Weekend Round-Up
Saturday 27th & Sunday 28th February 2010
by Peter Mansell

MANSELL AND HOULDEY OFF THE MARK AT WHITWICK

After a frustrating start Julie Houldey and David Mansell finally got the winner which has eluded them during the early weeks of the season before going on to complete a double during Saturdays postponed North Herefordshire meeting at Whitwick Manor.

This meeting had done well to survive inspections earlier in the week, but conditions could only be described as testing although they probably eased slightly after 20 minutes rain halfway through the afternoon.

The start of the Confined was delayed by half an hour after Richard Morse fall at the final obstacle in the Members, which resulted in the Medical Team requesting the assistance of the Air Ambulance.

Lift off for Richard Morse as the Air Ambulance takes him to hospital

Morse returned to the course later in the afternoon, none the worse for his excursion and the announcer was probably not far from the truth when he suggested “the jockey had enjoyed his ride in the helicopter more than he did his ride on the horse”.

Strong Weld is a renowned front runner and Rhys Jenkins mount was in that customary position from the start of the Confined. They had the opposition at full stretch going down the back straight but approaching the final open ditch, Strong Weld was strongly challenged by the Julie Houldey trained Maranach.

These two horses were in the air together at the second from home but Maranach began to assert approaching the final obstacle and stayed on strongly for land the stables first success of a frustrating season.

Dave Mansell and Maranach head Strong Weld at the last in the Confined

“I could have trained a donkey to win races last year, but this season, everything that could have gone wrong, has gone wrong” stated the trainer in her post race interview.

“It’s been nothing serious, and the horses have been running well - that’s racing”.

Julie Salter has plenty to smile about after Maranch win in the Confined

Just Talking was one of last seasons most progressive youngsters and he returned to winning form with an authoritative win in the Mens Open.

Billyvodan and Liam Payter set a strong pace but after being 20 lengths clear at one point, he started to weaken as they raced down the back straight for the final time.

Dave Mansell had always held a prominent position and was poised to make his bid for glory as they turned back towards home.

Just Talking was 4-lengths clear approaching four out where Saint Reverien began his challenge but Just Talking was kept up to his work and had a 10-length advantage as they passed the judge.

Dave Mansell and Just Talking are clear at the last in the Open

Julie admitted afterwards they “had got the tactics wrong” when the horse made his seasonal debut Larkhill, while Mansell was more forthright by explaining “I ****** it up”. The trainer’s father Phillip offered some advice by saying, “if you don’t make plans, they can’t go wrong!”

The Ladies Open race resulted in yet another victory for Springhill trainer Simon Hart after Desert Tommy had scored a convincing win at the expense of Lagosta.

Neophyte made much of the running but gave way when Desert Tommy struck the front at 14th but this move had been covered by Claire Allen on Clive Bennett’s Balinova.

These two had the race to themselves during the final half-mile and rose as one at the second from home. Desert Tommy jumped the fence perfectly whereas Balinova made a terrible blunder which ejected Miss Allen from the saddle and left Hannah Lewis’s mount in splendid isolation.

The grey Neophyte and Lorna Brooke and Claire Allen's mount Balinova face the worst of the weather at the halfway stage in the Ladies Open

Conditions have not improved as Desert Tommy jumps the last in a clear lead

The price of victory for Hannah Lewis after a muddy day at the office

Claire Hart (Minnie on the Jumpingforfun Forum) with Desert Tommy after the race.
Currently sidelined by injury she is hoping the horse has not peaked too soon

Mark Hingley and David Doolittle and their 7 strong syndicate which includes local vet Graham Potts have enjoyed great fun with Catch the Bus in recent years and that remark should also apply in the future judging by the manner of Drom’s victory in the Restricted.

The 7-year-old son of Gildoran is now in the care of Bromyard trainer Paul Davies and was given a positive ride by Tom Weston who had his mount in front from flagfall.

Weston stole a march on his rivals when he kicked his mount into a 3-length lead down the back straight. The opposition was always struggling to reduce the deficit from that point and Drom was driven out at the finish to claim the scalps of Sahara’s Dream and Lorikarad.

Victory is in sight as Drom and Tom Weston lead Sahara’s Dream (right) and Lorikarad towards the last in the Restricted

Tom Weston and Drom return to the winners enclosure accompanied by one of his owners David Doolittle

There was another delay between the 6th and 7th races as Doctors dealt with a medical emergency in the crowd but when proceedings recommenced it resulted in success for the Godfrey Maundrell owned and ridden Haveyoubeen in the Mares Maiden.

Haveyoubeen hit the front at the 5th from home, but approaching two out he had been joined by the debutante Prince Fyona with these two drawing well clear of their rivals.

Prince Fyona and Haveyoubeen are inseperable at the last...

...but halfway up the run in Godfrey Maundrell's mount (white colours) begins to draw clear

There was little between this pair approaching the last but experience just told on the flat as Haveyoubeen eased clear, while the Houldey runner finished a length and a half down in second place.

With a mount in the next race Mansell fell foul of the Clerk of the Scales and was fined £60 when he forgot the weigh in.

Saint Luke and Michael Byrne turned the Confined Maiden into a procession. Their one length advantage half a mile from home had been extended to 25-lengths by the time they passed the judge.

This race heralded a welcome return to the winners enclosure for Cradley based John Bryan who many people will remember took the Jockeys Title way back in 1978.

Michael Byrne and Saint Luke are clear of Namur at the final obstacle.

Winning connections in the paddock after the race

John recalled winning many races in the Welsh Borders on horses such as Sparkford and Jim Lad, and explained the winner was one of the last foals purchased by his late father Bill.

21-year-old Bryne is attached to Peter Bowens yard in deepest Wales and looks a very competent pilot. He was recording his first Pointing success in this country to go with three successes under Rules and another 13 victories between the flags in his native Ireland.

There were further successes for West Midland qualified horses at the Albrighton fixture at Chadddesley Corbett 24 hours later.

Happily for racegoers the weather was no where near as bad as predicted but conditions were described as soft and this led to the omission of fences 6/14 and 8/16 in all races throughout the afternoon.

This must be the weekend for delays as the first race started 20 minutes later after medical cover was directed to see if they could be of any assistance in a local traffic accident.

When proceedings eventually got under way the area struck in the first race when the North Cotswold qualified Rathconrath justified favouritism in the 17-strong 4/5/6 and 7 year old Maiden.

Sam Twiston Davies and Rathconrath are just getting the better of Dammam at the penultimate in the Maiden

About half the field held a chance as they reached the farthest part of the course but the uphill climb into the home straight soon sorted the men from the boys.

As they bypassed the third from home the race had developed into a straight fight between Sam Drinkwaters mount Dammam and the Twiston Davies runner Rathconrath.

Rathconrath been to ease clear of his rival on the run to the last but had to be kept up to his work to record a two and a half length victory over his rival.

“Nigel brought the horse at Cheltenham as a 3-year-old” his wife Cathy reported afterwards “but then decided he had too many horses so I’d better have him for Pointing”.

“The penny is gradually dropping and he is learning from experience and I am absolutely delighted with that result” she said afterwards.

Island Flyer had started favourite but finished last in the 2008 Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury so on that performance he looked a good bet to land the Mens Open. That assumption proved correct after the 8-year-old son of Heron Island outjumped his rivals in the hands of Luke Morgan.

Island Flyer and Luke Morgan are hotly pursued by Up There and the grey Marblehead as they race towards the penultimate in the Mens Open

Marblehead and Island Flyer dominated the race from the start but they had been joined by the Nicky Sheppard trained Up There as they turned for home.

Island Flyer held a 2-length advantage on the final bend and while Marblehead was struggling to stay in contention Up There stuck doggedly to his task as they approached the final obstacle.

As he had done so many times during the afternoon, Island Flyer met the fence on a perfect stride and that sealed his rival’s fate.

Luke Morgan and Island Flyer accompanied by one of the Hunt Staff while returning to the winners enclosure after their victory in the Mens Open

Tom George who was representing his wife Sophie explained afterwards “He was a good horse a couple of years ago, but he has had a few problems so he has been qualified by eventer Beany Hughes. He’s been well and truly hunted and I think this has helped him forget about being a racehorse. I wanted to take him to Aintree for the Foxhunters so we had to get a run into him and win an open to qualify. He didn’t like the ground today but what else could we do”.

The rest of the afternoon proved frustrating while several more potential winners in the pipeline only for our horses to find one too good for them at the finish.

Claire Allen kept in touch with the leaders for the Ladies Championship when she won the Ladies Open on Mad Victory. This was little more than a steering job on the hot favourite with connections indicating he could next be seen out in a Hunter Chase.

Clare Allen has plenty to smile about after Mad Victors facile win in the Ladies

There were plenty of West Midland trained runners in the Restricted, but the best of them turned out to be Creagh Bay and All Time Greats who had to settle for second and third place respectively behind the impressive winner Uppertier.

In the Novice Riders race David Griffiths and Prioritisation did best of the local partnerships but they eventually had to give best to Pertinent.

Local horses again had to settle for the minor places in the Open Maiden when victory went to the South Shropshire qualified Golden Harvey who sealed his rivals fate with a brilliant jump at the last.

Front Street and Prince Aeneaf began to eat into his lead on the flat and the finish looked far closer than the official verdict of two and a half lengths suggested.

William and Angela Rucker have a good record at Horseheath but they enjoyed mixed fortunes with their runners.

Things did not get off to a good start for the Ruckers when Sweden was pulled up as he attempted to justify favouritism in the Intermediate, while Petit Lord (who they train from their home near Droitwich) had to be content with the runners up spot in the Ladies.

Their fortunes then took on a more positive outlook after Horsham Lad’s victory under Richard Burton in a strong Restricted, while his stablemate Badger Sett (who is owned by Mrs Ruckers mother Pat Tollitt) may not have beaten much in Division II of the Maiden but he picked off his rivals under a patience ride from the ex-champion.

Burton had missed out on another winner the previous week due to his attendance at one of the postponed meetings and this led to Nick Williams taking the ride on the Alison Dare trained Rocklandslad in the Connolly’s Red Mills Intermediate the Countryside Alliance meeting at Badbury Rings.

Explaining her decision to bring the 7-year-old from the Berkeley country, Miss Dare said, “I wanted him to run on a short left handed track”.