2017 REMEMBERED: Camping Ground takes Fontwell's big race

We continue our look back at some of the local sporting highlights of 2017 by going back to February for Fontwell Park's richest race of the year.
Camping Ground leaves rivals standing in the 2017 totepool National Spirit Hurdle / Picture by Clive BennettCamping Ground leaves rivals standing in the 2017 totepool National Spirit Hurdle / Picture by Clive Bennett
Camping Ground leaves rivals standing in the 2017 totepool National Spirit Hurdle / Picture by Clive Bennett

There was a surprise winner this year in the totepool National Spirit Hurdle as the Gary Moore-trained Camping Ground ran away with the victory at odds of 9/1 - romping home by an amazing 29 lengths.

See our video of the big race, above, with our report from the £80k contest below...

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The current top three jump racing trainers in Britain were all at Fontwell Park to see wins for their yards on Sunday. But they were all upstaged bya rival who's a more regular visitor to the track.

Camping Ground leaves rivals standing in the 2017 totepool National Spirit Hurdle / Picture by Clive BennettCamping Ground leaves rivals standing in the 2017 totepool National Spirit Hurdle / Picture by Clive Bennett
Camping Ground leaves rivals standing in the 2017 totepool National Spirit Hurdle / Picture by Clive Bennett

Paul Nicholls, Nicky Henderson and ColinTizzard were all keen to see how their charges were faring as the Cheltenham Festival draws near. All had wins to celebrate on National Spirit Hurdle raceday – but Sussex's Gary Moore eclipsed their efforts with a treble,including a romp in the £80,000 feature race for Camping Ground.

It was a grey and chilly afternoon and the weather did keep some punters away, although the fixture still drew a crowd of more than 2,000.

It was a new arrival at Moore's Cisswood Stables near Horsham, Camping Ground, who won the National Spirit Hurdle with son Joshua on board. Going off at 9/1,the seven-year-old let the rest of the seven-strong field trailing to come home a 29-length winner.

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Le Rocher (9/2) trailed in second with the 2/1 joint favourite L'Ami Serge third. After the race, the Moores said they had expected Camping Ground to do well but perhaps not so well. The horse is clearly one to watch.

Moore's other jump jockey son Jamie followed his brother's success with two wins of his own to give Moore senior an afternoon to savour at a track where he is never far from the winner's enclosure. Jamie won the totepool Supporting The Racehorse Sanctuary Novices' Hurdle on 5/1 chance Crystal Lad, ahead of Alan King's Sir Antony Browne.

Later the same duo did it again, completing a treble for the Horsham-based trainer with Larry, a 6-1 winner of the Collect totepool Winnings At Betfred Shops Maiden Open National Hunt Flat Race, beating the 5/6 favourite Puppet Warrior by just half a length.

Look out for more sporting highlights from 2017 on this website over the next few days

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