Sunday 6 September 2015

SUN,SPILLS AND THRILLS AT FONTWELL

James Bowen on Cudlic Verona winner of 148 cm race
Fontwell park racecourse worked some late summer magic, with a Severn race National Hunt Card.,not only that, it also offered to it;s well packed grandstand enjoying the last throws of the summer. Two pony races,Run under the Charles Owen racecourse series pony racing championship.
Winning rider and pony in the 138 cm race

The two categories,this being 138 cm and 148cm in height of horse and gives the young jockeys a taste of riding on a professional course, and run around the country, after racing throughout the summer.

Racing over obstacles, saw the first race of the afternoon. The MS Society Novices Hurdle over     2 m 1 f take four runners to post. The favourite Great fighter ridden by Aidan Coleman beaten well into third by the Dr Newland trained Gioia Di Vita ridden by Will Kennedy. This dual runner over flat and hurdles has shown great strengths over the summer months, and showed that his top weight of  11 st 12 lbs would not ruin his day.
Jockey Will Kennedy dedicated the race, when interviewed on At the Races to his mum who was celebrating her birthday. Which only goes to show Natiional Hunt jockeys are hard on the outside but soft in the middle

Gio Di Vita
Aidan Coleman continued his supeb run of weekend winners when seeing home a treble at Stratford the previous day,by taking the next race a 2 m 1 f juvenile event
Mountainside, a three year old by Dubawi, beat his three other rivals by making all of the running, the John Ferguson trained horse taking Coleman to his fiftieth winner of the new campaign without AP McCoy.
Coleman said he would of been happy with his tally even if it had come a few months later, but it was an added bonus reaching the half centery early in September.

Moutainside


The first race over the fences of the afternoon was over the 2 m 5 f. Five runners went to post, Kim Bailey saddling the favourite West End going off at 15/8. 
But it was the veteran thirteen year old Hercomesthetruth,trained by Chris Gordon and ridden by three times top jockey at the Sussex track Tom Cannon, who took up the lead four from home with the Brendan Powell trained Alla Svelta. Both horses came to the last, and looked as if it would be a good contest up the inclined finish of Fontwell. But the challenge was to much for Alla Svelta taking a crashing fall, leaving the veteran to run the finish alone, well ahead of any rivals.

Hercomesthetruth at the last fence

Both horse and jockey came away from their spill with no lasting damage, and it was the bumper crowd who showed appreciation of this, by bursting out with a rousing round of applause as the nine year old faller rose to his feet.
Hercomesthe truth



The main race of the afternoon, The Stephanie Rees Rainbow Child Foundation Handicap hurdle over 2 m 3 f, saw eight runner contest for the £6'498 purse.
Jockey Leighton Aspell taking a crashing fall early on in the race, which left him unable to take up the rest of his rides for the afternoon with an unforeseen trip to the local hospital.

                                                                                            Low key, trained by David Pipe and ridden by Tom Scudamore stayed on well during the last strides of the race, to beat in form Coleman by a short head. The eight year old gelding increasing his tally of wins from his last one at Stratford, despite the handicapper allotting top weight to the horse for his efforts with a 11 st 12 lbs  mark.

Low Key beating Mantou by a short head


The second and last chase of the afternoon, was a 2m 1 f event, six runners went to post and again it was the partnership of Tom Cannon and Chris Gordon who took the race honours.
Owner Occupier and ten year old that often graces the Sussex turf. The last effort a second over the same distance twelve days ago.
Cannon with fouteen wins under his belt for the season, with a double for the afternoon.


Tom Cannon on Owner Occupier

Another riding double for the aftenoon, this time went to the  five time winning jockey for the weekend Aidan Coleman. Taradrewe, trained by Anthony Honyball under top weight of 12 st 1 lbs staying on well to beat Surf in September comfortably in the 2 m 5 f Fontwell Park supports M.S Society mares handicap hurdle. Irishman coleman who is riding very well at present, mentioned he fancied this eight year old by Kayf  chances more than his last winner.

Crashing fall for No 6 Tom O'Brien in the  2m 5 f mares handicap hurdle

Taradrewe

The last race of the afternoon a 1m 5 f open National Hunt flat race, saw Brendan Powell. None the worse from his earlier fall on Alla Svelta, bring home Belcanto, trained by Jamie Snowden in his third attempt of the season by a length.

Belcanto

This irish bred five year old seeing off the team of Pipe and Scudamore at 4/1, preventing yet another double for a trainer/rider combination.

Images from all the afternoon sport can be seen as usuale at