Southdown &
Eridge
Godstone
Sunday 2nd March 2008
by Simon McInnes
photos by Adam Goodburn
http://www.reflexdigital.co.uk
Another pleasant spring day at
Godstone, although this one really was spring, and despite an
absence of much rain, the course looked to be in decent nick,
resulting in another improved turnout of runners.
Going: Good
Race1: Churston Heard
Open Maiden (4-7 year olds, 2m 4f)
1: Glenbower Woods 2: Iphar 3: The Local Prince
Winner owned: Dr C Hargreaves, trained: Di Grissell, ridden: Philip
Hall
Apart from Iphar, who his doing a fine job of
pursuing his number one objective - retaining his maiden status,
there were only bare smatterings of interesting events in the
runners varied histories, but on his UK debut, Glenbower Woods
found an easier opportunity than the sort he had been tackling in
Ireland, and ran out a ready enough winner. Lillie Lou’s
chances of replicating the effort at Charing last week ended at the
first. The Local Prince was going well in contention as they dipped
out of view but was very hesitant at the open ditch four from home
and quickly lost plenty of ground. He did appear to run on at the
end, but the two in front were not being given a hard time and the
rise to the winning line can cause an eased horse to stop
sharply.
Race 2: Mitchell &
Cooper Confined
1: Nathos 2: Splash And Dash 3: Old Kilminchy
Winner owned: Mrs & Mrs AC Kemp, trained & ridden: Heather
Kemp
The first of several eventful finishes to the day,
as Lord Atterbury had the race at his mercy when he fell two from
home. Jockey Stuart Robinson initially looked as if he may have
done himself a mischief, but thoughts of later decent rides caused
him to leap to his feet with the alacrity of a Portuguese
footballer whose fouler has just been booked. The suspense was not
over as Nathos had become very inclined to look after himself
before he went pointing and Heather Kemp was keen to coax him home
whilst avoiding any means that Nathos could interpret it as being
forced. As a consequence, Splash And Dash got very close by the
line, but never within a length. A younger and more demonstrative
jockey might have turned the result around.
Race 3: Mercedes-Benz
Ladies’ Open
1: Carryonharry 2: Scare Lotte 3: Persian King
Winner owned: Mrs H Silk & Mr RK Purkis, trained: Emma Leppard,
ridden: Cynthia Haydon
Another race, another talking
point in the finish. Frontenac took a heavy fall at the twelfth,
which would be the final fence a lap later, and rider Michelle
Woods was on the ground and not moving, so the fence was dolled
off. The trouble was that when the leading pair turned into the
straight, a series of circumstances conspired to affect the
outcome. Firstly, the last two fences are quite close, so there is
not much room to signal the omission to the riders. Secondly, Scare
Lotte came round the turn unusually tight to the inner (momentum in
a head to head finish usually causes runners, e.g. Carryonharry
here, to swing a bit wide off the turn. Thirdly, the flagman was
understandably disinclined to stand in the middle of the racing
line, so was off to the riders’ right. Fourthly, the fence
has to be bypassed on the left, so having attracted the attention
to one direction, in a short gap the horses have to veer sharply in
the other. Cynthia Haydon spotted it first and had a more direct
route on the outer, but Clare Hobson on the runner-up either did
not notice the situation as quickly or possibly started to go to
the right of the fence. Alas, Scare Lotte ran on really well
receiving a stone and six years from Carryonharry, being pipped on
the line, probably by less than the distance conceded, to the
dismay of her backers and no doubt her jockey as well.
Race 4: Highfields
Farm Men's Open
1: Bee An Bee 2: Noakarad De Verzee 3: Kadount
Winner owned & trained: David Robinson, ridden: Stuart
Robinson
After his aberration at Charing last week, this
was pretty much plain sailing for Bee An Bee, seeing off a couple
of useful opponents in the process. Maybe he was less nervous of
running alongside the A25 than the A20? As he has no history of a
right-handed bias, can there be any other explanation?
Race 5: Dodson &
Horrell PPORA Club Members Novice Riders
1: Moving Earth 2: Buckland Boy 3: New Lodge Express
Winner owned: Mrs Joyce Hulse, trained: Simon Andrews, ridden:
Georgina Andrews
The occasionally stroppy Moving Earth
must watch his diminutive rider approach and think to himself that
‘this is going to be a piece of cake.’ But with this
second win, and a smattering of places to her name, Georgina
Andrews has made a very decent start to her riding career, and
impressed with her handling of the horse, whose excitability in the
paddock was unseemly for a venerable gentleman like himself.
Buckland Boy came from a little off the pace, but second was
probably his best possible position. Dual open winner Heaven Is
Above made no impact under his debutant rider, Indoux lapsed into a
dreadful sulk after a lap and poor old Tregastel had the insult of
his trainer and part owner opting to ride Militaire, who has been
in dismal form. Have these people never heard of sports
psychology?
Race 6: CBRE/Pantiles
Restricted
1: Rockville 2: Clover Bay 3: Lord Philip
Winner owned & trained: Nigel Padfield, ridden: James
Owen
Not for the first time this season, and surely not
the last, the Restricted was populated by horses that owed their
elimination from maiden company more to luck and opportunism than
to skill and excellence. However, with the first four home having
form this season of PP, P3PP, U and PP3 (and the total for the
field being 18 runs, 4 completions), it seems the knack for being
in the right place at the right time struck them again, with
Rockville making the most of it.
Race 7: Wellingham
Members
1: Little Farmer 2: Daretobedifferent
Winner owned: Mr C Hall, WA Cooper & Mrs P Wilkins, trained
& ridden: Philip Hall
Little Farmer was not as fit
as Daretobedifferent but form last season had an ability edge, and
also edge in the saddle. After Our Samson gave Stuart Robinson
another heavy fall with a lap to go, Little Farmer engaged in a
game of cat and mouse, and had enough in reserve to hang on by a
length or so, after the final obstacle was again bypassed. The bare
form, given the way the race was run, is probably not to be
interpreted literally in a bigger field.
Plus Points
Crosby (race 1)
Was readily seen off, but although fairly fit, looked less ready
than much of the oppo and should improve for the race
Old Kilminchy (race 2)
Without shaping like he might win at any stage, Old Kilminchy did
post his best performance of the season.
Persian King (race 3)
Another who put some disappointing early season form behind
him.
Buckland Boy (race 5)
Is still young enough, and ran sufficiently well, to be a bit more
than just a plodding schoolmaster for his novice rider
Down Arrows
Iphar (race 1)
Has done enough already this season to earn a permanent spot here,
and about the only thing left to try is really fast ground.
The Local Prince (race 1)
Not a disastrous bare result, but it was achieved in an oddly
discouraging fashion
Dead Mans Dante (race 3)
Did look like he needed the run, but dropped hopelessly out of
contention much earlier than that justified.
Kadount (race 4)
Is not a certain stayer (although he did win a two and half mile
hurdle at Hexham, which is hardly a stroll in the park), but his
not really showing his good two milers pace either.
The field (race 6)
There was no evidence that this was anything other than a poor
restricted and it will need a couple of improved efforts from
participants to persuade otherwise.
