Harkaway Club at Chaddesley Corbett
Monday 28th December 2009
by Peter Mansell

There is an old saying that “Fortune favours the brave” and that remark certainly applies to the organisers of two of Monday’s Point-to-Points.

Both Cottenham and Chaddesley Corbett passed early morning inspections although the start of each meeting was delayed to ensure the rising temperatures took the final vestiges of the frost out of the ground. When decisions like this are taken, organisers are in a no win situation because they get criticised whatever happens.

Looking at conditions travelling to the meeting, some racegoers would undoubtedly have questioned the wisdom of meeting going ahead but it has to be said that conditions off course were far worse than there were on it.

Most people (including several prominent owners and trainers from major livery yards) were surprised “how good the course was in the circumstances” and this was welcome news for all the hard work put in by meeting Secretary Corinne Swarbrick and her enthusiastic band of helpers.

One area did cause concern in the run up to the meeting. This problem was overcome by pushing the final bend up close to the hedge and omitting the next fence (normally 8th and 16th) and happily no problems were encountered in this area during the course of the afternoon.

There is no doubt that some people were keeping their power dry until the runners had come back from the first race, but with several jockeys reporting conditions as “safe but sticky” there were plenty of runners later in the afternoon.

Burntoakboy had well documented breathing problems last year, which resulted in an operation mid way through the season, but there were no signs this was inhibiting the horse in this grade and he scored an easy victory under Tom Weston in the Conditions.

The horse’s owner Dr Richard Newland from Claines near Worcester was on holiday in Australia but will no doubt receive positive reports on his return.

Burntoakboy (Tom Weston)

Although Mark Wall got no further than the third fence on Michabo in the opener he had seen sufficient to advise Tim Sage that conditions were suitable for that owner’s William Somers to take his place in the Restricted. The 8-year-old showed his liking for the ground with a pillar to post victory in the hands of his Northleach based rider.

William Somers (Mark Wall) shows the opposition a clean pair of heels in the Restricted

8-lengths clear at halfway, the leader extended his advantage throughout the second circuit and was 20-lengths clear of the opposition as they passed the judge, duties which Tim Sage carries out at several West Midlands meetings.

Favourites prevailed in the first two races and Skyhawk extended that sequence in the Ladies Open.

The Bandit led for the first circuit but those efforts had taken their toll after they were passed by Sky Hawk at the last open ditch. The favourite had the race in safe keeping from this point although Claire Allen had to give her mount a couple of slaps to hold the challenge of Freud Bacon over the final two fences.

Skyhawk (Claire Allen)

Winning Trainer Dick Baimbridge has nothing left to prove and despite his advancing years still does most of the schooling on the 8-year-old who is undefeated since joining the Berkeley trainer last spring.

He does have one ambition “I’d like to train a winner when I’m 80” and as he passes that major milestone in his life during May you would not bet against him doing it.

West Midland based horses won 6 out of the 7 races and our next success came in the Intermediate. 4-lengths covered the field as the race towards the roadside fence for the final time, where Glidewell and Ordis Rise both fell independently.

Dave Mansell pushed Maranach into the lead approaching the island fence but he could not shake off the attentions of Posh Dude, although Maranach appeared to be gaining the upper hand approaching the penultimate.

Jack Sherwood managed to conjure another effort out of his mount (nearside) and they seemed to gain an advantage approaching the last but with Dave Mansell in determined mood, Maranach just led his rival over the final obstacle before Posh Dude finally got his head in front just before the line.

"After you", "No, after you!"
Maranach (Dave Mansell) leads at the last but is headed once again by Posh Dude (Jack Sherwood) near the post

The winner was following up his success at Cottenham earlier in the season and could be a major contender for the Red Mills Final at Cheltenham in May.

Having won the Trainers Title for the last two seasons, Fergal O’Brien showed he is going to be difficult to dislodge from his pedestal in 2010 and he took the final two races on the card with Getyouracttogether and Present D’Aze.

With Gulabill retired Paul and Karen Drinkwater were looking for a replacement and settled on Getyouracttogether who was purchased privately after showing some promise in Ireland in 2009.

The 5-year-old spent some time at the owner’s Fiddington home but “has really blossomed since joining Fergal”.

Getyouracttogether (Sam Drinkwater)

Connections obviously have no doubts about his fitness because although there was a modest pace from the start they had still established a clear lead by halfway.

Golden Harvey looked a potential danger halfway down the back straight but the winner had the race in safe keeping despite tiring on the flat.

Having tasted the highs following his victory on Getyouracttogether, Sam Drinkwater suffered the lows after Grafwins departure at the roadside fence, while stablemate Mauricetheathlete suffered the same fate a circuit later.

Present D’Aze set out to make every post a winning one but his jumping was mixture of brilliant and untidy although he still seemed to have plenty of petrol in the tank when he came home a distance clear of the remaining runner Mister Cee Jay.

Present D'Aze isn't foot pefect but provided Mark Wall with a double on the day

Three of the runners in the Mens Open would not have looked out of place in Hunter Chases and they dominated the market with Roulez Cool just favoured in front of Overlut and Worship the Stars.

As he has done so many times in the past, Overlut and Rhys Hughes set out to make all the running and one of his major rivals disappeared when Worship the Stars fell at the 10th.

Overlut still led at this point but Sam Waley Cohen and Roulez Cool had moved into a challenging position and was poised on the heels of the leader as they turned back towards home.

The complexion of the race changed dramatically at this point, with Overlut being pulled up and this allowed the favourite to cruise to victory down the home straight.

It transpired that Overlut had gone the wrong side of a marker turning for home, which meant that his partner Rhys Hughes had to part with £75 for his transgression.

Roulez Cool (Sam Waley-Cohen) wins easily after Overlut is pulled up

The winning jockey reported afterwards “He picked up when I needed to”, while owner/trainer Robert Waley Cohen revealed the winner was home bred at his Upton Viva Stud but had spent time on the sidelines prior to winning at Bangor in 2009.

Every owner and trainer has to do what they think is best for their horse, so despite Chaddesley Corbett being virtually on his doorstep, William Rucker drove all the way over to Cottenham on Sunday to inspect course conditions for himself.

He was obviously satisfied with what he saw because both Cedrus Libani and Petit Lord made the long journey from their Himbleton stables.

Cedrus Libani and Richard Burton had been impressive winners over course and distance earlier in the season and he was even more impressive on this occasion despite making a major mistake at the second from home. He won in a very fast time and will be very hard to beat on this type of course.

Petit Lord had been beaten by Big Moment at the previous meeting and suffered the same fate on Monday where he was outpaced by the winner on the run in.

Kineton based jockey Jonny England enjoyed a succesful afternoon taking the final two races on the card for Michael Gates. Crack at Dawn’s path to victory was eased when Monkerty Tumpty ran very wide on the final bend while stablemate Mister Johnson had an easier task in the final Maiden.