Weekend Round-up
8th & 9th March 2008
by Peter Mansell
photos by Graham Fisher

SUCCESSES FOR LOCAL TRAINERS AT KINGSTON BLOUNT, BANGOR ON DEE AND CHARLTON HORETHORNE

 WHY CONNIE AND DAVID MANSELL HACK UP IN STRATFORD HUNTER CHASE

 Hollybush trainer Roy Shail made a welcome return to the winners enclosure when Gothic Charm saw off 13 rivals to land the 2 mile 5 furlong Maiden during Saturdays Oxford University meeting at Kingston Blount.

Success has proved elusive for Shail over the last couple of years but there was obviously some confidence behind the winner who was sent off favourite at 7/2.

David Mansell bided his time before sending the Irish import to the front at the second from home and they had little difficulty holding the challenges of Port Talbot and Checked Shirt in the home straight. The 6-year-old is owned by the Golden Valley Syndicate headed by Arthur Hayes, his son Simon and partner Sally.

Gothic Charm and Dave Mansell came home eight lengths clear in the 2m 5f Maiden

The son of Goathland had been beaten half a length in an Irish Point-to-Point before finishing third at Weston Park but he was pulled up at Eyton a few weeks ago. He is yet another winner to pass through the hands of Elmley Lovatt based Martin Oliver.

19-year-old Cirencester based Oliver Garner has a busy life studying equine management at the R.A.C. College and riding out a couple of mornings a week for Andoversford trainer Kim Bailey.

Garner who gained his riders certificate with the North Cotswold steered Roberty Bob to victory in a match with Maybesevern in the Club Members Race at Kingston Blount.

Readers with long memories will remember that owner John Wills enjoyed considerable success himself between the flags and in hunter chases with such useful horses as Juan and Anlaby Legend back in the late 60’s and early 70’s.

Earlier in the afternoon Parsifal had shown considerable improvement on his previous run at Eyton. His headstrong tendencies had got him into trouble on that occasion but he appears to have learnt from that experience.

Parsifal and Claire Allen finished second to Silver Dollars and Phil York in the Restricted

His 4-length lead at the top of the Kingston Knoll was dramatically reduced when he made a slowjump at the fence at the bottom of the hill. This allowed Silver Dollars into contention but he fought back tenaciously and the winner had to pull out all the stops before asserting in the home straight.

Seven races had been run at Sunday’s Sir Watkin Williams Wynn fixture at Bangor on Dee before our stables hit the target but there had been several near misses prior to that.

Lindsay White’s North Ledbury qualified Bonny Jago and David Mansell tried to make all the running in Division I of the Open Maiden but were caught half way up the run in by Autumn’s Over and beaten half a length.

 

Bonny Jago (6) and Dave Mansell finished a close second to Autumn’s Over in the Open Maiden Div2

In Division II of the Maiden our hopes rested on the Dick Baimbridge trained Slavedriver and his supporters had cause for optimism as he was poised on the heels of the heels and appeared to be going as well as if not better than the eventual winner Richard Burton’s mount Gunner Be Quick.

Slavedriver (20) and Claire Allen take the second fence in the Open Maiden Div2

Claire Allen was fired into the turf and was subsequently taken to Wrexham Hospital where she was detained overnight for observation. She was back home on Monday morning and expects to be riding again shortly.

Her absence led to the withdrawals of Premium First in the Ladies and Equivocate in the Mares Maiden; otherwise our winning ratio may have been even better.

The Ladies Open saw Home Made make virtually all the running to defeat the Jane Williams ridden Madge Carroll, while Belinda Clarke’s Wheatland qualified Belligerent suffered the same fate behind Adams Wine in the Intermediate.

Madge Carroll and Jane Williams (right) finished second to Home Made in the Ladies Open

Belligerent (4) and Adam Wadlow was just run out of it by Adams Wine in the Intermediate

30 minutes later Claudia Wilesmith’s Earl of Buckingham was no match for the rejuvenated Iris’s Prince in Division I of the Novice Riders.

Our area representatives finally got their rewards with Olivier and Me Julie winning the last two races on the card.

Olivier had never been able to get in a blow at Eyton but with the words of Trainer Andy Hobbs and owner Stan Warner ringing in his ears Adrian Wintle had the 10-year-old much closer to the pace on this occasion.

The partnership did well to recover from a bad mistake at the final open ditch, which lost them a couple of places. Wintle moved Olivier into a challenging position round the final bend and it then became a war of attrition with No Virtue all the way up the home straight.

Olivier was half a length up at the last and it looked momentarily that the 14lb weight concession to No Virtue would take it toll but the Olivier clung on in a driving finish to continue the fine winning run for Hobbs Hanley Castle yard.

Olivier and Adrian Wintle delighted connections with their victory in the Restricted

Me Julie claimed her first success in the Mares Maiden. The 5-year-old daughter of Kayf Tara has been placed four times during her short career including when she was caught close home by No Virtue at Whitwick, after that horses performance in the previous race, Nick Lowe’s Westbury on Severn trained mare was a short order in this contest.

With regular jockey Mark Wall riding at Charlton Horethorne Ryan Mahon picked up the ride and this combination put in a spring heeled jump which carried them clear of the opposition at the third from home and they were never in danger of defeat from this point.

Me Julie and Ryan Mahon were facile winners of the Mares Maiden

Mark Wall’s decision to travel down to Dorset to partner Jaunty Journey in the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Restricted proved worthwhile with Wall’s mount seeing off 10 rivals at odds which must have been very appealing to Sue Collett’s husband Jim.

James Jones had to settle for second place on One Dawn in the Intermediate at the same meeting, while Polly Gundry and Clive Bennett’s Ballinova were beaten 3-lengths by Dare too Dream in the Mixed Open at Buckfastleigh. Gundry went on to score a treble latter in the afternoon.

Some of our trainers were denied winning opportunities when the Brecon meeting was called off early on Sunday morning.

Congratulations to trainer Julie Houldey and owners Peter and Liza Hall following Why Connie’s success in the Credit Call Hunter Chase at Stratford today.

Held up for much of the trip Why Connie sliced through the field like “the proverbial knife through butter” and had the race won turning into the home straight. Why Connie looks capable of following up again in similar company.