Weekend Round-Up
Saturday 6th & Sunday 7th February 2010
by Peter Mansell

FIVE WINNERS AT WHITFIELD

It appears that West Midland qualified horses were fitter than their rivals because our stables were in top class form at the South Midland Area Club meeting at Whitfield on Sunday morning.

They won five races in all including the days two principal races with Clive Bennett’s Ruairi scoring a battling victory in a top class Mens Open, while Desert Tommy spread-eagled his field in the Ladies equivalent.

13 runners set out for the Mens Open but one of the better fancied horses Bowdens Lane was pulled up with an apparent broken blood vessel just before halfway.

As they started to race along the back straight for the final time Saint Reverien (with Jeremy Mahot replacing Adrian Wintle who had injured his knee at Cottenham the previous day) and Tom Weston and Ruairi began to ease clear of the remaining runners.

Saint Reverien had established a 3-length lead at the 16th but made a mistake at that obstacle which allowed his rival back into contention.

Saint Reverien (yellow colours) holds a narrow advantage over Ruairi (pink) as they race between the final two fences with Irilut is toiling in third

As they straightened up for home the battle began in earnest, with Andy Hobbs’s runner holding a slight advantage at the penultimate, but Tom Weston was just behind and poised to make his challenge.

He asked his mount for one final effort between the final two fences and managed to secure a narrow lead which he held all the way to the line while the favourite Irilut was never able to get into contention during the final mile of the race and was 7-lengths back in third.

Its much closer at the last where Saint Reverien and Ruairi are in the air together

Clive Bennett, trainer Emma Alvis and jockey Tom Weston

Clive Bennett receiving his trophy after the race

It has not escaped anyone’s attention that Desert Tommy was putting all his best work in at the finish behind Theatre Diva and Turthen at Larkhill recently and with nothing of their quality in the field Simon Harts North Cotswold qualified gelding started favourite for the Ladies Open.

The horse’s regular partner Claire Hart had the misfortune to break her hand at Cottenham the previous day so Hannah Lewis was called up as a replacement. The favourite was always in the leading group and along with Liverpool Echo and Virginia Preuil they had the race to themselves from halfway.

As they turned for home it looked as though Virginia Preuil might prevail but his effort began to peter out and the race then developed into a straight fight between Miss Lewis’s mount and Liverpool Echo. Desert Tommy soon had matters under control and had put 20-lengths between himself and the runner up as they passed the judge.

Hannah Lewis and Desert Tommy jump the last with a clear lead

Simon Hart, Hannah Lewis and Desert Tommy in the winners enclosure

Horsham Lad initiated the plethora of winners for local stables in Division III of the 4, 5, 6 & 7-year-old Maiden. The 6-year-old had finished third behind Cappaquin at Larkhill recently and as that horse won again at the weekend the form looked rock solid and so it turned out to be.

Richard Burton was content to bide his time on the favourite but gradually made his way into the race along the back straight and held a slight lead as they turned back towards home. Dave Mansell and Jolly Rock were their only dangers in the home straight but hard though they tried they were unable to reduce the leader’s advantage and were still 5-lengths adrift at the post.

Horsham Lad jumping well during the middle stages of the race

The ex-Evan Williams inmate is owned by William and Angela Rucker who have placed the 6-year-old in Fergal O’Briens care this season. The Naunton trainer reported after the race “he liked the ground and seemed to benefit from coming off a strong pace”.

Horsham Lad starts to draw clear of Jolly Rock between the final two fences

Horsham Lad and Angela Rucker in the winners enclosure

The Rucker’s hopes of a double with Sweden in the Intermediate were thwarted by the Mark Wilesmith ridden Buckingham Bill.

Approaching the third from home History Master, Buckingham Bill and Sweden had the race to themselves with Sweden responding to Richard Burton’s urgings having been given several reminders down the back straight.

The complexion of the race changed at the second from home where Wilesmith’s mount quickened clear of his rivals and they had the race in safe keeping approaching the last.

History Master and Buckingham Bill (red colours) touch down together at the penultimate

“I thought I would ask him to pop it but he picked up out of my hands and flew it” commented Wilesmith of the 10-year-old who is trained by his wife Claudia at Upton upon Severn.

Buckingham Bill starts to draw clear as History Master has no more to give

Division II of the Restricted went to the Peter Mason trained and Nigel Jackson owned and bred Jacko’s Boy. A half brother to Martin Keighleys festival hope Love of Tara, Jacko’s Boy jumped brilliantly throughout but he began to tire after negotiating the penultimate where Taken by Storm looked a big danger.

The runner up began to eat into the leaders advantage between the final two fences and Dave Mansell looked as though he had timed his run to perfection as Taken by Storm challenged approaching the last. His mount was unable to sustain its effort so the winner stayed on dourly to claim the spoils, with Mark Walls mount Twiga Woods back in third.

Jacko’s Boy is clear of Twiga Woods (blue and red colours) while Dave Mansell is just starting his challenge on Taken by Storm

In contrast to recent events all of the weekends meetings took place as scheduled, although it was not without its difficulties. The 2009/2010 season has tested the patience of a saint with continuous rain followed by the snow and frost in the New Year. Just as things were getting back to normal another weather phenomenon took their place - fog.

While not exactly bathed in sunshine racegoers at Saturdays Larkhill fixture could at least see the whole course but racegoers at Cottenham were not so lucky.

Mic Aubin won a Hereford Bumper for Martin Keighley back in 2007 but has recently been plying his trade under Rules for Charlie Longsden and with those creditionals winning a Point-to-Point looked well within his capabilities.

His cause was undoubtedly helped when Lotta Presents departed at the first in the Cottenham Intermediate. After that it was pretty much plain sailing for his supporters who had helped back him in from 12-1 to half those odds and they were rewarded when Chris Clarke’s gelding stayed on well to secure a 2-length success.

Mic Aubin and Peter Mason lead Maire de Beaulieu at the last

Chris Clarke and his family with their trophy

Although pleased with his horse’s performance Clarke reported the following day “his jumping is still novicy but if he continues to improve he could take his place in the line for the Red Mills Final at Cheltenham in May”.

Goscar Rock and Phillip York opened their account at Cottenham’s early season meeting but after a disappointing performance at Higham they bounced back to form with an easy victory in the Restricted. They repeated the tactics, which had proved so successful over the course previously to land the prize for Peter and Liza Hall who train the horse at their home near Berkeley.

Goscar Rock (green colours) lead the way through the murk at Cottenham

Adrian Wintle and his wife Hannah Lewis could have completed a double at Cottenham had the cards fallen in their favour.

All Things Equal jumps this fence well but he paid the penalty for not doing so later in the race

All Things Equal seemed to be going like the winner of the Open until he made a monumental error at the fourth from home, which Wintle did well to keep the partnership intact.

They still appeared to have the measure of their rivals until All Things Equal made another major error at the second from home, which the partnership failed to survive.

Their was compensation for the Westbury on Severn based couple when Hannah teamed up with Olival in the Ladies Open and under the jockeys astute ride they managed to see off the challenge of the favourite Skyhawk.

Not a rival in sight as Olival and Hannah Lewis jump the last

Skyhawk and Claire Allen (red colours) took second place after the defection of rivals earlier in the race

West Midland stables had to endure a frustrating time at Larkhill where local stables finished runner up in no less than four races.

Osako D’Airy and Angela Rucker set the ball rolling in the Members race for the Earl Haig Cup. The 8-year-old gelding had useful form under Rules for Paul Nicholls. He is now in the care of Naunton trainer Fergal O’Brien but after holding every chance at the penultimate the 7lb concession to Golden Heart told on the run to the line.

Golden Heart starts to draw clear of Osako D’Airy as they make the turn for home

The two divisions of the Restricted threw up two youngsters of the highest quality. Cappaquin continued his march up the Point-to-Point ladder with a 2-length success over Robin Shute and the Berkeley qualified Lord Goschen in Division I, while Patrick Bryants Civil Disobedience showed his win at Woodford last year was no flook with a 6-length victory over the Julie Houldey trained and Dave Mansell ridden L’Homme Sauvage in Division II.

The Houldey stable is still waiting for its first winner of the season and they were denied yet again, when Maranach failed by just a head to catch Pezreuil in the Intermediate. The runner up looked well beaten at the penultimate but rallied under the Mansell drive approaching the last and was making inroads in his rival’s lead all the way to the line.

Pezreuil (purple colurs) leads on the home turn. Maranach is poised to deliver his challenge but failed by a head

Our stables were out of luck in the Coronation Cup (Gaelsbob and Just Talking both pulled up approaching 2 out), a race, which attracted the best field assembled for this race for some time.

This race was run at a fast and furious pace and it was one of those races that you felt if the race was run again on three occasions you would probably get three difference results.

However on this occasion Coombe Hill and Charlotte Tizzard were too strong for Mustangsallyrally, Drybrook Bedouin and Southwestern from the last fence.

A great finish to a great race!
Mustangsallyrally holds a narrow advantage over Coombe Hill with Man from Highworth in third - Drybrook Bedouin (light colours – far side) and Southwestern (yellow cap) but they didn’t finish in that order