A seven race card put on at Fontwell for it's Totepool Southern National meeting.
Soft ground, a healthy Sunday crowd and competitive fields all mixed up offered a dish of good racing.
Top trainers still coming the the Sussex track, even though the home of National hunt racing Cheltenham was staging the last day of it's three day quality meet.
The day kicked off with a three year olds and upwards handicap hurdle, twelve runners went to post for a closely fought opener to the day.
Kerry Lee sending her five year old Magic Mustard to post the 3/1 favorite.
Lying in a placed position coming to the last Jamie moore on board, got hold of his mount to overtake David Noonan on board David Pipes Port Navas, who in traditional Pipe fashion led the race from the first hurdle.
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| Magic Mustard |
The horse looking the possible chaser, and now with a handicap mark may have to search for ground and conditions, but maybe one to look out for and one to note.
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| 'The hill has helped here a bit, and Kerry's horses are always fit so the team deserve some credit.' |
The crowd did not have to wait for too long for the feature race of the day,The Totepool Southern National.
Thee miles and three furlongs waited the sixteen runners, the in form Colin Tizzard's Fergal Mael Duin rolling out the 4/1 favorite.
A good pace was set for the three and a half times around the figure of eight, and it was not until the very last obstacle that the punters really knew what was going to be their champion.
The favorite blundering at the last allowing Aerial trained by Paul Nicholls and ridden by seven pound claimer Jordan Williams to run on up the hill to take the race by three lengths.
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| Aerial trained by Paul Nicholls and ridden by seven pound claimer Jordan Williams |
'This must be the highlight of my career so far,' mentioned the young jockey. 'We were a little worried if he would get the trip, but he is such an honest horse he's great. I ride him everyday at home and I was so pleased to get the ride.'
The grandson of trainer Bernard Williams, who was told to go to Ditcheat to gain more experience certainly gave the ten year old a fine ride, winning his fifth race from eighteen starts, the jockey incidentally winning his first time over fences, collating ten winners so far.
A fine race to showcase this young jockey the master of Manor House stables certainly knowing his 'jockey-flesh' as well as his 'horse-flesh'
The trainer deputized at Fontwell by assistant Harry Derham the boss at Cheltenham, mentioned.'I love this course, i rode my first double here and now three winners in a day I love it.' That slightly gives it away for the next few races to blog.
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| Aerial winner of the Totepool southern national |
Yes, as mentioned that did not stop there for the Nicholls team who's horses are on top form at the present.
Having a good day at Fontwell at the last meet the master of Manor House stables sent out More Bucks for the class three two mile five handicap chase.
This time Sean Bowen on board made most of the six year olds talent and made all cranking up the pressure three fences out to beat Monbeg Gold from the Jonjo O'Neil yard.
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| More Bucks |
The horse winning on soft ground at the course in October, a second a Sandown Park in between certainly showed the class of this six year old by Presenting.
'It wasn't really the plan to make all in the race, but he settled in front so we went on, his jumping though is his true character I think, we nearly didn't run as we though the ground was a bit too slow for him but he has done well in the end.'
The horse surly to win again is one to keep an eye on, nothing too special that was put to us the last time at Fontwell but a winner none the less.
The duo of Nichols and Bowen took the next also, Peak to Peak took the fourteen runner two mile three furlong maiden hurdle, beating local trainer sue Smiths Clondaw Bistro by two lengths.
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| Peak to Peak |
'He gave a real professional feel out there,' mentioned Bowen. ' He jumped well and took the race well. To be fair he was out on his own from three out but still went forward, he'd be a chaser in the future I feel.'
The four year old by Authorized now one win form one start is one to watch from Manor House, the image above shows this type seems to have perfected his jumping prowess.
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| Manor House stables sent out More Bucks for the class three two mile five John Rogerson Memorial handicap chase. |
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| 'He gave a real professional feel out there,' mentioned Bowen. |
A jockey that certainly knows his way around the Sussex track is Tom Cannon, twice being leading rider at Fontwell he was on board Chris Gordon's Remiluc to win the class 3 Salmon Spray handicap hurdle over two mile one furlong.
The seven year old took the race up from two out and seemed to be the comfortable winner up the hill beating Kerry Lee's Gassin Gold by twelve lengths.
'He has had form in the past, and the race has worked out well for him, settling behind the leaders and has come alive as he gone upsides his stable partner.'
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| Remiluc |
The trainer who saddle both the winner and the third mentioned, 'this horse if you look at him without the saddle has a big dip in his back, he had an infection that got into the bone,he had two operations to remove the infection but still it hung around, so the idea was either a third operation or to put the horse down, the owners took him home put him out to grass and that seemed to sort it all out, so it's a blessing he is here today at all really.'
The horse a possibility at the Hennessy meeting at Newbury may be one to watch dependent on ground and opposition, and looks the chasing sort, but certainly connections think much of this Bay gelding.
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| 'this horse if you look at him without the saddle has a big dip in his back, he had an infection that got into the bone,he had two operations to remove the infection |
The Penultimate race was taken by welsh invader Evan Williams from Llancarfan.
The aptly named On the road ridden by Adam Wedge took the two mile three furlong handicap hurdle for three year olds and up by a length and a half from Tim Vaughn's Fraser Canyon,
the six year old now on three wins on the bounce, winning down the West country early on in the year.
The horse now three wins from nine starts took the race on three out and stayed on well, the jockey mentioning, 'This horse has improved from last seasons development which is good, it was a nice competitive race that has worked out well for him.'
The well traveled Stowaway gelding looks one to note for further development, the trainer from the Vale of Glamorgan not frightened of piling up the miles to claim the best conditions for his charge.
The final race of the day, an unusual handicap chase rather than the usual national hunt flat race, saw nine runners go to post for the two and a half miles four year olds and up chase.
Colin Tizzard sending Tikkapick to post the 4/1 favorite. But could only muster second spot, David Noonan on board Anthony Honeyball's top weight Royal Salute taking the race by seven lengths.
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| Anthony Honeyball's top weight Royal Salute taking the race by seven lengths. |
Noonan mentioned,'he is an improving sort really, after winning a hurdle here with Aidan (Coleman) on board he went to Bangor with not having a great deal of experience over fences. Well down the order there, but has improved enough today to take this race on.'
The horse summered well from his trip to Bangor in April, and showed that the six year old has matured into a nice type, the jockey mentioning that his jumping was his greatest asset.
Much more to come from this one I should reckon and would certainly be one to pen in the notebooks.
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| Royal Salute |
Only now a few more meetings to go for 2016 at Fontwell, Blogs and images from other meeting at the Sussex track can be seen at.
