Nocte Volatus Soars to Veteran Chase Victory
In a dramatic day for British horse racing, the Tom Lacey-trained Nocte Volatus landed a significant gamble by winning the £100,000 Unibet Veterans' Handicap Chase Final at Sandown Park. The 11-year-old gelding, ridden by Stan Sheppard, was backed in from 11-2 to start as the 11-4 favourite and duly delivered, beating Dan Skelton's Le Milos by a length and a quarter.
Lacey, celebrating his first win in the prestigious veterans' event, praised his charge's remarkable improvement. "It's brilliant to win a nice pot like that with an improving 11-year-old," he said. "This was obviously the target and we have to have a look now and see what we do." Jockey Sheppard noted the horse's unique style, adding, "He's fairly on the edge with his jumping... you just have to hold on tight!"
Frost Bites Hard as Meetings Fall
While the action went ahead at Sandown following an 8am inspection, the freezing conditions decimated the rest of the weekend's schedule. Both the Saturday cards at Newcastle and Wincanton were abandoned. Officials at Wincanton conducted multiple inspections but could not overcome frost in areas of worn ground.
The disruption extended into Sunday, with meetings at Naas, Chepstow and Plumpton called off in advance. This left Southwell as the sole Sunday fixture, a late addition by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) to avoid a blank day. The BHA acknowledged the extra demand on stable staff but deemed the risk of no racing sufficient to add the card.
Ongoing Weather Woes for the Week Ahead
The impact of the cold snap is set to continue, casting doubt over Monday's scheduled racing. Inspections have been called for the cards at Lingfield and Ludlow. Furthermore, Tuesday's entire meeting at Musselburgh has already been scrapped due to the adverse weather forecast.
The weekend's events highlighted the perennial winter battle for the racing industry. While connections of Nocte Volatus enjoyed a major payday at Sandown, the widespread cancellations underscored the vulnerability of the sport to the elements and the logistical challenges faced by organisers and participants alike.
