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| Venetian Lad wining seven races at Fontwell Park |
Fontwell parks summer meeting had quality written all over
it,horses coming out of yards preparing for early season big race hits, and
punters did not have to wait too long before they saw a possible star of the
future.
El Bandit trained by Paul Nicholls and ridden by Sam twiston
Davies took the two and a half mile novices hurdle in fine style beating Seamus
Duracks Linguine by seven lengths.
The 4/6 fav on his third win in six runs drew clear
of his rivals well from the last 'this is a very nice horse,’ mentioned the
jockey. ‘he will probably go for a holiday now and then come back and prepare
for the Persian war novices hurdle at Chepstow.’
The horse is obviously something a little special, Paul
Nicholls rarely coming to the East Sussex course, but this five-year-old
managing to get the trainers interest to monitor his progress.
The good even gallop suited the son of Milan, the second
placed horse no slouch himself having won five of his thirty two runs.
No Nicholls horse can be taken with a pinch of salt, and it
is obvious the master of Manor Farm Stables likes this one.
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| El Bandit leads over the last from Linguine |
Six went to post for the three mile one furlong handicap
chase,top Fontwell jockey Tom Cannon on the 15/8 fav Rocknrobin.
But it was
the green and gold of J P McManus and the Jonjo O’Neill trained Easy Street that
took the race by a commanding fifteen lengths from the favorite as they
crossed the line.
Aidan Coleman mentioned that they knew the favorite had won
well a few days before at the course but didn’t know how the horse would run
on a quick turn around.
'Some horses come on for a quick run one after another,
but it was good for us they didn’t come up to scratch today, my fella has had a
good introduction to chasing but I wouldn’t get too excited yet. He’s won his
race well and will improve from that.’
The six-year-old by High Chaparral would be one to watch I
think, you never know with a McManus horse if cards are being placed close to
the chest.
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| J P McManus and the Jonjo O’Neill trained Easy Street |
Seamus Mullins gave Andrew Thornton another winner to reach
his 1000th mark, now seven off the target in the three mile one
furlong handicap hurdle, Kentford Heiress just did enough to beat the 7/2 Gary
Moore’s Yukon Delta by a nose as they hit the line.
The six-year-old whose only other win from twenty starts
coming at Newton Abbott last July seemed to respond for the well driven ride of
Thornton who mentioned,’ I think that might be my one hundredth winner for
Seamus, I thought got there on the line, my fella wandered a bit coming up the
hill but we got there in the end.’
The end of his chase for that 1000th
winner certainly looking to close in. The jockey mentioning that he still
enjoys the riding and the winners, wherever they come.
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| Seamus Mullins gave Andrew Thornton another winner to reach his 1000th mark, now seven off the target in the three mile one furlong handicap hurdle, Kentford Heiress |
Four runners only for the two mile one furlong novices chase, Neil Mullholland and Tom Scudamore on the even money second
favorite Pass the time making sure by twenty five lengths the race was taken
from the Nicholls 4/6 fav Abidjan in fine style.
The seven-year-old seemed to enjoy the good ground and from
two out easily moving away from his field, the trainer whose form seems to be
very good at present mentioned that the mares last run over fences at Wincanton
was just one of those races.
‘She jumps well, Tom came to school her at the
weekend, jumped four and that’s all she had to do really, she is quite a valuable
brood mare now.’ This being so after her fourth at the festival to Vroum Vroum
Mag.
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| Pass the time |
The two and a half mile conditional handicap hurdle taken by
Lambourn based Jamie snowdens Belcanto, who again beat the favorite in Martin
smiths Amber flash seems to enjoy the East Sussex course, the six year old
having her only other win from her seven runs at Fontwell in September in a
bumper.
Jockey Will Featherstone who is based with Alan King
mentioned, ‘she jumped really well, she wasn’t too bothered by the loose horses and she has run in up the straight well.’
Owned by the Jamie Snowden racing Club the horse has had its
problems since the bumper win, but seems to have suppressed these now and back
into winning ways.
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| Jamie snowdens Belcanto |
The loose horses were due to a stumble around the home turn
bringing Titch Strider down on the bend, the concern from stewards that the
rain on the hardened ground had made the bend unsafe.
A contingent of stewards and jockeys went out to the area
before the next two-and-a-half-mile handicap chase, but agreed racing should
continue for the final two races, that being so nine runners went to post for
the £7’000 chase, led by the 9/4 fav Charlie Mann’s Gowanauthat.
The Harry Bannister mount made all in the contest, Jonjo
O’Neill’s Allow Dallow the only horse to challenge.
The favorite pushing on
again from two out to take the race by a length and a half.
‘This horse is a very clever type and can get you out of
trouble if needed he didn’t jump as well as he can though, he did it better in
his Kempton run but a nice horse anyway.’ Mentioned the jockey who on seven
winners for the season and seems pleased with his progress so far.
The eight-year-old on his third win on the bounce seems to
relish the summer good ground and would be a horse to watch over the summer,
early autumn meetings having now taken a valuable handicap in good style.
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| Gowanauthat. |
The final race of the afternoon, a two and a half mile national
hunt flat race was taken in fine style by Notre Ami.
Trained by Nick Gifford
and ridden by top Fontwell Jockey Tom Cannon the five-year-old by Kalanisi took all the running from the other six
runners, running on well clear from two furlongs out.
The jockey mentioned, ’I rode him at Wincanton and we knew
he’d need a nice gallop and you can ride those sort of races in a bumper so I
could keep and even pace and kick on from the bend.’
The jockey who rode a winner in the last race on the Sunday
meeting mentioned you could always leave the best till last.
The last Sunday
meeting being a record attendance for the East Sussex track with over 10’000
visitors to the course.
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Notre Ami trained by Nick Gifford and ridden by top Fontwell Jockey Tom Cannon
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Another quick turn round for the course as another meeting
planned at Fontwell for the week after, and if this meeting has anything to go
by should be a quality affair.
You can read blog reports of that meeting and other at Fontwell Park at
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