Bellflower Boy holds off Helium's challenge to lead from start to finish

Taunton punters were treated to another afternoon of thrilling National Hunt action when the Orchard Portman course hosted the Royal Bath and West of England Society meeting yesterday.

In the opener, the Rural Living Show Selling Hurdle, the Evan Williams-trained Get It One went to post the 9-4 favourite, but it was Richard Newland’s Bellflower Boy, a

6-1, shot which led from the off.

The ten-year-old stayed out front for the whole time and only looked threatened in the closing stages when local horse Helium (13-2), trained and ridden by Alexandra Dunn, tracked him down but held on to win by one and a quarter lengths with No To Trident third at 4-1.

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The Paul Nicholls-trained Fox Run went off 4-7 favourite in the Alpha Motorability Wheelchair Passenger Transport Novices’ Hurdle and led the race with a circuit to go.

Coming down the home straight Garryleigh (7-2) came through strongly but Daryl Jacob drew away as the line approached on the favourite to win by seven lengths.

Amateur jockey Robert Hawker was banned for 12 days following his fifth-placed finish aboard Monderon.

Hawker was found guilty of “failing to take all reasonable and permissible measures to obtain the best possible placing”. Monderon, a 40-1 shot, was beaten by 23 lengths by Fox Run.

Nicholls’ Jump City went to post the 5-6 favourite in the Royal Bath and West Novices’ Handicap Steeple Chase (Class 3) which ,with £13,200 in prizes available, was the richest of the day.

Jump City duly led from the start and built up a good lead under Jacob, but the Evan Williams horse Sublime Talent (10-3) under Adam Wedge, almost a stone lighter than the Nicholls runner, reeled in the favourite and mounted a late challenge.

Going to the line there was nothing to choose between them, but the photograph showed that Sublime Talent won by a nose.

One For The Boss led the C and D South West 25th Anniversary Novices’ Handicap Hurdle early on and was still there with a circuit to go, but coming out of the top corner Toby Lerone, for Nicholls, came to challenge.

Aidan Coleman, on favourite Jupiter Rex (4-6), kept his horse well in touch throughout and three from home jumped to the front, which is where he stayed to run out the winner by one and three quarter lengths from second-placed Decimus (9-1) under Nick Scholfield, and record his fifth win on the bounce.

A P McCoy notched up his only winner of the day when he steered Thunderstorm, the 4-5 favourite, trained by Philip Hobbs in the Bathwick Handicap Hurdle Race. The champion jockey kept his horse tucked in behind the leaders from the off, but produced him coming down the home straight and jumped into the lead two from home which is where he stayed to notch up the favourite’s fifth successive victory.

Teshali, under seven-pound claimer James Banks, was second at 8-1.

In the CGA Foxhunter Trial it was Benedictus (4-1), trained by Jane Western near Chard, which claimed the honours from the second-placed Khachaturian who went off at 9-2.

The final race, the Foresters Garden Buildings Handicap Hurdle, was won by Come On Annie, the 4-1 favourite trained by Bernard Llewellyn and ridden by Mark Quinland, with 33-1 Green Lightning second.

Taunton races again on Monday, March 11.

www.tauntonracecourse.co.uk