Schwartz cashes in for Hughes as Chelmsford initiative pays dividends

Sunday: Chelmsford

The enhanced prize-money on offer at the track made for a more competitive than usual Sunday and two of the winners, Belisa De Vega and Schwartz, might not been there otherwise.

Trainer Richard Hughes was full of praise for the racecourse initiative after Schwartz completed a hat-trick with a clear-cut success in the 2m handicap.

“We might well have not run the horse here if it had not been for the higher prize-money,” he said. “It’s fabulous that there was £16,000 on offer for this race and even if we’d got beaten into second we’d have picked up nearly £4,000.

“The owner Alex Smith has had to be patient with this horse and I’m delighted that he’s being properly rewarded.

“The horse was weak in the spring but is so much stronger now. His target was the final of the Summer Stayers series at Bath and he is qualified for that but with the problems at Bath, I’m not sure what’s happening with that race now.”

Jonathan Portman, the trainer of the mile handicap winner Belisa De Vega, said: “The attraction of coming was the increased prize-money on offer for a Sunday. It’s excellent that a 55-rated filly such as ours was able to run for added prize-money of £13,000.”

Tippy Toes steps lively

There was £50,000 on offer for the Class 3 6f fillies’ handicap and it was the Mark and Charlie Johnston-trained Tippy Toes who took the biggest share of the money, comfortably defeating five rivals to make it four wins from five runs at the course.

Results and analysis

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