Six races,one charity race,overcast but no rain. The
Stretches of Larkhill opened it’s doors for the new 2015-16 season.
Six races over the
timber laid out before a one mile six
furlong charity run for the Buckland Capital Gauntlet challenge.
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| Bushwacker |
Laura Elliott on Bushwacker duly won this event. Known as
‘Hoover’ at home the eleven year old bay gelding was the first to grace the
winners enclosure for the new season.
With the going good, four runners went to post for the
members race, 3/1 fav Pateese ridden by Nick Lawton on his first ride for the
season, made good the steady pace to bring this quirky ten year old home in
font of Terra Bleu.
Lawton who is amateur jockey for Phillip Hobb’s yard said he
was looking forward to the season with some possible nice maidens going at
Chaddersley Corbett on the 28th December.
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| Pateese |
Six runners for the ladies open. And this saw debutant point
to point jockey Izzy Djivanovic take the lead as no one wanted to go on. And
there she stayed to collect her first win off her first ride. ‘ This was’nt the
plan, i was going to sit in behind and see how the race unfolded.’ The young
jockey who also trained the eight year
old Rotablade, mentioned her boyfriend who is professional jockey James Best gave her some tips of what and
what not to do, but unfortunately was at Southwell riding, but as soon as she
gets back in the weighting room a call will be put through.
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| Rotablade |
David Maxwell bought home is own No Loose Change in the
men’s open. From three out Maxwell took the ten year old to the front, accompanied
by a loose horse and saw off the spirited challenge of Stan Sheppard on Join
Together. The gelding not shy of the winner’s enclosure already notching up
hunter chase wins at Fontwell and placed at Ascot. The race bought home also the quickest
time of the day at 6 min 09sec.
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| No Loose Change |
The restricted race, and in my mind the quality race of the
day saw eight runners go to post. Horses in the field already on their second run
of the season such as top lady jockey Gina Andrews mount Sin Bin who was second
at Cottenham on the opening day of the season. 4/6 fav Sam Waley-Cohens mount
Mr Simpkins though on his first run of the season took on the field around
three fences out. And despite a spirited ride from Champion jockey Will Biddick
on Luke Harvey’s Porlock Bay held on to win the race by six lengths.
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| Mr Simpkins |
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| Moss Valley Way and 2nd place Sugar Loaf Sholto Div I oPEN Maide |
Bonzo’s Copse
completed though the fastest time of the two divisions, ridden by Stan Sheppard. This severn year old only in his second season point to pointing won
well and would be one to watch were he is placed next time out.
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| Bonzo’s Copse Winner DivII |
The biggest controversy though was held until the last
race. The T.B.A mares and fillies race saw three runners go to post, and with
the loss of Flying Guru going out to the bottom of the course the last time out.
Posh Totty and Triggywinlke were left to compete for the winners prize.
Will Biddick on the Jack Barber trained Posh Totty came home uncontested a distance in front of the Mr Roderick Chelton trained
Triggywinkle. But an objection was lodged by the owner of the second placed horse
that the eight year old Posh Totty had not carried the correct weight.
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| Posh Totty |
The allowances were that if a horse who had won a open or
mixed open since 2013 they would carry a 3lbs extra weight. Barbers horse,
unknown to clerk of the scales or himself only carried 11st 7 lbs but had won races at Barbury three times.The same as
Nick Lawton's mount. A lengthy stewards enquiry developed, the bookies already
paid out and packed away on the result past the post, saw Posh Totty
disqualified and Triggywinkle made up to first, still the debate loombs,
as the syndicate owners deciding whether
to contact Weatherbys the next day,as the entry went through them and not the
hunt directly, and was not picked up until after the race had run.
Still the chestnut mare by Midnight Legend won the event
well, and should not be taken away from her efforts, and would be one to watch next time
out. The administration error was investigated by the Larkhill stewards who saw no reason
to drag out the punishments to trainer or owners and the loss of the race was
the only bitter pill to swallow.
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| Posh Totty |
More point to point
reports and images seen at.
