chance for Ffos Las’ 6f handicap, Macarone was sent straight into a prominent position by the rider and was going easily two furlongs from home. He shifted right late on but was always doing enough and won in commanding fashion to complete the hat-trick.
Understandably, Ffrench Davis was delighted and told Sky Sports Racing: “He was a bit keen, but he moved beautifully on that ground - it was the best I’ve felt him. I cantered him down to post and thought there were no issues with the easy ground because he floated on it.
“I didn’t have a lot of cover and was left on the outside, but I didn’t think they’d carry me far enough, so I let him slide on and kick from the front. It was a shade cosy, I’d say.”
It was a 21st winner for the season for Harris - a personal-best - and Ffrench Davis added: “It’s brilliant and Grace and the team have done a magnificent job with him. They’ve found the key and long may it continue. I know he’s a low-grade horse, but he’s worth his weight in gold, so happy days.”
Harris may have runners at Chepstow when the course next races in October and its Dragonbet Welsh Racing Festival will now be an all-hurdle one.
Some chases had been scheduled for the three-day fixture, which takes place on October 9, 10 and 11, but the continued dry spell means those races have been transferred elsewhere.
In return, Chepstow will stage extra hurdle races, although the feature contests of the meeting - the Dragonbet Persian War Novices’ Hurdle, the Wasdell Group Silver Trophy Handicap Hurdle and the Dragonbet Welsh Champion Hurdle - are unaffected.
Tom Byrne, the head of racing and betting for the British Horseracing Authority, said: “We appreciate that these are significant changes to the race programme at this stage of the season. However, we hope that as a package they will allow the sport to deliver an appropriate jumping programme over the coming weeks.”
Ben Cook, Racing Director for Arena Racing Company, which owns Chepstow, added: “The racecourse team have been working incredibly hard over the summer, and into the
autumn, to get both of Chepstow’s jumps tracks ready for this meeting. We have simply been beaten by the weather, as far as the chase course is concerned.”
