A superb evening of Hunter chase action at Fontwell park,
seven races and entries coming as far as deepest Wales and the mid country.
Quality racing was on offer.
The first race of the evening a
chase over the point to point distance of three miles one furlong, favorite
backers did not start off with a profitable evening.
Champion point to point jockey Will Biddick took the 8/13 favorite
to post Blazing Whale, whose form showed that he had not been out the first
four for many of his races.
Whereas David Kemp's Curraigflemens who has had an inconstant
state of form seemed to enjoy the twists and turns of the East Sussex course
beating the favorite by Four lengths.
Owner Mr John Ridge mentioned, ‘he’s been a horse with me
now for a couple seasons, we ran him in the same race here last year, but it
was awful weather and he didn’t show up, this season he has had a few pointing wins
so we thought we’d give the race another go.’
Though the track was bathed in evening sunshine, the rain the
day before rendered the going good to soft.
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| The jockey Shane Roach riding his best season so far |
The jockey Shane Roach riding his best season so far, rode his first ever winner for the Owner at Parham in April.
‘It’s great to be
riding good horses and getting the wins, I’m grateful to Mr Ridge for giving me
my fist point to point and Hunter chase win.’
The Irishman showing his qualities, and now getting the wins would be a
rider to watch in forthcoming seasons.
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| Curraigflemens |
The second race of the evening, a shorter trip of two and a
half miles was run. but this time the smile was taken off the bookies faces as
the 4/favorite Maxi Chop Trained by Rose Loxton and ridden by Stan Sheppard,
took on and won the race with great ease. Beating the second placed horse Only
Time’ll Tell by twenty-six lengths.
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| Maxi Chop Trained by Rose Loxton and ridden by Stan Sheppard, |
The horse a winner at Newton Abbott seven days before,
showed that he can travel well, the jockey mentioning that the drop back in
trip had certainly helped his ride.
‘he has jumped his way to the front, coming
around the home turn, I wanted and got the better ground on the inside. The
ground is so important to this horse, the distance also helped.’
The jockey who had had thirteen wins under pointing this
season, fifteen winners under rules certainly is a jockey for the future,
picking up rides of this calibre certainly helps his cause.
Another entry that had traveled a good distance to East
Sussex was Miss V Collins horse Gauvain, again against the favorite the Paul
Nicholls trained Polisky the fourteen-year-old ridden by Leanda Tickle stayed on
strongly to beat the even money favorite in the two and a half mile third race
of the evening.
‘This fella deserves a win, he has come up against one better
for the past few runs, he jumps and travels
so well, to be fair in his younger days he was a class two miler, but
I’m delighted.’
The jockey who works for Rebecca Curtis mentioned she has
had a quite but enjoyable season,
’ I seem to be in the winners enclosure a lot,
but not riding.’ The jockey mentioned but seemed to be enjoying her 'in limelight moment' when she can get it.
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| Gauvain |
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The owners of the veteran delighted with the win could not contain their excitement, showing the whole of the East Sussex track how much it
meant.
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The fourth race of the evening was the Open champions hunter
chase, a good class field from ex Hennessy winners in Carruthers to quality
open race winners in Little Chip and Adept Approach.
But it was the twelve year old The Ferbane man ridden by
inform jockey Shane Roche who outclassed the field.
Trained by new season
trainer Petra New who only chalked up her first winner in April at Parham,
Roche supplying the riding services then.
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| Little Chip leads the eventual winner The Ferbane Man over the last |
The trainer not to comfortable with media attention
mentioned the race hadn't quite sank in but was delighted with the outcome,
'I never
though we would get here, the rain at the beginning of the week wasn't going to
suit us,but it’s dried up a bit and has given us the ground he loves.’
The next for
this gelding could be the Berks and bucks meet at Kingston Blount in a few
weeks time.
The jockey on his second double of the season is usually a
man who shows little emotion, but could not hide his delight on how well things
are going.
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| Shane Roche on his evening double |
‘He has seemed to be beat coming to the last, but the third horse behind him has spurred him on to get his second wind and we have flown up the hill, I’m delighted. It’s such a thrill to get on horses like him and I’m pleased for Petra also to train her second winner ever on a professional track is something else.’
The trainer mentioned that she has very few facilities at home,’ I take the horses that will run to Nick Pierces once a week,Shane gets on them there, gives them some work or school, then rides them on the course.’
A method and a combination that obviously works, and goes to show that a good horse and talent can come from any corner, and get to the winners enclosure.
The shortest race of the evening a two mile one furlong event went in line of the favorite. Grandioso ridden by Jame King and trained by Steve Flook took the race comfortably from second placed horse Joker Choker.
The 11/10 favorite showed that he took the pace and stayed on well to win by three lenghths coming over the last upsides the Nicky Martin’s eleven year old.
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| Grandioso ridden by Jame King and trained by Steve Flook |
The jockey now on six wins from only eight rides showing
that the young lad has had a high strike rate partnership.
The horse qualified
through the Radnor and West Hereford hunt showing that the horses that have
traveled for the evenings racing are none the ware from their trip, this ex-Paul
Nichols trained horse only winning a couple of days back at Southwell, and
probably would be given a little well deserved break from his efforts during
the week.
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| Grandioso ridden by Jame King |
If ever you see Sam Davies-Thomas at a meeting you can be
sure this quality jockey would have a placed horse or a winner or two.
That what
I put to the young Oxfordshire jockey has he bought home the penultimate winner
of the evening Kimora, trained in Newmarket by Louise Allan.
The smallest field of the evening with only five runners, the
11/10 favorite won impressively by ten lengths from Flying Guru.
The jockey
mentioning he had got this spare ride as the trainer who usually rides the
mare herself only claimed the 3 lbs and was that light would have to carry a
massive amount of dead weight.
‘ I took the whole 7 lbs off the horse which
really helped.’Mentioned the jockey, ‘ rides start to go a little quite know,
but I have had a tremendous season so can't complain, especially when you pick
up spare rides like this one.’
The jockey on twenty two pointing wins with Sam
Mathias and William Easterby on the same, is still hungry to claim the second
spot from the ever impressive tally of Will Biddick on forty seven wins.
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| Kimora, trained in Newmarket by Louise Allan, ridden by Sam Davies-Thomas |
The final race of the evening went to Wales. David Gibbs
bringing his seven year old gelding See U again Son from Pontypridd to take the
two and a half mile maiden race by and impressive nineteen lengths.
Bradley Gibbs his son on board the horse seemed to love the
challenge of the twists and turns of Fontwell.
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| See U again Son |
The jockey mentioning that he knew when they bought the
horse he was a nice type, the form showing through his races confirming that.
‘ we knew
today would be the right race for him, and we were proved correct, we were
coming here with a good mare for the mares race, but she had an injury that put pay to that, so we just bough this fella. It’s a long drive down but well
worth it.’
The quality maiden made all in his race and showed the rails
price of 11/10 was well planned.
The father and son team show no fear in travelling to get
there spoils as the jockey said,’ you have to travel to take the best on and see
how good your horses are.’ This horse defiantly showing his quality and would
be one to watch for next season.
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| See U again Son from Pontypridd, ridden by Bradley Gibbs |
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