Southdown & Eridge
Godstone
Sunday 4th March 2007
by Simon McInnes
photos by Adam
Goodburn
http://www.reflexdigital.co.uk
Whilst the organisers will be ruing the
small crowd, in all other respects this was a thoroughly splendid
meeting - the best Godstone ever. The rain will have kept many
away, but the advance going report, which more or less said
'raceable, and the rain is not due until afternoon, so we should be
OK,' would have led some to think that the meeting was doomed when
the precipitation began early in the morning. Beyond that, the
spectators can feel pleased with themselves for showing the
commitment to get there, the tractor drivers performed heroics in
the car park, towing people both in and out. The riders went round
sensibly and, in tough conditions, no horses were asked to do
anything beyond their capabilities. The beer tent was well stocked,
and the bookmakers put up competitive offers to drum up business -
best being SW Racing's one for the Restricted, in which any beaten
finisher saw half of stakes refunded.
As far as the racing was concerned,
superior fitness was able to take advantage of some significant
gaps in natural talent. The course had also been redesigned, to
avoid the horses starting with a steep uphill rise to fence one.
This saved one of three testing climbs (the king of the mountains
title is not what it used to be), but the new chute also looks to
lop half a furlong or so off of the distance. As the track has not
previously had going anything like this, time comparisons with
earlier years are totally spurious.
Churston Heard 4-7 yo
Open Maiden, 2m 4f
1: Pagans Dancer 2: Pipes A'Calling 3: Marlion
Winner owned & trained: Ian Howe, ridden: Will
Telfer
As they approached the fourth last, this all seemed to be resolved,
with the five survivors strung out in single file. The line up of
seven, with one newcomer in it, did not suggest so many would get
that far. Favourite Laguna Beach had run well last week, but not
completed in his other two starts, and three other runners had no
finishes between them in eight runs, whilst Marlion had come to
grief in his last three appearances. At the third last, it all
changed behind the leader. Pagans Dancer was well in control,
surviving a mistake at the ditch four out and a tired flop two
later. Behind him, Laguna Beach fell at the third last, and Pitton
Mill tried to refuse and unseated. Marlion then came along and lost
momentum in the chaos, enough for him to later forfeit second on
the run-in to Pipes A'Calling, who had been reluctant to go away
from the horse box park and been detached most of the way,
presumably the rally being inspired by knowing that he was going
back towards the lorries. Boasting a fall and two unseateds before
today, Pagans Dancer did show some progress to win this, and
despite the unpromising circumstances, it should be noted that he
was becoming a very convincing winner even before the bedlam. After
the problems in this, the third last was omitted, as it was deemed
that the approach was too waterlogged to be practical. The swimming
ducks were a clue.
Mitchell & Cooper
Confined
1: Arthur Daly 2: Durlston Bay
Winner owned & trained: NW Padfield, ridden: Chris
Gordon
A disappointing field of four, from 22 entries, went to post, and
from the punters point of view, Arthur Daly had a clear fitness
advantage even if having travelled away from his usual manor, and
was second favourite to boot. He made a couple of mistakes that
gave serious concern, almost stopping six out and fluffing the
second last. He also ran down the final fence and only just stayed
inside the wing, but the race was won well before that, so the only
threats were a fall or stopping to sell a used motor to someone
whose original had sunk without trace in the car park. Durlston Bay
had made a good job of giving Arthur Daly something to think about
until he began to lose touch from four out, at least lasting out
for a deserved place. Favourite Jac An Ree (looking not 100% tuned
up for this but I have a recollection of thinking that about him
once before when he had more than one run under his belt), had been
struggling, along with Steve The Fish - who on name alone should
have appreciated the weather - as early as halfway, and although
Jac An Ree did keep going, he barely clambered over the last and
was immediately dismounted, looking unharmed but rather fed up and
weary.
Highfields Farm
Ladies' Open
1: Carryonharry 2: Lady Baronette
Winner owned: Mrs H Silk & Mr R Purkis, trained: Emma Leppard,
ridden: Cynthia Haydon
This was quite a decent Ladies' race, although with proven stamina,
the winner was a very short price favourite. He was always going
better than the main challenger, who stayed in better touch with
this slow pace and on whom Claire Hart was thoroughly persistant.
Slow jumps at two of the last three were not significant for Lady
Baronette as Cynthia Haydon had the situation in control and had a
willing partner when Carryonharry was required to put a touch of
effort in over the last furlong. The second favourite was Fiery
Ring, who has seen out three miles in the UK better than many of us
expected. He had not been asked to do so in conditions like this,
but was still in touch when he disappeared at the hidden fifth
last. The case remains unproven. The rest gave up quite early, with
Galapiat Du Mesnil being the only one whose best form entitled him
to have been mixing it with the leaders.
Ward-Thomas Removal
& Moves Group Men's Open
1: Valley Henry 2: Lucky Leader
Winner owned & trained: R Gurney, ridden: Philip
York
Cedar Chief set off in front as he is wont to do, but his free
running style was not ideal for today, and he also took that point
of view, refusing at the third. He was asked to give it a couple
more tries but was not up for it and did not even threaten to take
off. Boundary House fell at the same fence, quite possibly
distracted by his unhinged rival. This left the other two to go
around together. Philip York was determined to win as cheekily as
possible, and although the margin was officially a neck, it looked
tighter than that. The difference being that Lucky Leader was hard
ridden from two out and Valley Henry was never off of a tight rein.
Risky stuff in mud that could stop a charging hippo.
CBRE/Kenmore-Peterlee
Restricted
1: Winters Beau 2: Forest Fortress
Winner owned: Mrs PA Wilkins, trained: Susanna Hall, ridden: Philip
Hall
Winters Beau and Future To Future stood out on fitness, but Winters
Beau had the advantage of running quite a lot faster when the race
was under way. In contrast, Napolito, the favourite, looked in need
of the race, and he drifted out of it after four out, pulling up
rounding the omitted fence, when still in second. As he missed last
season, Forest Fortress was facing a tough challenge, and whilst
mostly tailed off, he was able to keep plodding on to finish. There
was not much from the form of the other non-finishers to think that
the ground was the sole source of difficulty for them.
Wellingham Members,
Farmers & Subscribers.
1: Westfield John
Winner owned & trained: Mr A Coveney, ridden: Fiona
Coveney
Even though it was only a match, some bookmakers lose one gold star
for going home early. After a game effort last week, Westfield John
looked more ready than sole rival Sanamour, but was second
favourite. The inconsistent jolly, who either wins or pulls up,
varied his theme by unseating early on, leaving Westfield John to
amble round in a time I think was 9m 18s. And it stopped raining
just as he crossed the last. For a bloke who had been dashed to the
ground by the sea of mud at the course crossing, Harry Fowler
wandered back looking surprisingly clean.
