Weekend Round-up
15th & 16th March 2008
by Peter Mansell
photos by Graham Fisher

ANOTHER GOOD DAY FOR LOCAL STABLES AT SIDDINGTON

West Midland based horses had a field day during Saturday afternoons V.W.H. meeting at Siddington.

Rain started falling just before the first race and continued unabated until the end of the meeting, so that conditions eased as the programme progressed.

It was good to see Nicky Sheppard walking round unaided at this meeting and the Eastnor trainer was on hand to greet Strong Weld on his return to the winners enclosure after an impressive front running display in the Confined under Liam Payter.

The winner began pilling the pressure on the other contestants as they raced down the back straight for the final time. He was joined briefly by Left to Himself at the end of the back straight but Payter had wisely kept a little bit in reserve and the partnership began to draw clear of their rivals at the 16 th and they had the race in safe keeping from this point.

He had 12-lengths to spare over Manor Down at the line with Mister Bertolli another 5-lengths away in third. This was the 11-year-olds second win of the season for the horses Newent based owner/breeders Nigel and Serena Gowling.

Strong Weld and Liam Payter (left) took the Confined Conditions race for trainer Nicky Sheppard

“Everything just seems to have clicked into place with him this season” was the post race comment of Naunton trainer Emma Baker after Gaelsbob and Luke Morgan had shown their rivals a clean pair of heels in the Mixed Open.

Gaelsbob had just struck the front when he tried to bulldoze his way through the 12 th, but that mistake did not interrupt his stride pattern. He was harried by Toms Prize until they turned into the home straight but then Gaelsbob was driven clear and quickly asserted his superiority with the winning margin 15 lengths as they passed the judge.

Gaelsbob and Luke Morgan were comfortable winners of the Mixed Open

David Mansell used similar tactics on Bowden Lane in the Restricted. Suzannah Turks 9-year-olds relentless gallop had most of their rivals in trouble by the time the partnership started to go clear on the run to the 12 th.

With their opposition floundering in the conditions Bowden Lane had increased the advantage to 10-lengths by the end of the back straight.

It was all over bar a fall at this point and that never looked a remote possibility. The winner jumped the last four fences as he had done all the others and was negotiating the last as his rivals were crawling over the penultimate.

Bowdens Lane and Dave Mansell took the Restricted for trainer Julie Houldey

Bowdens Lane was purchased privately from owner/breeder David Stephens in December and was described by trainer Julie Houldey as “a lovely horse who just gallops and stays” and on this evidence that is a fair assessment.

The Novice Riders Race went to the Beaufort qualified Teninarow, the only horse in Marshfield farmer Robert Harraway stable. Carley Stewart and Hanover Square looked potential dangers as they turned towards home, but their challenge was short-lived and Teninarow defied his veteran status by storming clear over the final three fences to win by 20-lengths in the hands of Somerset based Joanna Buck.

Teninarow and Jo Buck were well clear at the last in the Novice Riders race

Yeabut and Ryan Mahon provided the area with its fifth winner of the afternoon in the final division of the Maiden.

Twiga Woods and Oopsmylord dominated the race down the back straight but they paid the penalty for those exertions and they turned back to face the judge. Ryan Mahon produced Yeabut with a well-timed run to grab the lead racing towards the second from home and that was good enough to take the prize.

Yeabut and Ryan Mahon return following their success in the Open Maiden Div2

Yeabut had actually won a maiden back in 2006 but a mix up with some veterinary product lead to his subsequent disqualification. He has been placed twice from two outings so far this term and owner/breeders Brenda Graham and Gabe Mahon finally saw their patience rewarded.

Honeybourne based Yvonne Goss is a household name in the field of team chasing and some of that success seems to have transferred itself to the Point-to-Point field.

This was a fine training performance by Mrs Goss who produced the previously un-raced 7-year-old Patricks Double to win by 30-lengths.

Mrs Goss revealed that the winner “was not brave enough for team chasing so we decided to try our luck here”.

The horse was due to be ridden by her son Jamie but he broke his collarbone recently but 19-year-old Richard Spencer proved an able deputy and this provided Barry Hills pupil assistant with his first winner.

Patricks Double made significant headway down the back straight before storming clear over the final four fences to win by a wide margin.

The Members Race produced an exciting race with victory going to the Richard Mason ridden Alpheus. The 13-year-old gave his rivals a jumping lesson in this contest because he often went into a fence a length behind his rivals but come out of it with a 2-length advantage.

The lead alternated between a Aitchjayem, Killnascully King, Alpheus and Milesian King in the home straight but Alpheus stayed on strongly from 2 out and jumped the last with a 3-length advantage which he maintained all the way to the line.

The winner is owned and trained by Ablington based Alex Mason, while his son is still at school in Fairford. This success maintained the family’s good record in this race.

Angela and WilliamRucker fresh from their win with High Chimes at the Cheltenham Festival took High Endevour to contest the Ladies Open at Cothelstone and that policy paid off with a well deserved success.

Congratulations also to Weston sub Edge based Claire Hart who steered O’Connels Forge to victory in the 2-1/2 mile Maiden at Cottenham on Saturday afternoon.