After a day of festive feasting, Fontwell was awash with
boxing day racegoers who treated the family to a festive bash to keep the yule
tide frolicking in good cheer from the day before.
Seven packed races, which showed the quality of prize on
offer from the Sussex course, this attracted good size fields, with an abundance
of racing on offer up and down the country this must have been a sight to behold for
the hard-working staff at Fontwell Park.
Two doubles were notched up for a trainer and jockey on the day. Top
stable Alan Kings yard continued his festive feast not only with a double at
Fontwell but winners elsewhere, notably at the top card at Kempton Park.
And Nick Scholfield, who probably had to watch his Christmas
dietary needs, making it pay off with a brace of winners both from different
Yards.
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| ‘He has missed a few to be sure,’ mentioned the jockey. |
Bishops Court trained by Neil Mulholland took the first of
only two chases on the card in an exhibition of not so great jumping but of
quality horsemanship to take the two mile one handicap Chase.
‘He has missed a
few to be sure,’ mentioned the jockey. ‘But the last four he has jumped well,
and deserves to win, Neil mentioned he would make a few blunders on his way
round but would not be far away and he was right on that one.’
The six-year-old point to point winner looking every part to
the eye a chaser has been looking for his win since his last placed effort a
third at Ffos Las, picking up this fair decent £7000 handicap beating horses such as
Mercian King and Bertenbar, horses with form to their names, and the
eleven-year-old Venetian Lad from the Lydia Richards yard, though back in
fourth this time who notched up his seventh win at the Sussex track in April.
Has this gelding finally found out what it is all about?
probably his next outing will tell, but he certainly looks the part and would
be one to watch.
Scholfields second winner of the afternoon came after the
excitement of the King George at Kempton and extra race shown live at Fontwell,
on Jeremy Scott’s Kid Kalanisi.
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‘He has made a few niggly mistakes and would have to brush up on his jumping.' |
The second of two chases again over the two miles one the five-year-old
came on well from his previous run a crashing fall a few weeks back at
Huntington his chasing debut, enough to put anyone off.
‘He has made a few
niggly mistakes and would have to brush up on his jumping if he wants to go to
the next level, but he has done well after Huntington and it’s a good win for
the trainer also, he is about at his mark now.’
The jockey with a positive Boxing day double, mentioning
that it was his Christmas present to have two winners, also paid tribute to the goings on at Kempton
in the King George, ‘the public has to be lucky to watch a race of that quality
with two great horses, it doesn’t happen that often but when it does it’s great
for racing.’
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| Bishops Court |
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| Kid Kalanisi over the last with second place Itoldyou |
A trainer well in form over the Boxing day racing
extravaganza was Banbury Castles Alan King.
A double at Kempton with top
hurdler Yanworth in the Christmas hurdle and a possible other top hurdler in
Elgin who won the opening novice hurdle at the London track, the trainer sent
Rainbow Dreamer who found his pot of gold at the end of the race in the two
miles one furlong juvenile race.
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| ‘I rode him at Wetherby in good ground to a third place in October, the good to soft ground has suited him more today.' |
Ridden by top Fontwell jockey Tom Cannon the three-year-old
now on three wins from twelve starts and a course and distance winner at the
Sussex track twenty days ago, made well his 11/10 favouritism with the
Christmas punters.
‘I rode him at Wetherby in good ground to a third place in
October, the good to soft ground has suited him more today has stayed on well
despite his mistake at the last.’
With some quality hurdle events at Fontwell in 2017 it would
not be a surprise to see this novice back at the Sussex track over the next few
months, a horse to be noted.
The next race a two mile one furlong novices hurdle also
went to the Marlborough trainer when Bastien ridden by five pound claimer
William Featherstone beat the2/1 favourite The Mighty Don by six lengths in the
£6000 event.
‘It was a big, competitive field,’ mentioned the Jockey.
‘Sometimes it was hard to see the bottom of the hurdle in front of you, but the
pace of the race suited him and from two out he has ran on well.’
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| Bastien ridden by five pound claimer William Featherstone beat the2/1 favourite The Mighty Don by six lengths in the £6000 event. |
The five-year-old only with three runs under his belt must
be one to take serious from a yard that seems to ooze quality hurdlers, beating
a horse from the Nick Gifford yard who in his only four runs has not been out
of the first three, one to watch.
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| Rainbow Dreamer |
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| Bastien |
Local trainer Mark Hoad had something to give him Christmas
cheer as Sober Sailor took the opener at Fontwell as the nine year old took the
two mile three furlongs conditional riders handicap hurdle, Kieron Edgar on
board.
Stan Sheppard on 11/4 favourite Café Au Lait made it a
strong pace but could find no more on the run in as the 9/1 shot took up the
race from the last to take the race by six lengths.
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| Sober Sailor took the opener at Fontwell |
‘The pace of the race and the ground has suited my horse
well,’ mentioned the young jockey. ‘Mattie Batchelor was here and rode him to a
fourth here in November so was on hand to give me a bit of advice about him,
but it was good to get a win, a nice horse.’
With twelve runs under the belt and only one win this horse could go on, and would be one that I feel will grace Fontwell and the trainers other local
tracks such as Plumpton over the next few months.
Top seven Barrows trainer Nicky Henderson with ten runners
over three different courses over the Boxing day period took the £10000 two miles
one furlong handicap hurdle with Divine Spear, ridden by another five pound
claimer Ned Curtis, a graduate from the Pony racing circuit.
‘I’ve been at the
guvnors for about a year now, and have ridden this fella at Cheltenham back in
April, he has done that well today just getting his head in front.’
The race was between Ian Williams’s Cool Sky and Divine
spear at the last, the Henderson five-year-old just getting his head in front
at the post.
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| ‘I’ve been at the guvnors for about a year now, and have ridden this fella at Cheltenham.' |
In the colours of Middleham Park racing this must be one of
the biggest winners for the young jockey that has the trust of the Maestro
trainer having but him up on several occasions over the past month, this time a
horse and jockey to note.
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| Divine spear |
Trainer Kerry Lee could have a cracking Christmas if eithier Mountainous
or Bishops Road takes on the Coral Welsh national at Chepstow today, as Happy Diva
took the two and a half miles’ mares only Handicap hurdle by a commanding
eighteen lengths form Easter in Paris.
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| Happy Diva |
Seven pound claiming amateur Richard Patrick mentioned ‘She
has been a little unlucky in her previous runs, and I’m so grateful to Kerry
for putting me up today, she is a nice sort.’
The trainer standing close by, making sure the young jockey
gives little away about the five year
old mentioned,’ She has just got the conditions today to suit her really, and to
be honest I'm surprised she has pulled out that well today as there was few in the
race that I thought would take all the beating, but she is a lovely filly and
is owned by Will Roseff, owners of Mountainous
last year’s winner in the welsh national, so a possible good omen there.’
The yard on good form at present with three winners over the
past week looks in good shape to take the £85000 prize at Chepstow again with Mountainous running to make it two Welsh nationals in a row, Kerry ever hopeful
that her pair will make good accounts of themselves, the ground being possibly
against the Presteigne trainers duo.
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| ‘She has been a little unlucky in her previous runs, and I’m so grateful to Kerry for putting me up today.' |
As mentioned previous a cracking way to end 2016 at the
Sussex track, with more quality racing to come at the figure of eight course in
2017.
More blogs and images
from Fontwell over the year can be seen though at
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