Forecast: Moderate showers
Temperature: 9.4° - 17.7°
Rainfall: 2.68cm
Wind: 7.8 mph W
Fontwell Course Guide
Located in West Sussex, Fontwell Park stages National Hunt racing all year round but the highlight of its calendar is the Grade2 National Spirit Handicap Hurdle in late February. The contest is named after National Spirit, a dual winner of the Champion Hurdle in the 1940s, who won five times at Fontwell Park during his illustrious career.
The race was initially run over two miles and two furlongs as a Champion Hurdle Trial, with dual Champion Hurdle hero Comedy of Errors amongst previous winners. It is now run over two miles and four furlongs as a handicap and the David Pipe-trained Lough Derg won the race in both 2008 and 2009. The National Spirit is seen as a World Hurdle Trial and in 2006 My Way De Solzen became the first winner of the National Spirit to go onto win the World Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Star stayer Baracouda also won both races, albeit in different campaigns.
Left handed, sharp; the chase course is a figure of eight circuit, whilst the hurdles track is oval. The stiff finish is testing on heavy ground, races often developing from far out. The fences are easy but, given the nature of the track, course specialists abound. On the chase course, the lead rarely changes hands on the run in but often looks as though it might. The paddock exit is situated halfway up the run-in on the hurdles course and can lead to horses idling/ducking out on seeing it. On soft/heavy going the hurdles course favours those who race wide.
Having a figure-of-eight configuration on the chase track, Fontwell can suit quirky horses. I don’t know if that’s because it disorientates them, or simply keeps them interested, but it does seem to help a few ‘thinkers’. It puts a premium on jumping, too, and, if you’re on a novice that’s slick over the fences, you can get away from the others thanks to wasting little time in the air. If you are behind, though, but still within shouting distance of a faster one, the stiff finish gives you a chance to get back up.
View from the saddle: Mick Fitzgerald
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Distance Horse (Going) Date Winning time 2m 1f 96y Purple 'n Gold (Good to Firm) 15 Jun 2017 4m 19.6s 2m 2f Overclear (Good to Firm) 10 Jun 2014 4m 23.1s 2m 3f 35y Remember Forever (Good) 31 Mar 2017 4m 52.1s 2m 4f Virak (Good to Soft) 22 Oct 2014 5m 4.96s 2m 5f 135y Sizing Tennessee (Good) 05 Oct 2018 5m 17.3s 3m 1f 106y Southfield Vic (Good) 21 Apr 2017 6m 28.2s 3m 2f 110y Nodform Richard (Good to Firm) 10 Jun 2014 6m 36s 3m 3f 149y Wonderful Charm (Good) 17 May 2018 7m 14.72s Distance Horse (Going) Date Winning time 2m 1f 162y Royal Hall (Good) 27 May 2018 4m 13.2s 2m 2f 110y Another Brandy (Good to Firm) 10 Jun 2014 4m 16.8s 2m 3f 49y Le Ligerien (Good) 29 Mar 2019 4m 15.3s 2m 4f Cinevator (Good to Firm) 10 Jun 2014 4m 37.5s 2m 5f 164y Snazz Man (Good) 09 May 2018 5m 16.9s 2m 6f 110y Barton Stacey (Good to Firm) 14 Aug 2014 5m 17.8s 3m 1f 142y Sir Mangan (Good) 02 Oct 2015 6m 16.2s 3m 3f Horsted Valley (Good) 24 May 2015 6m 30.9s Distance Horse (Going) Date Winning time 1m 5f 159y Kalinihta (Good) 20 Apr 2018 3m 9.4s 2m 1f 145y King Uther (Good to Soft) 28 Feb 2016 4m 4.6s 2m 2f 110y Mount Haven (Good) 04 Jun 2014 4m 29.2s -
Trainer Runners Wins Prize Money Strike-Rate P/L P F Nicholls 34 18 £99,798 52.94% £13.81 C L Tizzard 45 12 £62,005 26.67% £0.93 G L Moore 55 10 £46,170 18.18% -£29.53 N P Mulholland 39 10 £38,145 25.64% -£3.62 J W Mullins 35 6 £19,169 17.14% £13.25 D Skelton 18 6 £34,415 33.33% -£0.81 A J Honeyball 18 6 £34,586 33.33% £15.23 C J Mann 22 5 £21,705 22.73% £0.75 J Scott 19 5 £19,949 26.32% -£0.68 Mrs Lawney Hill 14 5 £27,325 35.71% £2.93 Trainer Runners Wins Prize Money Strike-Rate P/L G L Moore 163 26 £147,256 15.95% -£38.67 C Gordon 105 14 £61,878 13.33% -£45.91 A King 32 13 £51,728 40.63% £17.51 N P Mulholland 80 12 £47,463 15% -£34.94 A J Honeyball 32 11 £42,987 34.38% -£2.17 P F Nicholls 33 10 £81,365 30.3% -£4.76 J W Mullins 70 8 £28,137 11.43% -£30.67 O Sherwood 40 8 £27,422 20% £15.25 D Skelton 50 7 £30,373 14% -£23.90 C L Tizzard 43 7 £71,196 16.28% -£15.60 Trainer Runners Wins Prize Money Strike-Rate P/L G L Moore 22 3 £5,588 13.64% -£9.88 N P Mulholland 13 3 £6,822 23.08% -£6.43 C Gordon 13 2 £4,548 15.38% £10.00 A J Honeyball 6 2 £3,834 33.33% -£3.00 C E Longsdon 6 2 £3,834 33.33% £7.25 Jamie Snowden 8 1 £2,274 12.5% -£6.50 H Whittington 6 1 £1,560 16.67% -£0.50 C L Tizzard 7 1 £2,274 14.29% -£3.00 N J Gifford 5 1 £1,560 20% -£0.50 A King 4 1 £1,560 25% -£2.20 -
Jockey Runners Wins Prize Money Strike-Rate P/L J E Moore 49 10 £45,389 20.41% -£11.15 R Johnson 21 10 £45,039 47.62% £13.44 Nick Scholfield 29 9 £35,740 31.03% £20.57 H Cobden 26 9 £38,677 34.62% £2.53 N D Fehily 24 9 £37,106 37.5% £10.88 Aidan Coleman 24 8 £49,394 33.33% £13.35 Sam Twiston-Davies 20 7 £41,577 35% -£5.02 T Scudamore 27 6 £30,801 22.22% -£3.13 P J Brennan 24 6 £24,369 25% £1.00 Bryony Frost 17 6 £26,969 35.29% £12.07 Jockey Runners Wins Prize Money Strike-Rate P/L J E Moore 103 22 £87,790 21.36% £34.45 Tom Cannon 106 18 £81,322 16.98% -£23.06 R Johnson 52 13 £51,206 25% £5.80 L P Aspell 71 10 £35,636 14.08% -£13.25 H Cobden 36 10 £82,958 27.78% -£10.02 N D Fehily 41 9 £41,465 21.95% -£15.00 David Noonan 44 8 £30,010 18.18% -£16.78 Wayne Hutchinson 20 8 £26,382 40% £7.18 G Sheehan 42 8 £30,087 19.05% -£24.91 Harry Skelton 34 7 £30,373 20.59% -£7.90 Jockey Runners Wins Prize Money Strike-Rate P/L Aidan Coleman 9 3 £6,108 33.33% £2.50 L P Aspell 16 2 £4,548 12.5% £4.50 Tom Cannon 16 2 £3,834 12.5% -£3.50 J E Moore 13 2 £4,028 15.38% -£3.38 Joshua Moore 8 2 £3,120 25% £29.50 R Johnson 7 2 £4,548 28.57% -£2.88 T Scudamore 6 2 £3,120 33.33% -£0.17 N D Fehily 8 2 £4,548 25% -£4.80 Sam Twiston-Davies 5 1 £2,274 20% -£2.50 Harry Bannister 5 1 £1,560 20% £0.50
Latest Results
Future Fixtures
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Today
Last Update: 19/05/2019 17:00x
Upcoming races
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14:15 Netbet Sport Best Odds Guaranteed Mares' Handicap Hurdle
(Class 5) (2m 1f 162y) -
14:50 Netbet.co.uk Beginners' Chase
(Class 4) (2m 1f 165y) -
15:25 Fontwell Park Ladies Night 23rd August Novices' Hurdle
(Class 4) (2m 5f 164y) -
16:00 Shoreham Port Handicap Chase
(Class 4) (2m 5f 135y) -
16:30 Netbet Sport Handicap Hurdle
(Class 5) (3m 1f 166y) -
17:00 Netbet Sport Golden Goal Novices' Handicap Chase
(Class 4) (3m 1f 210y) -
17:30 Michael Hogan Memorial Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race
(Class 5) (2m 1f 162y)
Replays & Results
1
17:00 Denmans Graden New Ducklings Mares' Open Hunters' Chase
(Class 6) (3m 1f 210y)
- Winner: Follow The Paint 11/10 Fav
- Jockey: Miss T Worsley Trainer: Miss L Horsfall
- Owner: Mr Steven Astaire
2
17:30 Peter Mendoza Memorial 'Placepot Pete' Ladies' Open Hunters' Chase
(Class 6) (2m 5f 135y)
- Winner: Witness In Court 5/1
- Jockey: Miss G Andrews Trainer: D McCain Jnr
- Owner: Mr T G Leslie
3
18:05 WI Centenary Celebration Novices' Hunters' Chase
(Class 6) (3m 1f 210y)
- Winner: Kit Barry 4/9 Fav
- Jockey: Mr Charlie Dando Trainer: David Dando
- Owner: Mr David Dando
4
18:40 'Brave The Shave' Breast Cancer Fundraiser Grassroots Hunters' Chase
(Class 6) (2m 5f 135y)
- Winner: Monsieur Gibraltar 1/4 Fav
- Jockey: Mr D Maxwell Trainer: Mrs Loxton
- Owner: David Maxwell Racing Limited
5
19:15 Pointtopoint.co.uk United Hunts Champion Open Hunters' Chase
(Class 6) (3m 3f 149y)
- Winner: Southfield Vic 2/11 Fav
- Jockey: Miss Natalie Parker Trainer: P F Nicholls
- Owner: Mrs Angela Yeoman
6
19:50 Henry Carr's 25th Birthday Maiden Hunters' Chase
(Class 6) (2m 5f 135y)
- Winner: Earth Leader 11/10 Fav
- Jockey: Mr B Carver Trainer: Mrs Loxton
- Owner: Mr R M Penny
7
20:25 PPRC Open Hunters' Chase
(Class 6) (2m 1f 165y)
- Winner: Tusa Eire 12/1
- Jockey: T Doggrell Trainer: N B Thomson
- Owner: Mr N B Thomson
Address & Contact
Fontwell Park Racecourse
Arundel
West Sussex
BN18 0SX
01243 543335
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