Six well declared races went ahead at Larkhill Racing club’s
new year meeting at the Wiltshire track.
Good ground that was riding a little
loose on top saw well sized fields in each race take a steady ample around the
track that certainly did disappear from view as the meeting progressed.
Higher Peckmore stables resident Jack Barber always a good
bet for a winner at Larkhill claimed both opens and restricted to give him
ample tonic and something to cheer about (well if his voice was up to it)
Pointing star Ask The weatherman taking on a fair field of runners to win the men’s open by fifteen lengths.
Jockey Will Biddick back to riding after a fall he had at
the course at the beginning of December mentioned,’ This has been one of the
slowest starts to a season I can remember, I’m hungry to regain my champion
jockeys spot, so it’s good to get a win on board.
The ten-year-old Barber favourite now on his eighth win from
nine starts looked very bright in himself, despite the doom and gloom of the
weather, as did all the Barber horses.
 |
| Ask The weatherman |
‘I really would like something to test him out, it’s okay
winning in a good time but i would like to see him taken on, ‘mentioned the
jockey. (Ask the weatherman Vs Broken Eagle???? Now there’s a race you wouldn’t
want to miss….)
‘ I like to think he was a Cheltenham Foxhunters horse, you
need a good consistent cruising speed type for that race and he has it, but we need to
test him, to be fair he is still relatively a baby at this sport with only nine
runs.’
Biddick hardly had time to digest the horse’s brilliance as
he took on in the fog 2/1 favourite V Neck, a ride usually reserved for
Christopher Barber, side-lined after a fall after Christmas at Chaddersley.
Beating Queens Law by four lengths in a messy sort of race throughout the
champion jockey mentioned,’ this one is really not mine to ride, but at the
moment I’d take it.’
The horse not run since taking at maiden at Bratton Down in
2013, sidelined with leg trouble. The Jack Barber magic bought the horse to
the races looking well and fit, a remarkable effort with a horse with problems.
 |
| V Neck |
‘All praise has to go to the Barber team,’ mentioned Will. ‘to
get the horse here that well and winning takes time, effort and patience, and
it’s certainly started the ball rolling for me.’
The third of the wins came in the Ladies open for Jack
Barber Racing. Aikideau and his all-female crew backed up an impressive course
and distance win in December with another impressive win in the five runner
ladies open.
This time only picking up a half a length victory the ten-year-old
ridden by Bryony Frost looked well in control during most of the race the jockey
mentioning,
'I absolutely love this horse, he always pulls that little more out
despite his size, and his jumping is safe without taking too much out of him.
We all have so much fun out of him.’
Frost who is in residence herself at the
Ditcheat yard of Paul Nicholls mentioned how much of a dejar vue moment it was
at the meeting. ‘I walked the course with Jack, had my hot chocolate went in
the weighing room and huddled up against the radiator exactly the same as a month
ago, it’s really weird.’ The young jockey with racing blood well set in her
veins praised how being in a champion yard environment has really helped her
riding. ‘you can’t get any more experience than riding the guvnor’s horses,
they are all such quality, and riding horse such as silviniaco Conti out
hunting just before the King George is something that can only improve you.
 |
| Aikideau |
Impressive treble for the Barber Team, a man not firing in
health wise on all cylinders at the moment.
 |
| I’m hungry to regain my champion jockeys spot, so it’s good to get a win on board.' |
 |
| Jack Barber magic bought the horse to the races looking well and fit, a remarkable effort with a horse with problems. |
 |
| 'I absolutely love this horse, he always pulls that little more out despite his size,' |
Another trainer not rolling on all four wheels would be
Dorset resident Sally Alner, who with a broken leg due to an horse based incident a few
months ago, came to the Wiltshire course in a plaster cast but
went home with a double for the afternoon.
Seven-year-old grey Apple's grey took the first of her double
in the open maiden for five year olds and upwards by four lengths from
Gilliamstown.
The horse bough at Ascot sales for the T.L.T partnership on the
advice of Felix De Giles from France backed up some form he had in his country
of Origin. Jockey Lorcan Williams, also in residence at the stables of leading
trainer David Nicholls mentioned,.
'I was surprised a bit with his turn of foot
over the last, but we knew he had ability and it’s great to get a winner
straight away with him. I knew I had plenty of horse underneath me and he has
always travelled well and jumped for me.’
 |
| Apple's grey |
At seven this horse looks to have plenty of scope and every
part a racehorse, proof know will be how he can follow up the win and what he
will be like with an upgrade in class.
The second for the duo of Alner and Williams partnerships came in the last race, designated for novice riders.
Thereyasee got up
on the line with another confident ride from the young jockey Lorcan Williams
to beat Horizontal speed from the Alan Hill yard by three quarters of a length.
‘ I thought to be fair they were racing too soon really,’ mentioned the jockey
learning his craft. ‘ so I managed to get a bit of a breather into him and make my ground up
coming down the hill, the owner mentioned to me he had a turn of foot and that
was what he did coming up to the line.’
The jockey who mentioned riding double
of a weekend was what dreams were made of certainly shows that not only quality
and professional horses come out of the yard at Ditcheat.
 |
| Thereyasee (left) Horizontal Speed (right) |
A good day also for trainer Sally Alner, not present in the
unsaddling enclosure, but I’m sure a party was developing in the horsebox park
where herself and Robert were watching the days proceedings.
 |
| 'I was surprised a bit with his turn of foot over the last, but we knew he had ability' |
 |
| the jockey who mentioned riding double of a weekend was what dreams were made of |
The only race to upset the dominance of the meeting from the
likes of Barber, Alner, Biddick and Williams was the opening race of the
afternoon, The Larkhill Racing club member’s conditions race.
Twelve ran in a very competitive conditions event that went
to 14/1 shot Subtle Sovereign trained by Teresa Clark and ridden by the
experienced Irish jockey Martin McIntyre.
To the delight of the
partnership owners of the ten-year-old grey, The Notre Cheval Partnership the
horse was driven out well by McIntyre to take the race by three lengths from
Alex Fox Pitt’s Squirrel Esquire.
‘we are delighted,’ mentioned the owners. ‘He has probably
done about twenty days hunting with the Taunton vale and West Somerset Hunts,
Teresa has got him just right so a lot of the credit goes to her, we just pay
the bills.’
 |
| He has probably done about twenty days hunting with the Taunton vale and West Somerset Hunts. |
The jockey now on three winners for the season mentioned.
'The horse had about nine wins for Jack before Teresa got him, and to be fair
she has sweetened him up well to win again, the change of scenery has done him good.’
The race a little messy in places with a few surprise
departures over the three mile trip seemed to be to the liking of the
ten-year-old with form,
‘The fences here need to be jumped to be fair the
going on the quick side has made it more of a credit to horse and connections.’
A good looking type winning also the best turned out, if
found form again should take a few more races before the season finale and
would be one to note.
 |
| Subtle Sovereign |
A good meeting all in all for the second meet of a packed
season at Larkhill, with plenty more to come.
Next weekend is another poignant
mark in the pointing calendar. Quality racing all weekend, the Barbury Castle
international will see pointers for Ireland and the UK go head to head, also
the first bumper race will be run at the meeting, I will be there to report and
podcast proceedings.
Also at the other end of the Country The Dunston Harriers
meeting will go ahead weather permitting in the first meeting at Ampton in the
East Anglian area, again covered by podcast images and reports.
The 2016-17 Point to point season now gathers momentum as we
march ahead to June and the close.
