REVIEW
WARWICKSHIRE
ASHORNE
Monday 1st May 2006
by Geoff Handley
The crowds flocked to this popular evening
May Day annual fixture despite racing taking place under rules at
Warwick just four miles up the road., they were queuing through the
leafy Warwickshire lanes to get onto the course. The racecourse
itself is easy to find being just off the historic Fosse Way.,
having walked the track prior to racing there was a good covering
of grass, it was a bit quicker at the top of the hill but the
overnight rain had helped, the fences looked in good condition and
well built and all looked set fair for a good evenings
entertainment. The race goers are very enthusiastic at Ashorne,
thronging both sides of the track from the final two fences to the
winning post, cheering every horse as its goes past even if
it’s tailed off.
The official going was good (good to firm in
places)
Maiden (Div
1)
The last time I visited this course two years ago I commented upon
the fact that I couldn't hear the commentary, sure enough the same
happens again with the loudspeakers not working during the race, a
heavy shower at the same time didn't make race reading very
easy.
There was a surprise result in the opening
race on the card with victory going to Treacy's Dot Com for Banbury
trainer Julie Marles and jockey Charlie Wadland. This ex Irish
pointer had cut no ice in eight Irish maidens, last season in the
UK he ran unsuccessfully in four maidens for owner Mrs Aston and
being labelled in the Mackenzie and Harris annual as " Ungenuine
and one to ignore" He was subsequently sold at the Cheltenham May
Sales for 3,500 gns to his present owner Mr D.Gee. This season this
eight year old gelding had ran five times at various tracks,
pulling up three times and finishing a well beaten last of four
last Saturday at Kingston Blount behind another ex Irish Pointer
Allow Dancer.
So on his eighteenth attempt in maidens,
victory at last, held up in midfield by Charlie Wadland, he made
relentless progress over the last two fences, staying on strongly
over the far side rail to get up by just over a length from the
well backed Mistress Cool, this five year old mare was getting a
stone in the weights from the winner although jockey Rowan Cope had
to put up 4 lb overweight at 11st 4 lbs, the combination looked all
over the winner at the last until Treacy's Dot Com came from
nowhere. Mistress Coole was always up with pace alongside the
favourite Sydney Two Thousand who started at a skinny price of 5/4
in this sixteen strong field, he ran on one pace to be third for
Bill Warner/Stuart Morris and maybe the ground was a bit lively for
this one, a promising second last time at Guilsborough both the
second and third warrant a close look next time out.
Time of 6.33,16 Ran
Confined
The race was delayed for fifteen minutes as damage to one of the
fences in the previous race was repaired.
Again the commentary was barely audible, can
we please increase the volume for next year?
Rowan Cope soon gained compensation for his
narrow defeat in the opener as he drove home the 6/4 favourite, the
promising mare Velvet Dove for owner/trainer Pauline Adams. Its now
four victories from ten starts and she is developing into a decent
stayer and very much one to follow. Ended last season with a
triumph in the mares final at Garthorpe together with winning her
maiden at Brafield-on-
the- Green in the fastest time of the
maidens, her third victory was gained this season in an
Intermediate again at Garthorpe.She battled on bravely up the hill
to hold off the determined challenge of Boyne Banks and Tessa Good
by a half a length with second fav Silver Buzzard a head third for
Stuart Morris.
(drifted from 3's to 5's) In fourth was Crown
and Cushion who was making eye-catching headway on the inside rail
when he ruined his chance by jumping left, this 10 year old could
win soon at a nice price, Kim Sly/Henry Kinchin partnership.
The time of 6.23 was decent, 14 Ran
Open Maiden (Div
2)
Just like the opening maiden there was a shock result but it was
good to see the fourteen year old Jovian Pond at last get his head
in front with Robert Sealey aboard. (Fred Hutsby trained) Again
like the first winner, if at first you don’t succeed try
again, indeed this was Jovian's Pond nineteenth attempt between the
flags and prior that he had twenty runs without success under
rules, making his debut back in
1997 for Paul Webber's Cropredy stables in a
Southwell bumper. There was nothing to indicate this season that a
success was on the cards, failing to complete in his three maidens
at Lockinge, Andoversford and Holnicote.
In the race itself it paid to be up with the
pace, with Jovian Pond always up with leaders in a tightly packed
field, he held off the challenge of Imps Reflection and Luke Morgan
who was also always up with the pace. Running on strongly in third
was Madame Bavarde who made a couple of mistakes; she can win a
maiden for Emily Harbour.
Time was 6.44, Eleven seconds slower than the
first division, 11 Ran
Members
Ten went to post in the Members Race and an easy victory for the
2/1 Favourite, Stormy Pass ridden by trainer Tom Ellis, always
travelling well just off the pace he made good headway three out
and only having to be pushed out to beat his sister Laura on
Airmark who bravely tried to make all. This was the winners third
victory and the second this season following his victory in a
Mollington Restricted on Grand National Day, missed the whole of
2005 following a leg injury, he won his maiden back in 2003.
Just like Jovian Pond he was another who ran
under rules from Paul Webber's yard failing to trouble the judge in
five runs.
He can certainly win again, The third placed
State Medlar finished like a train, market rival Cedar could run on
at the one pace to finish fourth for Charlie Wadland,
Time 6.31, 10 Ran
Mixed Open
Only five runners to post and a second consecutive victory in this
race for Irilut and Sam Waley-Cohen and a ninth career win.
This was Sam's only ride of the afternoon
having ridden a cracking race on Liberthine to be fourth in
Sandown's Betfred Gold Cup and fresh from his victories on the same
horse in the Topham and Katarino in the Aintree Foxhunters.
Irilut looked really well in the paddock, his
coat shining brightly, in the race itself he was always just behind
the leading two of Corletto and Kjetil, he gradually took it up
three out but credit to Corletto (sweated up badly in the paddock)
he battled on gamely up the hill to be beaten by a neck, friendless
in the market from 12's to 25's, Irilut was last seen in the highly
competitive Lady Dudley Cup where a blunder at the twelfth put pay
to any chances pulling up soon after, ran in the Cheltenham
Foxhunters at the Festival and was second behind Foly Pleasant in a
Hunters Chase at Warwick. Won rather cleverly today and the shrewd
connections can place this one to win again.
Market rival Reel Dancer for Julie
Marles/Charlie Wadland didn’t appear in the paddock until the
bell went to mount, the others had been parading for ten minutes,
not sure why he was so late, in the race itself he was held up
before making some headway on the second circuit, but could never
reach the leaders in third, Kjetil a well backed 3/1 shot for
Caroline Bailey/Rowan Cope was fourth.
The fifth runner Shiny Bay the mount of Nick
Pearce was still with the other four runners when pulling up soon
after jumping the tenth, he dismounted and walked back,
6.22: 5 Ran
Novice
Riders
Victory went to the impressive Mighty Montefalco in emphatic style
and giving Suzi Charrington her second win on this classy
individual. One would imagine that a Hunter Chase will be the next
target for this ten year old gelding, he made eye-catching headway
on the home turn and stayed on strongly up the hill to win going
away by 3 lengths, given a fine ride on the 2/1 favourite and the
fourth to win this evening.
Suzi Charrington first rode Mighty Montefalco
at Mollington at the start of the season, it drifted in the betting
that day, and threatened the leaders finishing in mid division,
however the jockey very much seemed to enjoy the race and no doubt
learning from the experiece.Subsequent placings followed at
Chaddesley Corbett and Andoeversford (stayed on well) before her
first success last week at Woodford where the connections received
an emotional reception. Looked well as usual in the paddock and no
doubt trainer Alison de lisle Wells can place this rapidly
improving sort to win again. This was a fifth career win between
the flags and also won five times for Jonjo O'Neill including a
quick fire four timer with Tony McCoy on board.
Aircon was second and Filscot third,
The second favourite was Nokimover who just
like last week blundered and unseated Alex Vaughan-Jones, this time
at the penultimate fence, about five lengths behind the leaders at
the time, had made a couple of earlier mistakes including a bad one
at the tenth.
6.24: 7 Ran
Restricted
The low evening sun meant four fences were omitted resulting in
only fourteen fences being jumped, the sun also made it difficult
to pick out the runners down the far side, Victory went to fifth
successful favourite on the card in Pro Am for Ben Tuckey and
narrowly holding off the determined challenge of Waggy and Rachel
Reynolds.Pro Am had gone into many notebooks last season in a
Mollington maiden, heavily backed that day, eventually rewarding
those punters who stuck by him with a victory earlier in the season
in a Kingston Blount maiden.
8 Ran
Seventy one runners in total, very good for a
Bank Holiday fixture, there was however no discount for single
occupancy (£15) and the race card at £2.50 was packed
full of adverts, a plan of the course should be imperative.
|