Again another meeting at the East Sussex track that attracts
some prolific runners that we are sure to see throughout the jumping campaign.
Top horses, trainers and jockeys a like graced the Fontwell turf for a mid-week
meeting that oozed class.
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| Movewiththetimes |
Top trainer Paul Nicholls who is having his best start to a
season yet sent J.P McManus’s Movewiththetimes to post the 6/4 favourite, Barry
Geraghty on board this impressive Presenting gelding made it two from two in
his novice days, the last win being in April at Wincanton.
The four-year-old seemed to take the good to soft jumping
ground in his stride winning comfortably by two lengths from Alan Kings
Azzerti.
‘We have had to search a little for the better ground for
this one, this horse is a nice big sort that jumps well and could be one for
the future.’ Mentioned the trainer in residence for the day.
Nicholls also
mentioned that at Fontwell the ground was only just to his liking for his
runners and on this type of going horses have to be fit, which this promising
type certainly did look, and was no surprise to the team that he got his nose in
front.
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| No firm plans for this good looking McManus gelding yet. |
No firm plans for this good looking McManus gelding yet, but
with two impressive wins, this time at Fontwell in a good early season Novices
hurdle this one is certainly for the note books.
The second Azzerti from the Alan King Yard and third horse
Sleep Easy from Neil Mulholland’s yard are also one to take note of.
Paul Nicholls also had success in the two miles three furlongs beginners chase with As De Mee, ridden by Sean Bowen who took the race easy
with a pace that was strong throughout.
‘The pace was a strong won, Noel Fehily has tried to take
the field on again but my fella has jumped well and the more pressure I got
helped as I knew we could out jump everyone.’
The jockey also mentioned that he
thought the horse was a nice type and still a novice, so would be entitled to
take a nice novice events as the season continues.
The trainer mentioned that the horse deserves to win these
type of races, and with being a year older and stronger he is in good form at
present, but racing over the two miles would be the plan for this six-year-old.
The Ditcheat yard of Paul Nicholls looks serious for this
season, the earlier barrages certainly laying the land for what’s to come.
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| ‘The pace was a strong won, Noel Fehily has tried to take the field on again but my fella has jumped well and the more pressure I got helped.' |
Colin Tizzard took the only other chase event of the
afternoon with Fergal Mael Duin, ridden by Paddy Brennan.
The two-and-a-half-mile handicap chase saw this grey with an
impressive story behind him, jump non too fluent to take the race by three
lengths from Rothman ridden by Leighton Aspell.
‘I have not ridden him before but today he has had a bit of
a slip early on which didn’t help, but he is workman like type of horse and won
his race which is the main thing.’
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| Fergal Mael Duin, |
The story as mentioned earlier with this eight-year-old was
last seen at a boxing day meet at Market Rasen, the horse fell and was on his side for
a good twenty minutes, everyone thinking the worse.
Even the owners who home
bred the horse went to the track thinking they were going to have to say
goodbye to a family member as they put it.
But as they were about to do this the horse raised its head
got up and walked away, to the full cheers and applause of the Boxing day racegoers
and staff alike.
Now nine months on the horse is in the winner’s enclosure, who
says that dreams are not built on National Hunt racing? I think history and
time will tell you otherwise.
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| Even the owners who home bred the horse went to the track thinking they were going to have to say goodbye to a family member as they put it. |
Parish Business took the next race the two-and-a-half-mile
handicap hurdle.
Trained by Emma Lavelle and ridden by Leighton Aspell who took on
the race from three hurdle out and seemed to take the race comfortably by nine
lengths from Alan Kings Board of Trade.
This was a tidy sort of race the team of J.P McManus, Paul
Nicholls and Barry Geraghty having a nice novice in Hawkhurst ten lengths back
in third.
Aspell mentioning. ‘He has good novice form and is a type that is
meant for fences, he has had runs over the bigger obstacles but has frightened
himself a bit which has put him back, but he is lower than he should be really
on his mark because of the bad few runs he has had.’
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| Parish Business |
The trainer who has moved to a new premises in Marlborough
seems to be finding life good at present, this eight-year-old showing that he
may be a nice horse as he matures and now with a fresh start could be a useful
addition to the Lavelle yard.
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| ‘He has good novice form and is a type that is meant for fences.' |
The jockey on four winners in four days also looks to be
going well, now the good ground promising is well looking forward to his
season.
The conditional jockeys handicap hurdle over two miles three
went to the top weight Looksnowlikebrian. Trained by Tim Vaughn and ridden by
10 lbs claimer George Blackwell.
The 3/1 favorite made hard work of the finish,
hanging slightly only to beat second place Earls Fort from the Neil Mulholland
yard by a neck.
The five-year-old gelding on his first win from seven starts
has improved from his unplaced run at Uttoxeter in September and was meant to
run last week at Plumpton only to be pulled out after losing a shoe going down
to the start, the vet go ahead today at Fontwell surely bared well for the
horse.
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| The five-year-old gelding on his first win from seven starts has improved from his unplaced run at Uttoxeter |
The final two races were two divisions of a two mile one
national Hunt flat race for mares and fillies, most horses at the beginning of
their racing careers.
Don’t Tell Val won the first division giving Paddy Brennan a
double for the afternoon, trained by Fergal O’Brien at Cheltenham the 20/1 shot
beating 11/8 favourite Peggies Venture by half a length.
‘She’s a tough type and ready to go on really,’ mentioned the
jockey.
Division two was taken at a more sedate pace that that of
the first Bold Image from the Suzy Smith yard giving Gavin Sheenan a win for
the afternoon.
This time a six length winner from Colin Tizzards Ruby Russet
the five-year-old mare by Milan looks the most impressive type out of the two
winners in the contest.
Trained on the grounds of the old Lewes racecourse this mare
looks the type that is bred for the jumping game.
All horses in the top four in
both divisions are to be watched, but as mentioned early days for these horses.
Not forgetting Cue Card won his maiden bumper at this track when he started
out.
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| Don’t Tell Val |
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| Bold Image |
