Tawdeea takes aim at Doncaster

A review of Monday’s action at Leicester as Old Newton Cup winner Tawdeea bagged another decent prize.

Old Newton Cup winner Tawdeea bagged another decent prize when landing the £30,000 Sir Gordon Richards Handicap at Leicester.

The David O’Meara-trained four-year-old mastered John Reel to record a 2-1 triumph in the hands of Danny Tudhope.

The jockey reported the first-time application of cheekpieces helped his mount move sweetly through the mile-and-a-half Class 2 race.

Tudhope sat in mid-division aboard Tawdeea before shaking him up in the closing stages to surge between Fattsota and John Reel.

The victory margin was half a length but Middleham Park Racing’s horse looked to have a little bit more up his sleeve.

Tudhope said: “The cheekpieces have made a big difference. That’s probably the best he has travelled – he’s usually lazy in his races.

“He has done well this year and I think there’s more to come. He’s still a big baby and will be better next year.”

There could yet be a further big day for him in 2016 with the turf season’s finale, the November Handicap at Doncaster, likely to be on Tawdeea’s – if not Tudhope’s – agenda.

“That will be his next target,” said Tudhope who will instead be heading to the Breeders’ Cup to ride Mondialiste.

El Vip returned to winning ways and could prove to be another beneficiary of trainer Luca Cumani’s renowned touch with progressive handicappers.

The Pivotal colt, who was purchased for 250,000 guineas as a yearling in 2014, looked promising when scoring on his debut in a mile-and-a-quarter maiden at Doncaster.

He was the beaten favourite on his next two …

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