REVIEW
WESTERN
WADEBRIDGE
SATURDAY 11th MARCH 2006
by Lucy Johnson
A huge crowd turned out to enjoy some
superb action at Wadebridge on Saturday where rousing finishes were
the order of the day.
The confined kicked off racing where Lucy
Gardner, who enjoyed a terrific win under Rules at Exeter last
Tuesday, rode a well-timed race on Tsars Twist to win by half a
length from the consistent Nditlir and Sporting Chance.
Lucy was back in the winners’ enclosure
after the third division of the maiden, this time to congratulate
her older brother Tom, 25, who was booting home the first winner of
his racing career. Tom, who works as a builder, enjoyed
considerable success jumping ponies but then gave up riding for
several years. However, 18 months ago, he took up the reigns again
and was a stylish winner aboard Limogos whose easy win was helped
by the early exits of market leaders Merlin Meg and Dreaming
Away.
Limogos could well progress. He’s a
half brother to the prolific Limerick Boy and was purchased two
years ago at Doncaster Sales. A year turned away in field appears
to have worked the magic on the well bred six-year-old.
Another jockey to record his first success
was Ben Robarts who looked good aboard Jalons Star when pushing him
to a length victory from the veteran campaigner Polar Champ, who
was giving the winner seven pounds. Robarts, 26, works for the
winning trainer Nikki Frost at Buckfastleigh in South Devon and has
been riding for just three years. He said Grand National winning
jockey Jimmy Frost has been his mentor.
Robarts is no stranger to getting into the
thick of it, having played county level rugby for Somerset.
Frost had earlier scored with Sandy Duff who
looked as good as ever under Mary McCarthy in the
ladies’.
Owner/breeder Sarah Faulks was delighted with
the performance of Beachtime after he won the Exeter Racecourse
Intermediate. Mrs Faulks, who trains at Bishops Nympton, said
Beachtime had plenty of ability but was “frustrating”
at times, as he doesn’t always try.
Charlotte Tizzard, who was recording her
fifth winner this term, had the ten-year-old in from two fences
from home and kept the gelding up to his work to hold off the
challenge of Katies Hero by two lengths.
In division one of the maiden Jockeys Neil
Harris and Guy Weatherly threw the works at Maxou Des Brosses and
Commercial Express respectively with the former getting up to score
by a length in the most thrilling finish of the day. The winner is
trained by Keith Cumings at Bishops Nympton and has benefited under
the tutelage of former leading lady rider Jo Davies (nee Cumings)
as well as Harris who has given the six-year-old plenty of
schooling. Jo explained: “He has an incredible jump but he
had to learn to settle and respect his fences. He must have jumped
50 fences during the past three weeks and he has hunted and hunter
trialed.”
The French-bred six-year-old is owned by
Geoffrey and Kate Brown from West Anstey who have enjoyed success
in the past when they have been part of syndicates.
Weatherley gained compensation in the
following maiden division when he worked hard on Thirtytwo Red,
trained by Ollie Jackson at Culmstock, to get him up by a head on
the line from Tim Dennis on Jaunty Janner.
Innocent Rebel followed his maiden win at
Great Trethew with an easy win in the restricted under Colin Heard
who trains the exciting prospect with his wife Karyn at
Boscastle.
Next Sunday’s meeting takes place at
the Old Racecourse, Buckfastleigh with the first race off at
1pm.
Western at Wadebridge results
Atlantic Motors Confined: Tsars Twist (Miss L
Gardner) 1; Nditlir (Mr C Heard) 2; Sporting Chance (Mr M Munrowd)
3. Trainer: Miss L Gardner, distances: ½ length, 2 lengths,
time: 6.03.
St Erth Motors Ladies Open: Sandy Duff (Miss
M McCarthy) 1; Grey Ciseaux (Miss L Gardner) 2; Virgos Bambino
(Miss S Gaisford) 3. Mrs N Frost, 10l, 2l, 6.05.
Exeter Racecourse Intermediate: Beachtime
(Miss C Tizzard) 1; Katies Hero (Mr R Darke) 2; Off The Hook (Mr I
Hambley) 3. Mrs S Faulkes, 2l, ½ l, 6.14.
Open Maiden Div I: Maxou Des Brosses (Mr N
Harris) 1; Commercial Express (Mr G Weatherly) 2; Amarula (Miss L
Tickle) 3. Mr K Cumings, 1l, 3l, 6.23.
Open Maiden Div II: Thirtytwo Red (Mr G
Weatherley) 1; Jaunty Janner (Mr T Dennis) 2; Elegant Accord (Mr W
Biddick) 3. Mrs O Jackson, hd, 1 ½ l, 6.25
Open Maiden Div 111: Limogos (Mr T Gardner);
Embercombe (Mr J Snowden) 2; Bellas Man (Miss J Congdon). Miss L
Gardner. 5l, 3l, 6.24.
Men’s Open: Jalons Star (Mr B Robarts)
1; Polar Champ (Mr G Weatherly) 2; Knighton Coombe (Mr J Snowden)
3. Mrs N Frost. 1l, 4l, 6.04.
Restricted: Innocent Rebel (Mr C Heard);
Soldier of Rome (Mr N Harris); Coral Bay (Mr W Biddick). Colin and
Karyn Heard, 2l, 4l, 6.11.
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