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| Phil bull after joining the illustrious 300th winner club at Kingston Blount |
In the final big 'hoorah' of the 2015-6 season Kingston Blount
offered a superb eight race card that saw the fast ground seekers delight in
the racing conditions. The well-watered surface gave a safe and natural option
for the runners to let their heads down and run which resulted in some quality
races together with some pointing history making the entry fee well spent for
the good crowd attending the Oxfordshire course.
The no nonsense Phil Bull who rode his first winner in 1995,
is a man who novice riders to the pointing game look up to, never shy in giving
advice, probably if asked or not the recently turned fifty-year-old had been
looking for a few weeks for his 300th winner, his 299th
winner coming in a double at the last Kingston Blount meet.
The statesman of the
weighing room bought home 1/3 on fav Merrydown Vintage by twenty lengths to
take the Berks and Bucks Draghounds members race.
‘I’m looking at the 301st
winner know,’ mentioned the jockey, trainer and owner, why if you knew him
would know it was normal for the man not to get too light headed about his
milestone reached.
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| Merrydown Vintage, Phil Yorks 300th winner |
‘This horse loves this course, he jumps really well here to
be fair,but he is a good jumper anyway.’ Asked if the admiration from those in the
weighing room who came out to cheer in the horse and jockey to the winners enclosure meant more to him
that the 300th reached,’ No, they do that to annoy me, they know I’m
a miserable bugger.’
The trainer in him mentioned he has very little left know in the yard for the last few weeks of the season, concentrating on looking for new blood
for the new season, and sorting out the weaker horses. Which shows the man has no
plans of hanging up the boots yet.
Always looking for quality and always
looking for the next winner.
The
PPORA members race for novice riders run over two mile five furlongs was also won by a trainer acknowledged as one of the masters of the point to point
field.
Tim Underwood sending Tempelpirate down to post, a winner here last
meeting with Joe Hill on board now with Young Ben Hicks in the plate to take
the nine-year-old home in front of Alan Hills Ravethebrave.
‘It’s so nice to get on a horse of his ability, he gets the
shorter distance well despite doing his winning over the three miles,’
mentioned the jockey. The horse in his second run from a two-year layoff seemed
to answer any questions in the ability and fitness of the horse,and confirm
the training ability of Tim Underwood.
The Lambourn master with a good mix of young and experienced
horses in the yard is a short hop and a skip over from Warren Greatrex’s yard
where Ben rides out from, ‘ It’s good to get experience on these types of horses,
I have had a few rides for the Guvnor and hope to grow on that for next
season.’
Certainly riding for the likes of Mr Underwood the young jockey could
not go wrong, the trainer incidentally donning his riding boots later in the
afternoon for an end of season spin around the Oxfordshire course.
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| Tim Underwood sending Tempelpirate down to post, a winner here last meeting with Joe Hill on board now with Young Ben Hicks in the plate |
The intermediate race was taken in fine style by the Thomas
Gallagher trained Mr Raj by three lengths from Alan Hills Velvet Cognac.
Ridden by one of the most stylish amateurs on the point to
point scene Sam Davies Thomas the eight-year-old seemed to run on well from two
out to take the young Local based jockey to his best tally of winners since
taking the plate.
Coming around the bend the eight-year-old who was third in
the last race at the Fontwell's hunter chase evening meeting, was full of
running, Davies Thomas mentioning that the horse had won the race easily.
'He
has had a tongue tie on for the first time today that and the better ground
suited him.’ The horse that has won on staying and galloping tracks showed how
versatile he could be, giving the trainer a better finish to the season than
that at the start.
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| Thomas Gallagher trained Mr Raj (far-side) by three lengths from Alan Hills Velvet Cognac. |
The jockey who is now being picked up by many good owners
and trainers for spare rides still has is feet planted firmly on the ground,
well for the moment anyway as he is the main instigator for a charity skydive,
where Sam and nine other point to point jockeys take to the sky the day after
the final meeting at Umberleigh on the 11th June.
‘We go to 15’000ft and strapped to an instructor, it’s
for a very worthwhile charity, and I’m looking forward to it really.’ The group
already over the £5’000 mark with donations.
Those wanting to donate can do by going to the Just giving
page and type in Point to Point end of season skydive.
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| High flying Sam Davies-Thomas on Mr Raj |
The men’s open was run at a hard pace, with Alan Hills
Consigliere one of only three to finish the course winning the race.
Jockey Joe hill mentioned,’
this horse is a great superstar, he is such a nice ride, it’s either myself or
dad who rides him at home, Victoria Pendleton has schooled him twice this week
and loves him, we are so lucky to have a horse like him in the yard.’
The veteran at thirteen now seemed to run and jump for fun pulling away from the other two finishers with ease.
The trainer now only a few
winners off the top owners spot would not be blamed to run this Trempolino
gelding again before the seasons out to gain the crown.
‘He never seems to be out of a hack canter this fella, that
was a quick time out there today and he had another gear if I wanted it. To win
on the first day of the season and still be winning at the end shows his
quality, I love him to bits.’
Since speaking to Joe throughout the season it clearly shows
how much he feels about the horses he rides, he is so enthusiastic about them,
and it is clear when you speak to him he actually cares about his charges. This
boy has a great future in front of him.
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| Alan Hills Consigliere |
The ladies open gave the Kingston Blount crowd something to
shout about. Two of the top female amateurs on the circuit battling it out over
the last and to the line.
Clare Hart on Fran Marriott’s Dabinett Moon looking the
winner coming around the home turn was soon caught and challenged by the
champion female jockey elect Gina Andrews on Top smart trained by Jenny
Pidgeon.
‘he is such a brave horse at the last, I didn’t think we would win
coming to the turn but he has such class it saw him to the line. He didn’t give
me a feel he gave me when we won at Garthorpe but I think he is a tricky one to
train he has some class about him and has beaten a very nice mare in
Dabinett Moon.’
The runner up in the ladies’ jockeys standings came in
thrilled with her eight-year-old Midnight legend mare, mentioning that she was
a very nice type indeed.
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| Gina Andrews on Top smart trained by Jenny Pidgeon. |
The restricted again was taken in fine style, out of a yard
that seems to have stuck a seem of gold lately.
Lisnagar Star trained by Francesca Nimmo, ridden by Joe
Jackson-Stops used all his reserves to take the last and get to the line
beating Phil York looking for his 301st winner by a length.
Phil York on Deise went a good pace well out in front, and
from three out looked to all purpose to have given the rest of the field the
slip. But the head strong eight-year-old soon tired leaving the winner to
challenge and take the race close to the finish.
‘We knew Phil would go off in
front, as he said he had difficulty holding him,but I also knew I couldn’t let
him go too far off in order to catch up.’
The owner-jockey giving full praise
to the trainer mentioning. ‘Fran’s father has always like this horse, it is
great credit to them to get him this far,it’s a lovely yard to be involved
with at the moment, most weekends we are coming back with a winner and after a
slow burner of a start to the season it’s good to be around.’
The Kalanisi eight-year-old may go on to the last meeting of
the year if coming out the race well, and if the ground is riding on the fast
side would be one to put in a repeat performance.
After that a possible trip
under rules throughout the summer could be on the cards for the top of the
ground specialist.
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| Lisnagar Star trained by Francesca Nimmo, ridden by Joe Jackson-Stops |
The final race of the day was split into two divisions, the
open maiden saw a mixed bag of runners go to post. Division one being taken
by the winning combination of Thomas Gallagher and Sam Davies Thomas and Annie Jordan.
‘I’m so please for the trainer,’ mentioned the inform young
jockey. ‘It’s my first season riding for Thomas and we seem to be hitting it
off, he is so relaxed.’
The five-year-old mare seemed very much the novice as
she came around the home turn, and seems to be a horse that has a lot of
improving to do. ‘she was runner up to a nice horse in Nandini a few weeks back
here, but has a lot of growing to do,she has done that today on pure guts and
talent so she is a nice one for the future.’
The trainer who has about a dozen
horses in his charge seems to have found like Francesca Nimmo a pinch of form at present. Losing few horses at the start of the season, the jockey
commenting on how professional the Gallagher yard works.
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| winning combination of Thomas Gallagher and Sam Davies Thomas and Annie Jordan. |
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| first winner for Blacksmith rider Mark Clark on Lord Aldervale trained by David Boxall in East Sussex |
Division two of the open maiden was a first winner for
Blacksmith rider Mark Clark on Lord Aldervale trained by David Boxall in East
Sussex.
The open maiden unlike the first division turned into a race from two fences
out Fred Hutsby’s Kinlochspelve and Jack Andrews on board Phillys Vinnie
challenging.
‘This horse of mine is one paced but at a high pace so I wanted to
kick early as I knew if we sprinted at the final throw I’d be beaten,’
mentioned the winning jockey.
Mark who was delighted with his first winner had put plenty
of thought into how to ride the race,’ we knew when to kick with what we had in
the horse and it worked, I spoke to David about this after I was third on him
at Pepper Harrow on different ground, so we had plan. The two that challenged
me gave me a helping hand actually as they kept him interested, he is a handful
pulling up actually and was today.’
It says a winner will come to those that wait, and the
jockey has certainly been patient. Always having horses at home and usually
riding his own the jockey mentioned in ten years of riding it was good to get a
winner,’ I’m grateful to David in putting me up on someone else’s horses, I’m
not a big time jockey so it is an honor for me.’ The jockey mentioning, he
would still be riding out in the morning.
The horse like most of us will be off on his summer holidays, and well deserved.
The course, know packed away until next season when a
new string of winners and almost s will grace the
Oxfordshire track.
Read more from this season and next at
