Fontwell park about to embark on her summer vacation, a
small matter of eight races got the heels a kicking before the break for the
East Sussex course during the rest of June and the whole of July.
Two divisions of a two and a half miles’ novices hurdle
commenced proceedings. And also started a double winning afternoon for Jockey
Tom O’Brien who on the first of his winners steered home Colin Tizzards
Westend Prince by a neck from Graeme McPherson’s Titans Approach.
The 5/2 fav
when asked pressed home gamely up the Fontwell inclined finish, though the
Kings Theatre geldings jumping was a little to say not convincing three
hurdle out.
‘This fella would be a better chaser actually, i knew when
Richard Johnson came past me at the bend I might be in a little trouble, but he
stuck it out well on the line, so it was okay.’
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| Colin Tizzards Westend Prince |
The
second of O’Brien’s winners of the afternoon came in the
penultimate race of the afternoon. This time over the larger obstacles in the
two and a half mile handicap chase.
This time for trainer Paul Henderson the 29
year old Irishman steered Paddy the Stout home by seven lengths from Mattie
Batchelor and Minority Interest.
‘I’ve ridden this fella a lot, we have had a few of
placings on him so it’s nice to get a win out of him. He is a type of horse
with his wind if you really get after him he stops in a matter of strides, so
to some, it looks like I’m not giving him a ride, but if I do he’ll come
nowhere.’
The eleven-year-old
on only his second win from thirty two starts took the race up from two fences
out, and by the last was driven clear of trainer Daniel O’Brien’s (no relation)
Minority Interest to the line.
The gelding was bought by Henderson at the back end of the
sales to give the owners some fun. Now a least with a win the son of Oscar
Shindler winning some part of the purchase fee back.
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| Paddy the Stout Tom O'Brien's double winning ride |
The
second division of the handicap novices hurdle went to the 7/2 fav Replacement
Plan ridden by Daryl Jacob, the jockey who in the previous race took a nasty tumble on the
home turn when his mount On Alberts Head sipped on the flat.
The
seven-year-old trained by Richard Woollacott who took a prominent hold at the
beginning of the race, only to fade but then take up the race again from the
last and stay on well up the Fontwell hill to beat the Paul Henderson’s Rior by
six lengths, to take his only win from twenty two starts.
The trainer mentioned, ‘The
field went really too quick for him early on, and he has stayed on well. I
always thought he’d run a nice race today and has.’
The trainer giving a lot of
praise to the ride given to the gelding by Jacob. ‘He is a horse that needs to
run in 0-100 handicap hurdles, he can run over fences so I think we will switch
him about a bit. But we will try to get another win out of him before the end of
the summer.’
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| 7/2 fav Replacement Plan ridden by Daryl Jacob (Right) second place Rior (left) |
The Flemensfirth gelding well backed for the race would have
to be carefully watched where he is placed next time out, still very much a
maiden this dual disciplined gelding is out to give his owners a good time
throughout the summer. The owners showing great confidence in the trainer as
they continue in their quest.
The third race of the afternoon a handicap chase over the
two miles one furlong course went to a Phillip Hobbs trained horse Quadriller. Ridden by champion jockey Richard Johnson the nine-year-old gelding made light
work of the event taking the race by nine lengths from Dai Williams’s Nearest
the Pin.
The horse taking a liking to the East Sussex course now on a
hat trick of wins at Fontwell seemed to relish the twist and turns of the
figure of eight track.
‘They have gone a good pace early on, he is a type that
would get further also, but it is good to get a win on him again.’ Mentioned
the jockey on twenty six winners for the season so far.
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| Phillip Hobbs trained horse Quadriller. Ridden by champion jockey Richard Johnson |
The next race a two mile three furlong novices hurdle, seven
ran. Warren Greatrex sending the top weight Ritual of Senses off at 2/7 on fav.
The six-year-old by Milan duly obliged for favorite
backers as Gavin Sheenan steered his ride home to a thirteen length victory
from Dan Skelton’s Kid Kalanisi.
‘It wasn’t the best race in the world, and we
have made a whole load of mistakes, but we have kept him going and he has won
nicely in the end. To be honest I’d keep him going and get another quick win
out of him.’
The jockey who has a busy summer ahead of him with plenty of rides may be
back on this one the horse owned in partnership with Equis and Lady Lloyd
Webber soon, as to the eye the six-year-old didn’t seem to have a race.
The jockey
mentioning that he had been under pressure though out the back straight in
order to get him in contention.
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| Warren Greatrex sending the top weight Ritual of Senses off at 2/7 on fav. |
The most exciting race on the card for the day was the long
distance three mile one furlong handicap chase,five runners to post, all out of top
quality yards.
David Pipe sending to post 5/2 fav For’n’Against having won
over a shorter trip at the course in 2015 and finishing second in June over the
course and distance.
But again the Scudamore, Pipe team could only manage a
second as 7/4 shot Billy Two Tongues, trained by Jeremy Scott and ridden by
Matt Griffiths led over the last to beat the favorite by eight lengths.
The eight-year-old by Heron Island wasn’t the most
experienced in the field, but the ex-point to pointer seems to be a versatile
type, winning his only other race on good to soft ground over a shorter
distance at Uttoxter in May
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| 7/4 shot Billy Two Tongues (right), trained by Jeremy Scott and ridden by Matt Griffiths led over the last to beat the favorite by eight lengths. |
The strange named horse named due to the fact that he had an
injury as a young horse that caused his tongue to split, and it has never
heeled back, now on three wins from eleven starts. And looks like a horse that may
well have improved, this race being no push over and would be one to watch
where placed next time out.
Jeremy Scott not present at the races due to the fact the trainer was at the sales
gathering more stock for the yard, but must have been pleased that as he was
buying more runners, his existing ones are in the winners enclosure.
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| Billy Two Tongues |
Ben Pauling maintained a good strike rate at the East Sussex
course when his seven-year-old Newton Geronimo brought home the four-year-old and
upwards handicap hurdle by four lengths from Hugo Frouds Coeur Tantre.
The 8/1 shot though ran a little green up the inclined
finish by hanging right was ridden well clear by Brendan well who mentioned, 'He was a bit tricky getting him down to the start, but once running he was
fine, we went a nice gallop for him today which suited. The ground helped so it
was a good win.’
The only other win for the seven-year-old from his thirteen starts
being at Taunton, winning a two mile race at 50/1. The few races before, refusing to race at all at Towcester and Sandown.
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| Newton Geronimo brought home the four-year-old and upwards handicap hurdle |
The last race of the afternoon was a novice’s handicap
hurdle, Mark Gillard sending his four-year-old Kingston Mimosa to post at 40/1.
The 9/4 fav Dragoon Guard ridden by Tom Scudamore could only
manage a three and a half-length third to the outsider who stayed on well at
the finish to beat Shimba Hills by a length and a half.
Ridden by James Banks who mentioned he had been at the front
a little sooner than he would have liked for the four-year-old,
'as we were in
front I’ve just had to get after him a little to tell him to get on with it,
but he is a young horse off a low weight so it was nice to get a winner.’
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| Mark Gillard sending his four-year-old Kingston Mimosa to post at 40/1. |
The weather remained fine for all of the races throughout
the afternoon as news filtered in that Lingfield was having to adjure two inches of rain
throughout the afternoon.
Three quality meetings in quick succession at Fontwell Park, as it now embarks on a well-deserved break.
Don’t forget that you
can read blog reports and see images from most previous meeting at Fontwell at
