NORTH LEDBURY
MAISEMORE PARK
Bank Holiday Monday 2nd May
2005
by Liam Hale
Hitchings and Hobbs
initiative a local treble
Andy Hobbs, who handed in his
professional license at the end of last season, celebrated a short
priced treble courtesy of Hanley Swan based Clive Hitchings, his
main yard provider, with three promising horses which could give
Andy Hobbs his desired embryonic chasers for the future.
The Brooklet (Julian Pritchard),
a recent course winner, provided the first leg of the treble easing
clear of Beyond the Stars (Emma Phillips) in the hunt members.
Springbrook Girl (Adrian Wintle) eased clear four out in the
Countrywide Stores Intermediate and looks like a horse to follow
know that the ground has come good for the well constructed but
small Alderbrook mare.
A double for Adrian Wintle soon
followed aboard the very promising Saint Reverien, gaining an easy
first open success and at six looking to have a very bright
future.
The French bred Saint Reverien
had a big ego when first arriving in Britain with Ian Williams and
possibly now will be able to show his true colours under rules at
the end of this successful seasons pointing.
A great day for Hitchings and
Hobbs who stole the show and both seem to have reaped the benefits
from supporting the point-to-point field.
Claire Allen and Dick Baimbridge
kept the bandwagon rolling with an easy winner in Father Tom in the
novice riders race, who was always travelling strongly and sprinted
away from Gentle Rivage after the last.
Claire looked extremely
confident throughout and always had Father Tom on the bridle and
interested in his racing to register another winner for the year.
The winner even though eleven looks another progressive Baimbridge
horse this term and Claire Allen, confident as ever, looks a future
star in the saddle. The second horse, and ex- Nigel Twiston Davies
horse, looks capable of picking up future prizes in the future.
The commentator in the
Restricted had great trouble getting to grips, like so many others,
with the pronunciation of the eventual front running winner Finne
Gaothe. The winner, ridden by Scott Joynes, led at nearly every
fence where he jumped for fun and he finished two and a half
lengths too good for the fast finishing Favourite Chateau Burf
(Liam Payter), who had already shown progressive form in 2005.
Finne Gaothe had shown little in three runs after a 2003 maiden win
and this unexpected win showed the Caroline Chadney gelding in good
light and provides him with a future platform to build upon.
The older division of the maiden
provided Jeremy Mahot with his first career success on Diamond
Alpha who sprinted twenty lengths clear of the only other finisher,
and joint favourite with the winner, Bob Nickel and Belinda
Keighley. The winner had ran well the last twice in defeat and took
advantage of a weak maiden under the jubilant Jeremy Mahot who
waved his whip with excitement after returning to the loudest
reception of the day.
Tigger (Jonathon) Barnes made
his journey from Dorset a successful one in the younger horses
maiden aboard Money Crazy. Tigger, unsuccessful in a follow up win
in the mixed open aboard second placed ex-eventer Le Cure, had the
gelding prominent throughout and ran on well to win by four lengths
when joined by two pursuers three out. Both placed horses Regal
Storm (Geoff Barfoot- Saunt), unlucky at the last Maisemore
meeting, and the first time out Mid Div and Creep (Nick Pearce) are
both capable of picking up a race this term after promising runs.
The winner an ex- Ian Williams inmate, like Saint Reverien, looks
capable of progressing after showing determination to hold of all
challengers.
One to Follow:
Saint Reverien
Future maiden
winners: Regal Storm, Mid Div and Creep
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