Opening Night at Windsor racecourse 2016

The first evening meeting at the Royal Berkshire racecourse saw a bumper crowd supporting a generous gesture by the management to open the gates for free to pre booked racegoers.

Eight early season races went on offer to the enthusiastic crowd. Top trainers entering their new intakes to find out more about them.

The first race a novice maiden filly’s stake over the five furlongs. 

Windsor regular David Evans sent his top weighted filly Fastest Spin to post, Cathy Gannon on board. 

By fastest Rock out of a good mare by Pivotal the filly held onto her race well and showed her form on paper that she could improve was spot on.

Fastest Spin

The jockey mentioned that she though the race was not the greatest for the filly,’ she really wants seven furlongs, I struggled a bit early on.’ The filly showing still she is a little green. With a longer trip she would be one to improve.

Fastest Spin, C Gannon

The next race also went to the top weight. A five furlong handicap contest for four year olds and upwards.

 Robert Winston riding the dean Ivory mount Stake Acclaim. 

The mud loving gelding by Acclamation backing up his handicap win on the Newmarket turf last season, running in between time on all weather tracks.

‘The horse has so much natural speed, and in these conditions I had the field beat half way.’ Mentioned Winston, showing that the horse had developed well from a two year old. And  has shown constancy, and would be one to improve again, and be one for the future.

Stake Acclaim winning the five furlong handicap at Royal Windsor.

Newmarket based Charlie Fellows saddle the winner of the third, a one mile two furlong maiden. Baadi off the weight of ten stone gave champion jockey hopeful Andrea Atzeni and early winner at the Berkshire course. 

The four year old out of the Roger Charlton yard last season. Has been well traveled throughout his career, winning a maiden contest in June at Ripon. 

In his first run for his new yard the gelding showed that he had to be pressured by Atzeni from a long way out, grinding the opposition into submission before the winning line.

The front runner looked from the off a winner of this contest the jockey mentioning that he would of been the best horse in the race.

Baadi, Andrea Atzeni

Atzeni not shying away from his intentions into challenging for the champion jockeys crown over the coming months, especially when riding horses such as Postponed trained by Roger Varian aimed for Royal Ascots Coronation Cup.

The feature race of the evening was the six furlongs 5 star handicap stakes, a class three event for four year olds and upwards.

Veteran trainer Milton Bradley sent his six year old by Royal Applause over the Severn Bridge to take on the race. Aptly called Englishman the gelding ridden by Franny Norton broke well from the stalls.

Englishman

The favourite for the race David Evans’ Flowers of Venus never got into the contest to allow the 7/1 shot to take the spoils.

‘This is the second time round for this fella, and I'm really happy for the boss, we have a few nice ones in at the moment so it’s all looking good.’ The horse that on previous runs has not shown his form he had in earlier years used to be trained by Charlie hills, and it is hoped by connections that he has now settled in his new environment and will regain winning ways.

Englishman,Franny Norton win the  5 star Gallop handicap stakes

David Evans in the next race answered any doubters though when he saddled Moojaned in the next, a one mile three furlongs handicap.

Again a beaten favourite in Dean Ivory’s Goldslinger, the Raven’s Pass five year old made all ridden by 3 lbs claimer Phillip prince, who flesh from his win over hurdles in Jersey, rode a confident race  to beat Allnecessaryforce in second and his bosses Andrew Balding’s Brandon Castle in third.

The young jockey mentioned, ‘this fella is a relentless galloper and stays all day, in soft ground the plan was to make all and see how it goes.’ The jockey still committed to the flat despite his hurdles victory mentioned the ride in Jersey was a ‘bit of fun’

Trainer David Evans, who often sends horses from his Abergavenny yard to Windsor on a double for the evening, and is one to watch throughout the season on the Berkshire course.

Moojaned

The distance race of the evening was taken for Newmarket in the shape of Jane Chapple-Hyam’s Cat Royale. Ridden by another three pound claimer Danny Brock.

Cat Royale, Danny Brock.

Again at the submission of another favourite in Mick Channon’s October Storm, the three year old colt by Lilbourn Lad who has not run on the turf for a fair while seemed to go on the softened ground to take the race. 

‘He’s won on the dirt at Kempton over a mile and half, turned up here and liked the ground and done the business.’

 Brock disappointed on not having a double for his evenings work when his fancied ride Dolphin Village in the previous race failed to place. ‘Dolphin just tied up with me a bit today which was disappointing, but there will be another day for him to be sure.’

Cat Royale, Danny Brock beats Argyle in the one mile three furlong Handicap

The final race of the evening in failing light was another sharp six furlongs event. Mick Channon again sending off the favourite in Potternello.

But it was an outsider Secret Look, ridden by Martin Dwyer and trained in Lichfield by Ed McMahon who took the race. 

The six year old Shakee’s Secret gelding that’s form had not been too great previous seemed to have lost his confidence over his last runs.

Secret Look, Martin Dwyer

 Dwyer who had never ridden the gelding before mentioned ‘Ed mentioned to me to try to get him to enjoy his racing, as he knew he would finish.’ 

Finish he did beating some progressive, handy types left in behind.

More flat racing drama at Windsor to come this season.
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VISIT TO ROWDOWN STABLE HOME OF MARK USHER

Training since 1983, and with over 400 winners to his credit Mark Ushers small but quality string of charges resides in a new establishment in Upper Lambourn.
Nestled off the main road just out of Lambourn lies Rowdown Stables.

A contingent from the West Berkshire racing club were invited to meet and greet the Usher team, with a cheerful smile and a friendly handshake.
A small meet and greet in the yard before the master of Rowdown  took his followers up to the mandown gallops to watch his string and a few two year olds go through their paces.

Plenty of other stings about, including the'new boy' as they call him Richard Hughes's string used the Jockey Club owned gallops beforehand.

Horses from R,Hughes Yard

Mark's open house policy to arranged visits and owners is very much his ethos. A good location and business like attitude is shown as his team works with no fuss or noise around the yard.

Not a massive string by far, but enough that each horse can easily get the attention it needs.

Rowdown Stables

Mark also took time to take his visitors on a little tour of the gallops, showing then through a whole in the hedge.

To a view to treasure.

Not only the schooling grounds, where every Thursday throughout the National Hunt season, vast amounts of jumpers and jockeys are put through their paces.

The Guvnor also gave a horse by horse show and tell session throughout his yard. Feeding the mind of the ever hungry racing enthusiast.

Mark Usher

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Fakenham for the west Norfolk hunt point to point

West Norfolk Hunt Point to Point

A point to point with a difference, held on a professional racecourse the West Norfolk Point to Point staged six quality races in glorious early spring sunshine.

A good crowd came to watch the best of the local pointing talent. The hunt and Point to pointing offered great faculties at Fakenham Racecourse.

The first race for veteran and novice riders. Ten runners went to post with horses that have been good campaigners throughout the season.

Susquehanna River trained by Nicholas Wright ridden by Phil Bullard who on his first ever winning ride mentioned,’ It’s such a relive to get off the mark, I have has a couple of close seconds this year, and to do it here as a lot of my family are from Norfolk is great.’

Susquehanna River, Phil Bullard

The nine year old by Indian River, formally from the Nigel Twiston Davies’s yard, had been unlucky in his seasons campaign, coming close on a few occasions, and tried to throw away his chance on a couple of Occasions. Bullard mentioning at one stage he thought he was going to run out. But stuck to the task well to beat good horses such as the Jack Andrews mount Cambonnais and third place horse Kilbeg Opera.

The horse ridden very handy throughout the race, bought the Oxford university first year student home in fine style, the first of many he hopes. 

Moving on from the novice ride came the winner of the next. 

The Admiral Benbow ridden by Dicky Collinson. A rider who this season has had tremendous success with a number of high quality pointers.

The Point to Point owners and riders association members’ conditions race saw the eleven year old

 Out of the yard of Andrew Pennock come out from his run at High Easter eight days back in fine style. Third on that day, the horse looked very fresh as he beat Love Manhattan and Kriss William.

 ‘I had to push him along a bit,’ mentioned Collinson. ‘But he is a tough sort, Andrew (Pennock) has always liked him, he’s been unlucky on a few occasions so it’s good to win on him now.’

Admiral Benbow ridden by Dicky Collinson

The Collinson-Pennock combination made it quick double as Counting stars duly won the next race, The Subaru Restricted beating Royal Benefit in fine style. 

Counting stars, R. Collinson

Again a quick turnaround for the Andrew Pennock charge, running third to Ignite the light at High Easter the previous weekend.

Counting Stars, like The Admiral Benbow looked a picture of health in the enclosures, which shows the trainer has his horse well at present.

‘This is such a class horse,’ mentioned Dicky Collinson.’ Everything about him just oozes quality; sitting on him I though he was the best horse in the Pennock yard, he is such a thrill to ride.’

A horse that needs a sympathetic ride has been unlucky not have had more wins under his seven year old belt, Collinson accepting his part in that mention that a less aggressive ride would of resulted in a different outcome in some of his defeats. 

But at seven the bay gelding by Morozov is one to watch for in seasons to come.

Counting Stars winning the Subaru Restricted at Fakenham

The  dual crusaders may have though a quick treble was on the card as in the Men’s open the impressive Galros Lady went to post with only four others to beat.

Galros Lady

The six year old mare with five wins under her belt this season stepped up in class to open races and looked in trouble from a long way out. Collinson having to set about her coming past the stands to stay in contention. ‘I thought when I had to get after her I was in trouble to be fair.’ The mare finishing second to a horse that is no slouch himself. 

Master Workman out of the David Kemp Yard and ridden by Sam Davies-Thomas pulled away from the remaining runners before the last to take the race in fine style. ‘I always though we could have the beating of Galros,’ mentioned the jockey who with the win went joint second in the jockeys championship. 

Master Workman,   Sam Davies-Thomas

Master Workman giving the second placed Galros lady a stone in weight seems to have found his form as the season progressed, only running eight days back at High Easter when second to Decade Player a horse Davies-Thomas thinks highly of.

The trainer David Kemp as with Andrew Pennock, knows how to get racehorses fit and happy, and goes to show the amount of top quality amateur trainers we have throughout the country. 

‘Both David and Andrew would have a very similar type of training ethos,’ mentioned Sam.

Master Workman,  winning the Men's Open

Collinson on the second placed Galros lady thought she felt very lack luster in her race, and had a hard enough season so far. 

She didn’t really handle the going as well as she had been doing in previous races and looks like we may have seen the last of this quality six year old for the season.

The ladies open again a small field of only three went to post. Caulkin hoping to make it four wins at Fakenham was beaten by the ten year old Bay to go, ridden by Louise Turner and trained by Laura Horsfall. 

The dual Hunter chase winner seemed to approve of the going around the sharp left handed tack and won the race with ease from his challengers. Vulcan Surprise in second and Caulkin in third. ‘ I’ve struggled a bit to hold him  today, we agreed on going a steady pace, but he was just too strong, by the final lap I’ve just said to him to go on and he has done the rest. He’s an old pro really and really done it well.’

All three horses in the race seemed to be nice types and would not disgrace any winner’s enclosure so it was made all the sweeter for the Moscow Society gelding to come home in such good fashion, Louise mentioned that was he third win of the season, and hopes to get a few more before the seasons out.

Bay to go, ridden by Louise Turner winner of the Ladies Open

 On the day of her third win of the season, Dicky Collinson was striving to get his third win of the day. 

Riding Mister Serious a seven year old by Kalanisi who has had a string of second placed runs throughout the season, being the bridesmaid for his maiden race enough times,with a positive ride from the jockey in form took his maiden race in fine style beating John Ibbots Cresta Run in second and Dale Peters Max O in third.

Mister Serious, Dicky Collinson on his way for his third winner of the day

The jockey mentioned that in the early part of the season the horse never seemed to be going,today something clicked and he seemed to take his race never moving out of first gear. ‘

If he can win like that in his maiden on soft ground, his restricted and intermediate in better ground should be no problem.’ Both Jockey and trainer after racing seemed in deep conversation regarding the form of the horse, and rest assures a careful and constructed plan for his progression will be planned.

Mister Serious, Dicky Collinson

One to watch and see I feel, Dicky was sure to tell me that the horse has a lot of maturing to do at home as well as on the course. If he remains in the Pennock stable for next season, he would maybe turn out to be a strong contender.

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The Kimblewick hunt point to point Kingston Blount 16-4-16

Kimblewick hunt

With rain giving the Oxfordshire countryside a good dowsing the day before, Kingston Blount point to point went ahead.

The start of the meeting the clouds threatened, only to give way to bright sunshine for the last three races.

The ground good to soft/soft in places, gave plenty of debate with owners and trainers, run the horses or not? A lot of course walking was completed.

Seven races on the card that included the four mile feature race,the Southern national. Local Trainer Alan Hill hoping to take the spoils of the race home with him, just up the road.

The first race was a member race. Six runners to post, Elizabeth Brown’s charge Moorland Sunset set off as the 5/4 favourite.

Moorland Sunset  in front

The thirteen year old, who won at Siddington in a same type of race in March, would not have wanted the ground any softer, but pulled away from Alan Hills Ravethebrave by two lengths up the straight. 

The other runners a distance back with another Alan Hill charge back in third, made

Jockey Nick Phillips delighted with the win, with only five completed rides around this season; all five of these have been in the winner’s enclosure, so the strike rate is high.

Not a bad sort of race, the horse could be one to note in the final throws of the season.

Moorland Sunset in front up the run in from Jo Hill on Ravethebrave

Gift of Dgab trained and ridden by Laura Thomas. Second in her hunts members’ race in March, beaten by the winner of the first Moorland Sunset,  won the  conditions race in fine form. 

‘ I blame my riding in the members race last time out, but Nick (Phillips) was on a very nice horse, I was glad to see him win in the first as it gave me hope on the form of mine.’

The winning jockey of the first very complementary about this winner.

The jockey mentioned the twelve year old who before this season had a few years off with a pulled tendon said, ‘He pulled me along a bit in his first run, and today  he was bit keen, so we really wanted to make the running, so did some others so I had to sit in behind, and he settled nicely.’

Gift of Dgab (farside) Rua Nua (nearside)

The horse running over his ideal trip of two mile five furlongs, once asked, pulled away from the field very well and had the race mapped out for him by the trainer for the past few months.

Next for this front runner, who cost very little at the sales. ‘ Let’s see how the legs are in the morning and we go from there, we hope for good to soft ground for a bit longer to help with them, but he can easily take the good ground .’

One to watch for next time out, and if you see him out in front, he stays well and would be well worth a look.

Another short distance race, this time for the four to seven year old maidens. And another trainer, rider combination. Dale Peters on board the five year old Why Lie took the first race in his career, after visiting the second and third spot on his previous two runs.

 ‘This is a very nice horse,’ mentioned Peters. ‘Not the easiest to train or ride but he has plenty of talent.’ The five year old by Zagreb wanted to go flat out from the start to finish, but was controlled well by the jockey who mentioned he seemed to have plenty left at the finish, and must be a horse that would need underlining in the form books.

Why Lie, Dale Peters

The next race was for the novice riders, and again the young Gus Levinson on board his multi winning horse Premier Portrait went to post with four others to try to make it four in a row for the nine year old racehorse.

All didn’t seem to go the way for the young jockey who mentioned he thought his horse was little more switched off from his other runs, and from three out seemed happy to sit in behind the rest of the field,having to shake up his mount to take the race by only a length.

‘I wasn’t that concerned on the run in and I thought he’d get there, but I’m  delighted to get another winner, especially as there is possibly only one more run in him this season.’

Premier Portrait, Gus Levinson

The feature race was the next, the four mile Southern National.

Only three runners to post, one of them the Alan hill trained, Joe Hill ridden Supreme Danehill, who showed from three out his dominance beating Clare Hart on Vincitore.

Alan Hill, Joe Hill and  Supreme Danehill

The eight year old took on most for the running the whole way round of the four miles, and with an excellent show of jumping seemed to grind the rest of the field into submission.

Supreme Danehill

‘He jumped very well, and we knew he’d like the ground and distance so we were very optimistic.’ Mentioned the jockey, who doesn’t do too much with the horse at home, but Victoria Pendleton has the charge. 

A yard that is going very well at present,’ It’s been a good season but hard one, the lad’s at home have been putting in a lot of hours. I was injured, and then our novice rider was injured so that caused a lot of extra horses to ride. But we have got through it and getting our rewards now, so it’s all good really.’

Supreme Danehill, J. Hill

The open maiden being the penultimate race, saw trainer Laura Thomas take a brace of winner’s home with her for the day.

This time stable jockey Johnny Bailey on board urban storm blew away the rest of the field to take the run in home unchallenged. Phil York on Gerjoeycasey trying to challenge coming around the home turn, finishing a long way back in second.

The ground now becoming testing, seemed to suit this six year old By Urban Ocean, were the rest struggled through the tacky soft ground. 

urban storm

‘He hasn’t got a great deal of speed but he has done that well,’ mentioned Bailey, who was very complimentary about the trainer. ‘This horse had ulcers, but didn’t give that sort impression that anything was wrong. But Laura investigated a lot with this fella and we found out he did have them, sorted him out and bought him on again. She can really train well, and I’m please she has had a double today.’

The combination in their first season, together, both finding their way, but a winner like this one will go a long way in cementing the relationship.

‘On his jumping this fella is ready to go up a grade; we know he can stay now, so we will have to see what next for him.’

But rest assured this trainer with a positive and professional attitude will place the horse well, and is bound to take a trip to the winner’s enclosure again soon.

urban storm, J. Bailey

The final race of the day with sixteen horses entered, only one declared leaving Sam Davies-Thomas to walk over for his fourteenth winner of the season, one behind second placed jockey in the championship Will Easterby. Will Biddick in a league of his own in front.

Sam Davies-Thomas

‘The talented young jockey who is very busy riding at present has a good stable head on his shoulders and is positive on what he is doing,’ I have no injuries so that’s good and it’s all going well, a bit disappointed last weekend as a lot of my fancied rides didn’t run to plan, but that’s racing and i have to look forward.’ 

The jockey who has taken seven years to get to the stage where he would be one of the top riders on the circuit is still enthusiastic about each weekend,’ I can’t wait for the declarations to come out on Monday’s and see where I’m off to next, I just love it.’

Mr Raj, walked over for the Restricted

The horse that Sam had to hack canter passed the post, trained by Thomas Gallagher Mr Raj took his second win of the career. The trainer mentioning that a win was a win, and the horse is still fresh to run again soon. 

Davies-Thomas mentioning’ the trainer has had real bad luck this season, losing a few horses, so it’s good he gets a winner and a fresh,undamaged horse at the end.’

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