REVIEW
COTSWOLD
ANDOVERSFORD
SUNDAY 6 APRIL 2003

by Peter Mansell

Fergal O'Brien and Jelly Nolan have enjoyed considerable success over the years but Pretoria Dancer’s victory in the Members during Sundays Cotswold Point to Point at Andoversford, must take pride of place.

The 30-year-old's duties as Head Lad to Nigel Twiston Davies yard at Naunton restricts the amount of time O'Brien has available for race riding. There have been some near misses in recent seasons so there was no hiding the delight on his face after Pretoria Dancer had managed to hold the challenge of the favourite Bit O'Speed on the climb to the post. 

Pretoria Dancer provided the first leg of a double for Nolan's Naunton stable that took the Ladies Race later in the afternoon with Steady Eddy. This winner is a half brother to the ill-fated Look in the Mirror and was home bred by Twiston Davies but this season he carries the colours of Fergal's father Bill.

Anna De Lisle Wells showed a cool brain on the favourite because Proper Primitive looked set for victory climbing the final hill, but that act had taken its toll and they were outstayed by the 20-year-old Reading University student and her mount on the run to the line.

Miss De Lisle Wells and Ballyalbert attempted to make every fence a winning one in the Maiden and they nearly succeeded in doing so until the 8-year-olds stride began to shorten approaching the last. They fought back bravely on the flat but were unable to withstand Tom Putts finishing thrust which provided 19-year-old Chadlington student Ben Pauling with his first success.

Adrian Wintle is the leading jockey in the West Midlands area this season and he showed why after a superb ride on Macy in the Confined. The 10-year-old looked beaten during the final half mile but the Cheltenham based rider reasoned that the leaders would probably come back to him, so bided his time before producing Macy with a race-winning run at the last. The winner carries the colours of Jackie and Margaret Jones and is the only horse in stable of their husband/son Martin at Redmarley. Connections were able to make the most of the generosity of the bookmakers.

Dinsey Finnegan had provided 17-year-old Cheltenham College Student George Phillips with the first win of his career at Siddington two weeks ago and they showed that that win was no fluke but gaining their second success together in the Intermediate.

Dinsey Finnegan had proved a major disappointment last season but appears to have turned over a new leaf since joining John Phillips stable at Bibury. This was evident by his refusal to accept defeat after his rivals queued up to challenge at the penultimate but he stayed on well to score in a blanket finish.

The Mens Open went to Mark and Andrew Barlows French acquisition Good Boy. The 9-year-old swept to the front at the 13th and threw in some extravagant jumps down the back straight, which allowed him to coast home to victory during the closing stages of this contest. 

RESULTS

MEMBERS
1ST PRETORIA DANCER F O'BRIEN 7-4
2ND BITO'SPEED J RICHARDSON EVENS FAV
3RD PRINCE OF SAINTS S JOYNES 3-1
4 RAN 1/2 - 8 LENGTHS

CONFINED
1ST MACY A WINTLE 20-1
2ND FREEDOM FIGHTER A MARTIN 2-1
3RD WADE ROAD M RIMELL 5-1
9 RAN 1 - 3 LENGTHS

LADIES OPEN
1ST STEADY EDDY MISS A DE LISLE WELLS 4-5 FAV
2ND PROPER PRIMITIVE MISS E JAMES 3-1
3RD SOLO GENT MISS K JONES 9-4
6 RAN 2 - 8 LENGTHS

MENS OPEN
1ST GOOD BOY A BARLOW 2-1
2ND MOSTYN A WINTLE 7-2
3RD GLAISNOCK LAD J HORTON 8-1
5 RAN 10 LENGTHS - DISTANCE

INTERMEDIATE
1ST DINSEY FINNEGAN G PHILLIPS 5-1
2ND SHAMROCK LAD S BUSH 2-1
3RD SHEILA MCKENZIE B KING 3-1
8 RAN NECK - 1/2 LENGTH

MAIDEN
1ST TOM PUTT B PAULING 6-1
2ND BALLYALBERT MISS A DE LISLE WELLS 10-1
3RD BELTYNE GOLDBERRY B KING 16-1
17 RAN 1 - 2 LENGTHS

WEST MIDLAND AREA CHAMPIONSHIPS
SPONSORED BY NEWSQUEST - HUMBERTS - EQUIMIX
LEADERS AFTER FOUR MEETINGS

MALE RIDERS                     LADY RIDERS
ADRIAN WINTLE 52           POLLY GUNDRY 17
JULIAN PRITCHARD 30     ANNA DE LISLE WELLS 12
JAMES RICHARDSON 12  JANE WILLIAMS 7
                                               ALEX BEVAN 7

LEADING MARE                  CHAMPION NOVICE 
CAMPDEN KITTY 10           MR NABORRO 7
MILDAN GRACE 5               RAYMOND JAMES 7
PROPER PRIMITIVE 5       QUATERMASS 5
                                               MILDAN GRACE 5

LEADING HORSE               NOVICE RIDER
FONTAINE AGAIN 12        JANE WILLIAMS 7
CAMPDEN KITTY 10          ALEX BEVAN 7
AZTEC RULE 10                 TOM WESTON 7

OWNER/TRAINER/RIDER        GROOM OF THE YEAR
JANE WILLIAMS 7                     LEADING CONTENDERS THUS 
JAMES RICHARDSON 7           FAR:- SHARON SMITH &
TOM WESTON 7                        MANDY TATLOW