Eight sturdy races up for grabs at Royal Windsor’s last
meeting of their 2016 campaign.
A fair size crowd for a late autumn Monday
afternoon meeting saw horses battle through ground that would be not to indifferent to ground
offered at most NH meetings coming up through the next few months. Soft, good to
soft in places, many jockeys mentioning ground being quite loose on top by the end of
the meeting.
But this didn’t matter to Adam Kirby a favourite rider over
the summer months at the Berkshire course putting in a double for the
afternoon.
The first one coming in the shape of Foxcatcher in the five-furlong
maiden race for two year olds for another trainer in good form at Windsor Clive
Cox.
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| Foxcatcher |
‘I’ve always thought this was a nice little filly, with a
win under her belt she can pick up some strength over the winter and go on.’
The owner incidentally Mr C Harper gave the trainer his first ever group one winner with Gilt Edge
Girl in the Prix De L’abbaye.
Kirby’s second winner came from the Newmarket based Stuart
Williams.
Inniscastle Lad made all of the one mile two furlongs in the three
years old and upwards handicap. ‘We have stayed on the stand side because that
is where the best ground is, but this one has certainly taken advantage of the
softer ground.’
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| Inniscastle Lad |
The jockey now on his 131st winners for the
season, accumulating approximately 2.3 million in prize money may not be the
highest number of winners in a season but certainly very profitable.
‘I have far
too many people to thank really, Clive Cox would be one of those who has always
supported me.’ Now planning his winter campaign, you can rest assured the
jockey who loves riding at Windsor will be on the score board again on Mondays
at the Berkshire course.
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| ‘I’ve always thought this was a nice little filly, with a win under her belt she can pick up some strength over the winter and go on.’ |
‘We have stayed on the stand side because that is where the best ground is,
The second race on the card went to the Malton based Richard
Fahey with his three-year-old filly Flowing Clarets in six furlong Claiming
race.
The 7/1 shot by Pastoral Pursuits hung left as it took up for home two
out, jockey Patrick Mathers keeping the filly going forward though to take the
race by a length and a half from Dynamic Girl.
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| ‘This type of race is practically the limit she is.' |
‘This type of race is practically the limit she is,
‘mentioned the jockey. ‘she handled the ground well and picked up well for me
in the end, it’s quite loose on top at the moment but as said she handled it
well.’
The filly now on a 30% strike rate has not done too bad as a
three-year-old, also winning one on all weather surfaces and is one we may see on a
little winter campaign, and in these smaller races maybe one to take note.
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| Flowing Clarets |
Brendan Powell and Martin Dwyer took the nursery handicap
over the mile with Phoenix Reach.
Four runners went to post and coming past the finish line
less that a length could separate the runners.
The favourite Muirsheen Durkin
coming in at second spot.
The 12/1 shot with five runs under his belt again seemed to
hang left, but also seems to relish this give in the ground.
The jockey mentioning,’ I used to ride the sire also, but we
always though he had a win in him, the rest of the lads had a bit of a laugh at
me coming around the bend as we hung so badly, but he has got there in the
end.’
With headpieces and the softer ground, this race certainly
put this son of Phoenix Reach on the winner’s board, the trainer mentioned,’ I told Martin to do his own thing with him and it has worked, with
twenty horses in the yard it’s just good to get a winner.’
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| Phoenix Reach. |
Zlatan took the next race, the three year olds and upwards
mile handicap, ridden by Dane O’Neil and trained by Ed de Giles, this quirky
Dark Angle gelding made all of his 5/1 favourite standing being switched left
to take his race a furlong out.
‘He has been a little more straight forward today, he is a
type that has the ability but maybe the type that is better in these smaller
races than the big ones, but he certainly has something.’
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| Zlatan |
The trainer mentioned,’ He is a quirky type of animal
really, and you just have to get every little bit out of him, but he has shown
a little more resolve today.’
The last race, well for the professional jockeys that is at
Windsor for 2016 was three year olds and upwards handicap stakes over the
five-furlong dash.
His only other win came at Bath on the softer ground under
champion jockey now crowned Jim Crowley, one to keep an eye on if the ground
stays soft for a possible quick return.
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| 'He is a quirky type of animal really, and you just have to get every little bit out of him.' |
Khalid Abdullah took the next in a rare visit to the winners enclosure this season with Exoteric out of the Charles Hills yard and ridden by
Richard Kingscote.
The three-year-old over the one mile two furlongs ran on
well in the final furlong to take the race well by three lengths from Cordite
out of the Jim Boyle yard, a 50% strike rate shows the worth of this gelding by
Champs Elysees.
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| Exoteric |
‘However it looked I always seemed comfortable,
and I was pleased how he settled really, but he is a nice horse.’
The horse now
winning three in a row on ground from firm to soft just shows how versatile
this rangy type can be for this jockey who has had a positive season on some
very nice horses, Mrs Danvers being one of them a winner early on in the season
at the Berkshire track.
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| ‘However it looked I always seemed comfortable.' |
Again a tight run contest with Ron Hodges taking Dreams of
Glory an eight-year-old home by a neck from John Bridger’s Stormflower, a
trainer who usually gets the older horses in front.
Ron Hodges veteran ridden by Edward Greatrex who drove out well
the gelding by Resplendent Glory the 8/1 shot now on his eleventh win from
sixty-five starts.
‘My three pounds and the ground certainly helped him today,
he felt so well at the start and came out of the gates well he is such a nice
horse and Ron loves him too, he must be a pleasure to train.’
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| Dreams of Glory |
Older horse seem to enjoy this figure of eight track, over
the seasons many have come for their day in the sunshine, and this horse in no
exception, the trainer, well his record speaks for itself dating back from 1988.
The jockey, well as he
said ‘It’s gone okay, can’t complain.’
You know Ed neither can we.
 |
'he is such a nice horse and Ron loves him too, he must be a pleasure to train.’
|
As the rain approached, the final race of the 2016 season
saw thirteen runners take to the one mile three start.
A few years back, (2012) this meeting at this time saw a certain Richard Hughes take home seven winners from eight races, and it was fate that the eighth race at this meeting R Hughes now trainer saddled Fast Play for young sixth former James Perrett to ride his winner in the amateur handicap.
A few years back, (2012) this meeting at this time saw a certain Richard Hughes take home seven winners from eight races, and it was fate that the eighth race at this meeting R Hughes now trainer saddled Fast Play for young sixth former James Perrett to ride his winner in the amateur handicap.
Hampered at the start, the four-year-old off top weight came through to
hold on well in the final furlong taking on the far rail for the first time in
the meeting.
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| Fast Play |
‘She has taken me over to the far rail to be fair, but if
she can get hampered at the start and take me over to the far side and also win, she
has plenty more to give, it probably helped me a little to be off the
pace for a lot of the race.’
As mentioned the young jockey still at sixth form and rides
out for the Lambourn trainer said he was grateful for the trainer to give
him a chance. 'I’m indebted to the guvnor really for giving me this chance and
the owners, he is so good to ride out for I’m very lucky.’
It seems another candidate for the racing industry after
school James mentioning that possibly not as a jockey but he would like to work somewhere within the
industry.
Have we seen a new assistant to the champ jockey turned trainer who knows, but unknown to him he has just found that eighth race for Richard Hughes that’s for sure.
Have we seen a new assistant to the champ jockey turned trainer who knows, but unknown to him he has just found that eighth race for Richard Hughes that’s for sure.
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| 'I’m indebted to the guvnor really for giving me this chance and the owners, he is so good to ride out for I’m very lucky.’ |
Well that’s it for the track by the river next to the big
castle in the Royal County, last one out……… Turn off the lights, until next
year.
More blogs and images from Royal Windsor
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