ABBOTSWOOD provided Chipping Norton trainer Charlie Longsdon’s final winner of the 2016-17 National Hunt season when getting off the mark at Warwick.
Champion jockey Richard Johnson powered the six-year-old past Speedalong in the last 75 yards of a two-mile-and-five-furlong maiden hurdle for a length-and-a-quarter success.
It saw Longsdon end the season with 51 winners in this country, and a personal best prize-money haul of £723,415, beating last term’s total by almost £100,000.
Pete The Feat provided the highlight by winning the 32Red Veterans’ Handicap Chase Final at Sandown in January, which carried a first prize of £61,900.
Snow Leopardess also starred, giving Longsdon his first winner in Ireland when taking a Listed Mares’ Flat Race at Gowran Park in September, before capturing the Grade 2 EBF & TBA Mares’ “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle Finale at Newbury in March.
On the Flat, Chastleton trainer John Gallagher sent out Andalusite to open her account with a decisive victory at Brighton.
Formerly trained by Ed McMahon, the four-year-old filly was having her fourth outing for Gallagher and 16th in total as she scooted home by three and a half lengths in a mile classified stakes under Fergus Sweeney.
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