Weekend Round-up
21st January 2008
by Peter Mansell
photos by Graham Fisher & Peter Mansell

CLARE MITCHELL RIDES HER FIRST WINNER AT DUNTHROP

Everything comes to those who wait and that proved the case with Cross the Highman who after several near misses provided his 19-year-old rider Clare Mitchell with her first victory in the Novice Riders Race during Sundays Heythrop Point-to-Point at Dunthrop.

The prolonged spell of wet weather seemed to have made little impact on this well draining course (official going - good to soft) and these conditions proved ideal for Cross the Highman who had been narrowly beaten at Tweseldown.

Defying the criticism levelled at them on the South Midlands website after that episode this partnership led from start to finish and only Rustic John was able to get within striking distance in the final half mile.

David Bass tried to come up on the inside of Miss Mitchell’s mount approaching the final bend but the young rider held her ground and nerve to maintain their 2-length advantage turning for home.

Rustic John came under strong pressure as they reappeared out of the dip but Cross the Highman kept up the gallop and was 15-lengths clear of his rival as they passed the judge.

This was the first success for the riders mother Karen O’Neill who trains at Suckley, a few miles from Malvern. Both rider and trainer will have had plenty of advice to absorb prior to this race because the trainer’s father is ex-trainer Owen O’Neill, while her stepfather is ex-jockey Ron Hyatt.

Like Cross the Highman, Blue Business had been narrowly beaten at Tweseldown a few weeks ago but like his West Midland compatriot he made amends at this meeting.

Angela Ruckers mount started favourite for the 3 mile 5 furlong Ladies Open and the partnership were content to track the leaders until making their effort at the 4 th from home.

They had seen off the challenge of last year’s winner Chicuelo by the third last but Claire Hart and Lady Baronette were a more difficult nut to crack. They came with a renewed effort in the home straight but Blue Business clinched victory with a magnificent jump at the last.

Blue Business and Angela Rucker drawing clear of Claire Hart and Lady Baronette in the Heythrop Ladies

The winning jockey was on her mobile immediately after the race to call her husband William who had gone to Ampton with Ballylusky.

Blue Business’s participation had been confirmed after connections had visited the course the previous day and been impressed with its condition.

Mrs Rucker confirmed this “was the horses first effort over this extended distance but we knew he stayed well”. She also stated that one of the reasons for the horses improved form this year was that “he was happier in himself”.

Enterprising tactics by Mark Wall may well have played a part in Marblehead’s victory in the 2-½ mile Maiden. “He pinched 10-lengths at the start” was the post race comment by Jim Collett and as the winning margin was only 4-lengths he probably had a point, but the horse was staying on so strongly at the finish he would surely have won anyway.

Marblehead and Mark Wall return to the winners enclosure after their maiden victory at Dunthrop accompanied by Carley Stewart (left) and Sue and Jim Collett (right)

Both trainer Fergal O’Brien and owner Sue Collett confirmed “the horse needs 3 ½ miles really so we decided to go out and make it a real test of stamina”.

They succeeded in that task because the runners were spread out over the Oxfordshire countryside before the runners had completed one circuit.

Mark Wall’s mount was joined by Reflector as they raced along the roadside fences and the race developed into a match between these two horses from 3 out.

Marblehead looked to have sealed his rival’s fate with a good jump at the penultimate but Alistair Ralph’s mount forged back into the lead in the dip approaching the final obstacle. The two horses were in the air together at the last, before Wall urged his mount clear on the run in.

This was the second win of the season for O’Brien’s Naunton stable, with the trainer stating that he had been “disappointed with the horses first run at Larkhill, but he has made up for it today and it looks as though Jim (Collett) has two nice horses”.

Irilut and Sam Waley Cohen continued the fine run for his fathers Upton Viva stable by taking the prestigious Lord Ashton of Hyde Cup.

Strong Weld set a strong early pace and most of the favourites rivals were hard at work when Irilut hit the front three from home where the prize was his for the losing.

Irilut entered the home straight with a 5-length advantage and appeared unbeatable approaching the last until Dimitri and Calvic both began to stay on in the stamina sapping conditions.

With the favourite idling and hanging up the run in, this gave his rivals an added incentive and a shock result looked on the cards but as soon as the opposition got to his quarters Irilut “shot off as if he had been stung” according to his rider and claimed the prize by three quarters of a length.

The jockey had reported that “He could not wait any longer” when hitting the front half a mile from home and that the horse had “hated the ground”.

The riders father Robert was “absolutely thrilled to be able to hold both The Lady Dudley Cup and The Lord Ashton of Hyde Cup at the same time”, a feat last achieved by the great Snowdra Queen back in 1965, although she won the two races in the same season.

Ran Morgan has already tasted success this season and he started the day with rides on two potential winners. Unfortunately for the Stow on the Wold based jockey Denada was struggling at halfway in the Members won by Moscow Court while Full Minty could never get on terms with The Hookie Bookie in the last half mile of the Confined.

Claire Allen who has little chance of her retaining her Ladies Championship after the pre-season change of stables by several horses which were then under Dick Baimbridges care but she landed another winner when Bravery Scotch justified favouritism in the Ampton Maiden.

Claire Allen returns on the Albrighton qualified Bravery Scotch following an impressive win in the Open Maiden at Ampton

Ballylusky had to give best to Bon Accord in the Mens Open at the Suffolk venue, although he was only beaten by a length. Alan Hill knows what it takes to win a Cheltenham Foxhunters and it has to be a pointer to the horses chances if he is allowed to take his chance in the big race.

Ballylusky and Richard Burton chase home Bon Accord (James Tudor) in the Ampton Mens Open

Ballylusky and Blue Business both carry the royal blue and cerise hoop of the Tollitt family and these were also seen at the Silverton meeting at Black Forest Lodge where Alex Smith Maxwell and Urban Rebel carried them into third place in the Ladies Open.