REVIEW
FERNIE
DINGLEY
SUNDAY 11 MAY 2003

by Dom Bradshaw

Bucks View, trained and ridden by Gary Hamner, landed the feature race - the 4m Mixed Open at Sunday’s Fernie meeting at Dingley. 

Confidently ridden by Hamner, the 13yo made smooth progress to join the leaders on the final circuit but was challenged all the way to the line by Ardmayle (Lucy Coney) and Princess Derry (Chris Cundall), holding on to score by a length.
The winner is ultra consistent and is seen to his best over marathon trips. Despite his advancing years, he will no doubt win more races.
Ardmayle was doing all of his best work at the finish and has run with great credit since joining the Jill Dawson yard. He could take a race before the season end.
Princess Derry ran a blinder to finish a further length back in third and will be seen to her best on a testing track.
Mr Kermit (Sue Sharratt) lacked the pace of the first three, but finished strongly to take fourth. He has a race in him over a testing trip with a little more give in the ground.

Fami (Gemma Hutchinson) trotted up in the Members races, coming home a facile winner from Frileux Royal (Guy Morrison) and Gin N Ice (James Turcan). There’s no doubt that he will take more races in better company.

Native Hunter (Ashley Bealby) stepped up in class to land the Confined from the favourite, Minella Hotel (Joe Docker). The winner, a 7yo son of Be My Native, looks a horse of potential and I wouldn’t at all be surprised to see him appear under rules soon.
Minella Hotel made mistakes and could never quite get to the winner and will be better seen against lesser opposition as will third placed Breezy Betsy (Richard Armson).
The Vintage Dancer (Nick Pearce) was travelling well when coming to grief on the final circuit and should gain compensation.

The Bombers Moon (Lenny Hicks) comfortably landed the confined Maiden from the favourite, Tommy Hotspur (Nick Docker), with Six Bells (Patrick Millington) back in third.
The winner is going the right way but wouldn’t appear to be a ready-made Restricted winner and may have his work cut out in better company.
The frustrating Tommy Hotspur has been placed in five of his last six runs, but surely will land a maiden soon?
Browns Boy (Matthew Mackley) was well supported in the market and should be noted when reappearing next season.

Yorkshire raider, Mary Sowersby’s Step Lively easily took the Restricted under a confident ride from Guy Brewer. The 9yo mare is consistent but hasn’t always appeared to go through with her effort at the business end of race. However, as Guy confirmed afterwards, the application of first-time blinkers made all of the difference and those who stuck with the mare were rewarded with a double-figure price. Now that connections appear to have found the key to her, she should continue her winning ways.
Noble Affair (Matthew Mackley) put in another good effort to take second and land a race of this kind, as can third placed Hastener (Joe Docker) who went well on his first start in Restricted company. 

The final race of the day, the open Maiden, went to the consistent Sydney Hobart (Rowan Cope), denying the late challenge of Joe Smoke (Richard Armson).
Now that he’s tasted victory, Sydney Hobart shouldn’t be disgrace in better company.
Joe Smoke has shown enough to suggest that he can take a small race, as can third placed Thyny Glen (Patrick Millington).
The Gary Hamner trained pair, Scarlet Gunner and Seviot both failed to finish. The well-regarded Scarlet Gunner (Gary Hamner) appeared to pull up lame and the penny was just beginning to drop for Seviot (Joe Docker) when he took a crashing fall on the final circuit and he should be noted in future starts.