Weekend Round-up
17th & 18th May 2008
by Peter Mansell
photos by Peter Mansell & Graham Fisher

FIRST TREBLE FOR ADRIAN WINTLE AT BREDWARDINE

The Golden Valley meeting at Bredwardine has settled into an end of season spot and quickly established a reputation for producing good ground. This was the case on Saturday afternoon, which resulted in plenty of runners with two races requiring division on the day, creating a 9-race card.

It seems impossible to believe that during his 14-year race riding career Adrian Wintle has never a treble but this milestone was finally achieved on Saturday although he needed all his experience and skill to retain the partnership after Sparklinspirit made a major blunder at the 14 th in the Mens Open.

Adrian Wintle and Sparklinspirit (right) did well to survive this error at the 14 th in the Golden Valley Open

Kevin Young’s 9-year-old was disputing the lead with Itsalf at this point but had opened up a clear advantage over his rivals by the end of the back straight. 6-lengths clear as they turned back towards the second from home they had little difficulty maintaining that advantage all the way to the line.

Sparklinspririt and Adrian Wintle are comfortable winners of the Mens Open

Trainer Andy Hobbs was inclined to blame the patchy ground for the horse’s disappointing run at Cold Harbour but report this ground “was much more even. We only had the open to go for so you had to make the most of the opportunity while the ground is in his favour”.

Trainer and jockey combined to take the Welsh Border Area Confined Championship with Saint Reverien.

The French bred 10-year-old is something of an enigma and provides a major challenge to his jockey, although Wintle knows the horse’s idiosyncrasies better than most and on this occasion opted to make the long run for home.

Saint Revrien and Adrian Wintle (left) take the Welsh Border Area Confined championship from Super Cannes and Antonine

The horse has so much ability, but on occasions in the past when he has been held up for a late run he has declined to produce the goods. The other side of the coin is that Saint Reverien does very little once he hits the front, which makes the jockey’s task almost impossible.

Wintle was able to switch Clive Hitching’s gelding off at the back of the field for most of this contest before the Westbury on Severn jockey asked his mount for an effort at the end of the back straight where he got an immediate response and they quickly opened up a 3-length lead.

The favourite Super Cannes began to eat into their advantage approaching the final obstacle but with Saint Reverien receiving both vocal and physical encouragement they eventually prevailed by a length.

Wintle reported afterward that “I almost lost my voice shouting at the winner” in a race that the Hanley Swan stable is making a habit of winning having taken last years contest with Springbrook Girl.

Nick Lowe does well with his French bred horses and the Westbury on Severn trainer provided Wintle with the final leg of his treble in Division I of the 5-6-7 year old Maiden.

Is Ole Maestro posing for the camera as he wins a Division of the Golden Valley Maiden?

The complexion of this race changed dramatically with the departure of two well-fancied horses at the 14 th. Lotomore Court had just taken the lead whereas Inch Royal had been prominent for much of the race but their exits left Baraka de Baune and Firebird Rising vying for the lead.

Ole Maestro provides Adrian Wintle with a treble in an eventful Younger Horses Maiden Div1

Ole Maestro was always travelling well in third place and eventually came through to claim the lead between the final two fences and had put 10-lengths between himself and the runner up as they passed the judge.

The 6-year-olds early season form left a lot to be desired but he has been novice ridden on several occasions recently and it needed all of Wintle’s experience to steer the winner home after he started hanging badly on the flat.

West Midland trained horses claimed the first three places in the Ladies Open where Madge Carroll benefited from another superb ride by Jane Williams.

Madge Carroll and Jane Williams return following their success in the Ladies Open

Hannah Lewis and Premium First and Claire Hart and Neophyte were determined to make it a strong gallop and the former looked to have burnt off his rivals as he held a 3-lengths advantage on the final bend.

Jane Williams has Madge Carroll clear at the last in the Ladies Open at Bredwardine

Miss Williams was in third place at this point but timed to run to perfection bringing the favourite through to take the lead between the final two fences and staying on well to land the spoils with the fast finishing Touch Close depriving Premium First of the runners up spot.

Royal Rocket provided Upton on Severn based trainer Lindsay White with her first success after the 11-year-old had outjumped her rivals in the 8 year old and upwards Maiden.

Older Horses Maiden winner Royal Rocket (Dave Mansell 14) just holds off Oakley Gold on the run to the line

The ex-inmate of Venetia Williams’s yard was asked for her effort by David Mansell at the penultimate and she maintained a narrow advantage until drawing clear of Oakley Gold on the run in.

Slad Trainer Sophie George took Division II of the younger Maiden with Irish import What of It.

The 5-year-old is owned and ridden by the trainer’s brother Tim Edwards, with the horse being sent over to England by their father John, who has a good record with Irish bred acquisitions in this country. The winner got the better of a protracted battle with Saraha’s Dream on the flat.

What Of It and Tim Edwards (right) just get the better of Sahara’s Dream (Rhys Hughes) in the Maiden Div2

The second division of the Restricted was expected to go to the favourite Sykee Savage but after holding every chance at the last, the Julie Houldey trained gelding could not hold the late thrust of Tom Houlbrookes mount Major Royal.

The following day the Clifton on Teme staged their meeting at Upper Sapey.

Since moving to it current date in May, this meeting has had to contend with bad weather on several occasions but the racing gods were smiling on them this year and the meeting attracted plenty of runners although the official going was good to firm, with firm patches.

Three runners faced the starter in the opening Members Race but from halfway the race developed into a match between the favourite Analan and Mark Wall's mount Glencairnabbey, with Rusty Zaffaran unable to go the pace set by his rivals.

Analan and Tom Weston are clear at the last in the Members race

There was little between the two leaders as they raced downhill towards the notoriously difficult third from home. There is no margin for error at this obstacle and Glencairnabbey fell when trying to match strides with his rival.

This was the second win of the season for Great Whitley owner/trainer/breeder Charlotte Banks who indicated afterwards this would be the mare’s last race of the season.

Fergal O’Brien and Andy Hobbs are the only two trainers in with a realistic chance of winning the Areas Trainers Championship and O’Brien took a major step towards landing this prestigious award after Gulabill’s victory in the Restricted.

Young Sam Drinkwater’s riding has come on by leaps and bounds this season and that was self evident when he produced Gulabill (who had 3-lengths to make up on his rivals at the 16 th) with a well timed run to lead at the final obstacle and gain the verdict by a length.

Gulabill and Sam Drinkwater take the Restricted from Craigmor (right) and Dickinsbury Lass

The 9-year-old gelding is owned by the rider’s parents Paul and Karen, although his mother was unable to be present as she had taken Sam’s brother to their local horse show in Winchcombe.

The Mixed Open saw O’Brien extend his lead in the trainer’s championship after Hambaphambili’s success under Mark Wall.

Meggies Lad and Hambaphambili set a blistering pace but at the fence at the top of the hill Wall’s mount had a clear advantage. Ard Hudie looked dangerous over the next two fences but Wall had kept a little bit up his sleeve and his mount extended his lead as they raced towards the judge.

Mark Wall unsaddles Hambaphambili following his victory in the Mixed Open

This was the third win of the season for Barry and Jenny Barnes 8-year-old who has also finished second in a Cheltenham Hunter Chase.

Andy Hobbs pulled some points back after Oliviers win in the Intermediate under Adrian Wintle.

The favourite was held up for most of the race until his jockey decided to put him into contention as they raced downhill for the final time. He was some 6-lnegths behind the leaders at this point but swept past at the second last and stayed on strongly to gain a two and a half-length success for co owners Stan Warner and Kate Abel Smith. Although he won “he was not enjoying the ground” according to his trainer “so that will be it for the year”.

Olivier and Adrian Wintle return with trainer Andy Hobbs following their success in the Intermediate

After a win earlier in the afternoon Mark Wall consolidated his position in the Riders Championship with victory aboard ComeAlong Cornwall in the 5-6-7 year old Maiden.

Wall not only rode this winner but trains it himself at his home in Coln Rogers and co owns it with his financee Axelle Waldman.

Mark Wall chalks up a double aboard impressive winner Comealong Cornwall in the Younger Horses Maiden

The mare had run well on her racecourse debut and showed the benefit of that experience by being at the forefront of affairs from the start. Polly Gundry moved the favourite Uncle Matthew up to dispute the lead at halfway but that challenge was soon beaten off and ComeAlong Cornwall strolled home for an easy victory and literally walked over the line to gain the official verdict by 25-lengths.

The 8-year-old and upwards Maiden resulted in a pillar to post victory for the Paul Davies trained Riverdeepmountanhi. Davies stable are just 6 miles from the Upper Sapey course and the 8-year-old son of Rashar hardly broke sweat in scoring a 10-length success at the expense of Sorbieiditmyway and Hop Pocket.

Riverdeepmountainhi and Phillip York are clear at the last in the Older Horses Maiden

The horse came into the hands of Wigmore based owner Geoff Williams via Michael Oliver who has been responsible for so many winners this season and based on this performance should command a reasonable sum when he comes up for Sale at Ascot in a couple of weeks time.

The only away winner of the day was provided by Magicien in the Novice Riders Race.

Tom Houlbrooke and Magicien take the Novice Riders race from Coole Venture

Shobden trainer Steve Isaac was not going to run the horse after he came up in bumps (possible insect bites) prior to the weekend, but they had disappeared by the morning of the race.

The horse was given a gallop and was reported to be in top condition so connections decided that he should take his chance and with ground conditions in his favour Chaddesley Corbett next Monday beckons.