Weekend Round-up
26th & 27th April 2008
by Peter Mansell
photos by Peter Mansell & Graham Fisher

DOUBLE FOR GEOFF BARFOOT SAUNT AT WOODFORD

Following Julian Pritchard’s retirement Geoff Barfoot Saunt has assumed the mantle of “the most senior jockey in the West Midlands area” but that has its benefits and he put all that experience to good use with a double during Saturday’s Berkeley Point-to-Point at Woodford.

Now based at Huntingford his first success came on Roger Magg’s Mister Putt in the Members. Barfoot Saunt had justified favouritism on this horse in last years corresponding race but 12 months later both Crested Penguin and Lord Attica were the punters choice.

Geoff Barfoot-Saunt has Mister Putt nicely clear at the last in the Members race

The runners disappear out of sight at the far end of the course before reappearing in the shadows of the castle and by the time they did so Martin Ossie had surrendered the lead with the two market leaders about 4-lengths clear of the constantly improving Mister Putt.

That order remained unchanged until Barfoot Saunt produced his mount with a well timed run to take the lead between the final two fences and his 4-length advantage at the last was maintained all the way to the line.

The winner comes from Polly Gundry and Ed Walker’s yard at Ottery St Mary and continues the winning run for this stable. Gundry has one more of her Members race quota remaining and she wanted to keep that one in hand to partner Kiama at the Cotley over the May Day Bank Holiday.

Barfoot Saunt repeated the tactics, which had proved so successful earlier in the afternoon on Alexander Musical in Division II of the Maiden.

Black Spot Bob led until he was passed by Port Talbot at the fourth from home and Peter Mason’s mount maintained a 3-length advantage until they started to send out distress signals approaching the penultimate.

Alexander Musical had crept into contention all the way up the home straight and came through to open up a clear lead between the final two fences and retained command of the race on the run in.

The winner carries the colours of Cheltenham Builder Brian Parsons, who purchased the horse privately last year from Upton-on-Severn trainer Simon Lewis and then placed the horse in the care of Longdon’s John Taylor.

Winning bets in this race were subject to a 30p in the pound reduction following the late withdrawal of the Dick Baimbridge trained favourite Equivocate.

She managed to get loose from her handler on the way to the parade ring and was last seen heading off towards the main Bristol Road. (Luckily the mare was recovered soon afterwards without any long-term effects from her escapade).

Now in his mid-70’s the Berkeley trainer has been around long enough to know that life and racing is full of ups and downs and was in reflective move after Slavedriver had fallen at the last in Division I of the Maiden. Jockey Tom Weston was fired into the ground but “escaped” with concussion and a broken collar bone”.

Slavedriver and Tom Weston come to grief at the last in the Maiden Div1 bringing down the luckless Jacko’s Boy (Peter Mason)

After that fall and the problems with Equivocate Baimbridge said “It’s just not my day today!”

With nobody particularly keen to make the running over the first couple of fences, Mark Wall grabbed the bull by the horns and sent Quantocks Last Brat to the front at the 3 rd.

Their effort began to peter out as they straightened up for home and approaching three out Slavedriver led from Just Buddy with all the other runners trailing in their wake.

Weston’s mount seemed to be coming to the end of his tether between the last two fences but was still 3-lengths clear jumping the last, but unfortunately he knuckled on landing.

This left the way clear from Jack Watson’s mount Just Buddy, but as sometimes happens in racing, they were unable to avoid the prostrate pair in front of them and were brought down with the race at their mercy.

The excitement did not end there because there were now three horses vying for the lead with Grand Affair and Ryan Bliss taking advantage of the situation although they had to pull out all the stops to repel Mark Wall’s renewed challenge on Quantocks Last Brat while Choice Connection from Richard Barbers yard was a length away in third.

Maiden Div1 winner Grand Affair (Ryan Bliss – green/red) takes the tenth alongside Pillar To Post

The Dorset trainer had scored a double earlier in the afternoon with successes for Range Rover in the Intermediate and Rimpton Boy’s plucky win in the Ladies.

Range Rover and Nick Williams are comfortable winners of the Intermediate

In the former Lucy Dickenson’s 7-year-old son of El Conquistador proved far too strong for a top class field.

Milton Du Tresor set out to make every post a winning one but was passed by Nick William’s mount at the far end of the course and they had opened up a race winning lead by the third from home.

His rivals managed to reduce the deficit over the next couple of fences but they were unable to make any significant inroads in the leaders advantage and the favourite Drybrook Bedouin finally had to settle for fourth place.

Rimpton Boy has been one of the stalwarts of the Barber yard over the past few seasons. He is now approaching veteran status but his enthusiasm for racing does not diminish and even at 13 years of age, he was able to see off the challenge of his younger rivals.

Rachel Green drives out Rimpton Boy to take the Ladies Open from Lava, Ask Again and Raregem

All the way down the home straight there was little to choose between Polly Gundry’s mount Raregem, Rachel Green on Rimpton Boy, Claire Hart on Lava and Sarah West on Ask Again.

Rimpton Boy rose at the third from home with a marginal advantage but there was nothing between the leading quartet at the penultimate although approaching the last Green’s mount had gained a vital half-length lead, which her rivals were unable to claw back on the run to the judge.

Strong Weld and Liam Payter scored their fourth win of the season with another pillar to post victory in the Mens Open.

Strong Weld and Liam Payter are well clear at half way in the Mens Open – and stay there

At this stage of the season, the opposition should know that Strong Weld only has one way of running. “He can only go one gallop – but it is a good one” stated trainer Nicky Sheppard after Nigel and Serena Gowling’s 11-year-old had once again ground his rivals into the ground.

Liam Payter now has his tactics on Strong Weld down to a fine art, set off too quickly and Strong Weld will not last home, set off too slowly and the horse will get outpaced at the finish.

They were already 4-lengths clear by the second obstacle and this had been increased significantly by the time they had safely negotiated the open ditch. A 15-length advantage at the start of the home straight had been marginally reduced as they went out onto the second circuit.

Seebald and Ran Morgan made their effort at the 4 th from home but Strong Weld continued to jump exhurberently although the deficit was down to 8-lengths by the time they jumped the penultimate.

Ran Morgan’s mount began to close on the leader but Payter maintained his composure and this combination made light of the task in front of them and shook off the seconds effort on the run to the line.

“He is for sale at the right price” commented successful trainer Julie Houldey after We’re Confused’s victory in the Restricted and it would be fair to say that the horses value was probably lower at the start of the race than it was afterwards.

We’re Confused and Dave Mansell take the Restricted from Just Here (Rachel Green)

Dave Mansell has ridden Eco Style to win at Bitterley but he remained loyal to We’re Confused and that proved the right choice.

Both horses were at the fore front of affairs from the start and quickly established a useful lead, then allowing their rivals to reduce their advantage before drawing clear again as they went out on to the second circuit.

Eco Style was still in contention when he blundered badly at the 14 th (the final open ditch) and was immediately pulled up.

Turning back to face the judge We’re Confused was still a couple of lengths clear while Just Here had taken over from L’Homme Sauvage as the leaders principal rival.

Hard though they tried over the final three fences We’re Confused was always holding the upper hand and strode clear for another easy success for his owners the Sandfield Farm Racing Club.

There were plenty of runners for the United meeting at Brampton Bryan but the only local success was provided by the Emma Wilesmith trained Joyful Jack in the Confined.

The 9-year-old son of Zaffaran had blundered away his chance at Maisemore but made up for that error with a comfortable win under the trainer’s brother Mark.

The horses should have been ridden by his owner Chris Ball, but unfortunately he tore a cruciate ligament playing rugby. Run for Churchtown belied his long odds to finish second in the Restricted.

Two local jockeys and one local horse were in the winners enclosure for the Grafton meeting at Guilsborough. Jane Williams and Sweet Citizen won the Intermediate by 4-lengths, while Hannah Watson steered Home by Midnight to a narrow win in the Ladies. Ryan Mahon drove the home bred Initiate clear over the final two fences to win Division II of the Maiden.

Hannah Watson scored on another of her forays to East Anglia on Sunday afternoon when Beet de Bob won the Ladies at Fakenham.

Angela Rucker is another rider in good form and Pirate Flagship did well to get the better of the favourite Vingis Park in the Ladies at Garthorpe.

Iphar has been on the go for most of the season and has been unlucky not to open his account but after several near misses he scored in the 11-strong Maiden under owner/rider David Maxwell.