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| Riders of the Mid Surrey Farmers Hunt
The second South East meeting for the season, and the
Godstone point to point courses first of the year.
Charing had the pleasure the first race meeting of the area,
were only 20 or the 58 horses declared completed the full course.
Godstone,
with its sweeping climbs and turns, offered its entrants the going of soft.
To walk the course again one had to think. How many would
actually get round? But the horses proved that most went through the soft going
fairly well.
The meeting had huge ups and down all afternoon, but a good
attendance showed that the course was popular with its public.
After an amuse bouche of Pony racing, the six race card began
with a members conditions race, sponsored by a new major sponsor for the
pointing circuit Volvo.
Six runners went to post. David Maxwell’s Minerfortyniner, going off as one of
the fancied entrants due to the seven year olds course wins last season in
maidens and restricted.
With David’s horses running in fine form over the past
weeks it was no surprise to see the gelding
romp home in front by a distance from in second Excitable Island ridden
by the inform novice rider Jack Andrews.
‘I rode him twice last season,’ mentioned the jockey. ‘He is
a very nice horse, and I was aware in my mind with this course if you’re on a
good horse you kick on at the open ditch, I knew I had plenty under me so let
him run.’
The horse in the winners’ enclosure seeming a little uncomfortable
after the jockey got off him. ‘ that’s just him really, he gets a little wound
up after the races, but he is not that bad at home, it’s just the way he is.’
David who has had some nice winners at the start of the
season, and none more so than his winner at Fontwell a week earlier, Mendip express who goes to the foxhunters at Cheltenham in ten days time. ‘He is A1 at
present, and will be a very nice ride around there, so I’m looking forward to
it.’ David seemed very positive, not only about his ride, but also the chance of great
media coverage of the race due to the fact Victoria Pendleton could line up. ‘I
really hope she gets there, it’s been great for the sport this season, and with
now the introduction of Sheikh Fahad Al Thani’s presence as an owner, the sport
looks healthy.
Minerfortyniner, David Maxwell
The second race for veterans and novice riders certainly got
the racegoers on their toes in the final stages. Izzie Marshals mount Cronkies
Lad went to post as favourite due to the fact of the ten year olds win in a
ladies open at Charing in February.
But on the day could not keep up with the
staying power of the three horses that took the field on for most of the
course. Hunters Lodge, Mazuri Cowboy and
Broughtons Bandit,who had the field well stretched by about three out.It was
the for mentioned two up front Hunters
Lodge, Mazuri Cowboy, who came away to attack the line together, so much so
the judge could not split them.
Mazuri Cowboy over the last in front. Hunters lodge tucked behind in third
Jennifer Harbison on Mazuri
Cowboy and Gareth Henderson on the Kent Grand national winner Hunters lodge, both off the point to
point rating of about 90 flew over the final two. Jennifer on her horse landing
over the last just in front. ‘It’s the first time I have ridden the horse, and
we went a very good pace.’ Gareth mentioning that he had no choice really other
than to go with it. ‘ we hit the front, and he is the sort that when he does
get his head in front he thinks he has done enough, which allowed the rest to
come back at me.’ mentioned the rider of number 12.
Mazuri Cowboy
 
Hunters Lodge
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‘My horse has really stayed on well,’ mentioned Hunter
Lodge’s jockey the popular Gareth Henderson. ‘I managed to get up Phil York’s
inner (jockey of third placed horse Broughtons Bandit) which isn’t an easy
thing to do, but my fella really try's for you, and it’s great we have another
win for him for everyone involved.’
The third race the mixed open, sponsored by Investec, who are
popular contributors the racing game, seven runners went to post. The favourite
being the David Maxwell’s mount of Many
Stars.
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| David Maxwell receives his prize on the investec zebra
Little is known about the eight year old by Oscar, other to say
that he is coming out of a yard that seems to of hit form.
Again the race seemed close with a handful sweeping around
the bend to meet the rising ground of the Surrey course, local horse and
Veteran runner 13 year old Mr Bennett and from Sussex, Wor Rom from the
Grissell yard challenging the winner.
Many Stars
The eight year old winner is surly one to be noted on his
next outing and with the experience of Maxwell in the plate would look a sure
favourite to continue his six year old form.
A sad day for Peter Bull as soon after the line Mr Bennett in third pulled up and needed urgent medical attention, a horse that the owner, trainer
has put and lot of work into over the past season.
The restricted was a race that had seen many of its runners
out at the beginning of the season.
Miss Alice Jones, Nimbus Lad all horses that have been around
the tracks the past few months, but it was Zuccotti
Park an ex Irish pointer and placed in restricted races last season who made
up for an unlucky fall last time out at Charing.
The eight year old by
Flemensfirth seemed to lap up the soft ground on offer, that linking with a
shorter distance of two and a half miles seemed to motor away from his rivals
at two out, to beat maiden winner Letskeepitsimple by eleven lengths.
‘I was never
happy with him at Charing,’ mentioned Dale Peters his jockey.’ He was never
going as well as he was today, the ground there was so tiring, but he got
through it well today, he really needs three miles to be fair as there was a lot
in the tank today.’
A horse with speed and stamina is a rare find and would be
a horse to take serious note of on good jumping ground. ‘ the owners would like to
take him hunter chasing, but I’m not too sure, he is know qualified for the
Subaru Final at Stratford, so we will have to see if he takes his chances, he’d
be nice to leave for next year really, a nice open horse.’
owner, trainer and jockey Zucotti Park
Dale Peters who trains and prepares horses for yards as well
as rides, has nine horses under his charge at present. ‘Dad trained so I took
over from him really, but it’s going well at the moment, I have some nice
horses and owners.’ And one to take note of from the yard? ‘This horse Zuccotti Park, and one my dad owns Mr
Merk who I like a lot and might run in a maiden soon.’ So two horses to place
in the note book there.
 
The Open maiden saw six to post, with only two finishing.
From around three out maiden horse Margot
Fontane ridden by Peter Bull and the well fancied nick Pearce's charge of
Clondaw Nell were left on their own.
Peters Bull's Margot Fontane
Over the last it was the maiden though who had the upper
hand and went on from Clondaw Nell who’s jumping wasn’t that great early on
under the talented Sam Davies Thomas.
‘I’m really plesently surprised and delighted.’ Mentioned
the jockey, trainer and breeder of the six year old mare by Tobugg, who earlier
in the day lost his veteran horse Mr Bennett in the mixed open.
‘It’s been a
hard day, but this little mare has made it a little more bearable.’ The
admiration for the local trainer/rider well in evidence as throughout pats on
the back and hugs were offered by all. ‘The plan was to let her run and find
herself really, she was working so well at home, but you just never know until
you bring them to the races. She was taking me forwards the whole time and I
never really asked her a question which was what I wanted, I didn’t look what I
was up against all I wanted her to do was get some experience, she is such an
honest mare, we hunt, cross country everything really, she is just a nice
little mare. I suppose we will have to go home and think what next know, but
she’ll have a bit of a break, and then go on.’
And rightly so as this small
built mare has beaten a horse well that has decent form.
Owner, trainer, breeder and jockey Peter bull receives his prize.
Peter bull speaking affectionately about his veteran Mr
Bennett. ‘It was very very sad, he has been with us in a field for a long time,
he came with a bit of an attitude and we calmed him down, he was enjoying life.
I would have loved to have had him as a young horse as he had serious ability,
but we must look forward, and this little mare can help with that.’
One to
watch I feel Margot Fontane.
Lord Multiflex, Ukranian Star, Counting House
The last race of the day, a South East Hunts club member’s
race saw only four runners to post.
The fancied runner being Lord Multifix who
finished behind Hunters Lodge in the Kent Grand National who was involved in
the dead heat earlier in the day.
But it was the top weight Counting House, trained by Richard
Gurney and ridden by Anna Sansom who beat the fancied Lord Multi fix by three
lengths.
‘I thought the ground was a bit soft to start with, but he’s stayed on
it well and jumped well, which has won him the race really.’ The
jockey in her first ride of the season only just getting her licence back
after being sidelined with an ankle injury which prevented her getting granted
a riders permit. ‘He is a nice horse, we had him last season, he was placed in
a couple of opens, won a conditions race and this was his first outing this
year.’
Anna Sansom
At thirteen, the chestnut gelding by Kings Best would need
some placing for a repeat performance, maybe watching the form of the second
placed horse would show where the winner sits in the grand plan of the season.
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