REVIEW

SOUTH SHROPSHIRE
EYTON-ON-SEVERN
Monday 2nd May 2006

by Arthur Shone

photos by Phil Britt
http://www.philbrittphotography.co.uk

The adverse weather conditions prior to racing had an effect on the crowd, which was considerably down on the previous meeting here a fortnight ago.

The prospect of firmish ground also had an effect on the runners, which were a bit thin on the ground in some races, but when you consider that there are only two meetings left in this area the turn out was quite good and to be fair to Eyton’s hard working clerk of the course, John Beddoes, the horses were making a print in the ground. I know that he was under pressure from some quarters to water the course beforehand, but if he had watered and then there was 10mm of rain overnight, he would have come in for some stick from people. I’m afraid that the role of clerk of the course is one of a no win situation.

Shrewsbury rider Richard Burton has had the North Western area riders championship sewn up for some time and has virtually retained his national riders champion as well, following a double at the Shropshire course with Oh So Droll in the Members and Cornish Gale in the Men’s Open, which put him on the 35 winner mark for the season, which is virtually double that of his nearest pursuer.

The first leg came in the opening Members race aboard Oh So Droll, who ran this time around in the colours of his father Rob Burton from Longner Hall at Uffington. Burton took up the running three out and went on to score with a bit more in hand than the two lengths over Kings Reply would suggest. The first and second are both trained at Bishops Castle by Pam Sykes, who was recording her sixth winner of the season.

Oh So Droll wins the Members in the hail

King's Reply and Smart Orange with Ben Furnival in the Members

The second leg came in the Mens Open, where he recorded a facile victory on Cornish Gale of 20 lengths over his sole opponent Chapparo Amargoso. The winner was having no more than an exercise canter in preparation for the Bangor Final on May 20 th. The winner is trained at Cholmondley by Donald McCain Jnr and ran in the well known colours of the flamboyant entrepreneur Derek Malam.

Cornish Gale leads Chaparro Amargoso in the Men's Open

McCain Jnr and Malam teamed up again to complete a double with The Eens in the Confined, this time around the winner was ridden by Dan Fitzsimmonds who held on well to repel the renewed challenge of Will Kinsey on Lambrini Mist by a length. The winner will also be aimed at the Bangor Final on May 20 th. This is the third time that these two horses have completed a double at tracks this season.

The Eens takes the Confined Hunts Race

Shrewsbury trainer Heidi Brookshaw, the daughter of the Aintree Grand National winning trainer Steve Brookshaw, took centre stage with her first ever double at her local course. Brookshaw pulled off a remarkable training feat to produce Murphys Gift to win the Maiden on his racecourse debut aged 9. The Supreme Leader gelding looked to have plenty left when Minnigaff and Will Kinsey stumbled at the second last when in the lead, which handed the race to Carly Goodall who went on to win by 8 lengths from Minnigaff, but I take the view that the winner would have won anyway even if the runner up had not made a mistake. The winner is also owned by the trainer who bought the horse cheaply from Aiden Murphy when she worked for him briefly in Ireland in 2002. Speaking after racing she said,” Aiden was going to sell him to a riding school and the horse was a favourite of mine when I worked for the trainer for a few months, so I decided to buy him and I have hunted him for the last four years. We had him tubed last Xmas and he has been a different horse since and I thought Carly (Goodall) gave him a great ride as she came in for the ride at the last minute because Tessa Clarke could not get here in time because she had been in America supporting her sister Polly Stockton at the Lexington horse trials .” This was Carly Goodall’s third winner this season and it sees her in with a shout for the national champion novice riders award.

Murphy's Gift winning the Open Maiden

Action from the Open Maiden

Tessa Clark managed to get from the airport to the course in time to partner Home Made in the Ladies Open, where the home bred gelding beat Lance Toi under Sue Sharratt readily by a length and a half with the jolly, Jackie Jarvis was a further 4 lengths back in third. The winner is owned by Pip Harney the master of the North Shropshire and Brookshaw said afterwards that this was the first time in three races that the winner had not broken blood vessels, which accounted for his return to form.

Home Made wins the Ladies Open

They say that lightning does not strike twice, but it did in the Restricted race. When Was I Right and Captain Jack met in a Maiden in Ireland two years ago the former won by two lengths. That is exactly the same distance that Was I Right beat Captain Jack again this time in England and in doing so he provided 19 year Michael Murphy with his first ever winner from only 5 rides. Murphy who has only worked for the winning trainer Gary Hamner at Nantwich for a couple of months looks a future top class rider in the making according to Hanmer. The winner is owned by Eric Pennington from Cressage and Peter Bird and Jo Butler from Ludlow.

The Restricted winner Was I Right

Action fronm the Restricted

The Getting out stakes was the two and a half mile Open Maiden and provided Tarporley handler John Swindells with some compensation after his charge Jackie Jarvis got turned over in the Ladies Open, when Dancing Credit with his daughter Sarah Johnson in the plate easily beat Pedlars Son with a fine display of jumping. The winner is owned jointly by the trainer and Brian Taylor also from Tarporley. His introduction into horse racing ownership came about through the trainers daughter who used to be a chiropodist, apparently he stated an interest in owning a horse after having his feet done and the rest is history.

Dancing Credit and Sarah Johnson winning the 4,5,6 & 7yo Maiden

Action from the 4,5,6 & 7yo Open Maiden