WINDSOR (RAIN) BOWS OUT OF 2016 WITH EIGHT RACES

Eight sturdy races up for grabs at Royal Windsor’s last meeting of their 2016 campaign. 

A fair size crowd for a late autumn Monday afternoon meeting saw horses battle through ground that would be not to indifferent to ground offered at most NH meetings coming up through the next few months. Soft, good to soft in places, many jockeys mentioning ground being quite loose on top by the end of the meeting.

But this didn’t matter to Adam Kirby a favourite rider over the summer months at the Berkshire course putting in a double for the afternoon. 

The first one coming in the shape of Foxcatcher in the five-furlong maiden race for two year olds for another trainer in good form at Windsor Clive Cox.

Foxcatcher 

‘I’ve always thought this was a nice little filly, with a win under her belt she can pick up some strength over the winter and go on.’  

The owner incidentally Mr C Harper gave the trainer his first ever group one winner with Gilt Edge Girl in the Prix De L’abbaye.

Kirby’s second winner came from the Newmarket based Stuart Williams.

 Inniscastle Lad made all of the one mile two furlongs in the three years old and upwards handicap. ‘We have stayed on the stand side because that is where the best ground is, but this one has certainly taken advantage of the softer ground.’

Inniscastle Lad

The jockey now on his 131^st winners for the season, accumulating approximately 2.3 million in prize money may not be the highest number of winners in a season but certainly very profitable. 

‘I have far too many people to thank really, Clive Cox would be one of those who has always supported me.’ Now planning his winter campaign, you can rest assured the jockey who loves riding at Windsor will be on the score board again on Mondays at the Berkshire course.

‘I’ve always thought this was a nice little filly, with a win under her belt she can pick up some strength over the winter and go on.’

‘We have stayed on the stand side because that is where the best ground is,

The second race on the card went to the Malton based Richard Fahey with his three-year-old filly Flowing Clarets in six furlong Claiming race. 

The 7/1 shot by Pastoral Pursuits hung left as it took up for home two out, jockey Patrick Mathers keeping the filly going forward though to take the race by a length and a half from Dynamic Girl.

‘This type of race is practically the limit she is.'

‘This type of race is practically the limit she is, ‘mentioned the jockey. ‘she handled the ground well and picked up well for me in the end, it’s quite loose on top at the moment but as said she handled it well.’

The filly now on a 30% strike rate has not done too bad as a three-year-old, also winning one on all weather surfaces and is one we may see on a little winter campaign, and in these smaller races maybe one to take note.

Flowing Clarets

Brendan Powell and Martin Dwyer took the nursery handicap over the mile with Phoenix Reach.

Four runners went to post and coming past the finish line less that a length could separate the runners. 

The favourite Muirsheen Durkin coming in at second spot.

The 12/1 shot with five runs under his belt again seemed to hang left, but also seems to relish this give in the ground.

The jockey mentioning,’ I used to ride the sire also, but we always though he had a win in him, the rest of the lads had a bit of a laugh at me coming around the bend as we hung so badly, but he has got there in the end.’

With headpieces and the softer ground, this race certainly put this son of Phoenix Reach on the winner’s board, the trainer mentioned,’ I told Martin to do his own thing with him and it has worked, with twenty horses in the yard it’s just good to get a winner.’

Phoenix Reach.

Zlatan took the next race, the three year olds and upwards mile handicap, ridden by Dane O’Neil and trained by Ed de Giles, this quirky Dark Angle gelding made all of his 5/1 favourite standing being switched left to take his race a furlong out.

‘He has been a little more straight forward today, he is a type that has the ability but maybe the type that is better in these smaller races than the big ones, but he certainly has something.’

Zlatan

The trainer mentioned,’ He is a quirky type of animal really, and you just have to get every little bit out of him, but he has shown a little more resolve today.’

His only other win came at Bath on the softer ground under champion jockey now crowned Jim Crowley, one to keep an eye on if the ground stays soft for a possible quick return.

'He is a quirky type of animal really, and you just have to get every little bit out of him.'

Khalid Abdullah took the next in a rare visit to the winners enclosure this season with Exoteric out of the Charles Hills yard and ridden by Richard Kingscote. 

The three-year-old over the one mile two furlongs ran on well in the final furlong to take the race well by three lengths from Cordite out of the Jim Boyle yard, a 50% strike rate shows the worth of this gelding by Champs Elysees.

Exoteric

‘However it looked I always seemed comfortable, and I was pleased how he settled really, but he is a nice horse.’

The horse now winning three in a row on ground from firm to soft just shows how versatile this rangy type can be for this jockey who has had a positive season on some very nice horses, Mrs Danvers being one of them a winner early on in the season at the Berkshire track.

‘However it looked I always seemed comfortable.'

The last race, well for the professional jockeys that is at Windsor for 2016 was three year olds and upwards handicap stakes over the five-furlong dash. 

Again a tight run contest with Ron Hodges taking Dreams of Glory an eight-year-old home by a neck from John Bridger’s Stormflower, a trainer who usually gets the older horses in front.

Ron Hodges veteran ridden by Edward Greatrex who drove out well the gelding by Resplendent Glory the 8/1 shot now on his eleventh win from sixty-five starts. 

‘My three pounds and the ground certainly helped him today, he felt so well at the start and came out of the gates well he is such a nice horse and Ron loves him too, he must be a pleasure to train.’

Dreams of Glory 

Older horse seem to enjoy this figure of eight track, over the seasons many have come for their day in the sunshine, and this horse in no exception, the trainer, well his record speaks for itself  dating back from 1988. 

The jockey, well as he said ‘It’s gone okay, can’t complain.’

You know Ed neither can we.

'he is such a nice horse and Ron loves him too, he must be a pleasure to train.’

As the rain approached, the final race of the 2016 season saw thirteen runners take to the one mile three start.
A few years back, (2012) this meeting at this time saw a certain Richard Hughes take home seven winners from eight races, and it was fate that the eighth race at this meeting R Hughes now trainer saddled Fast Play for young sixth former James Perrett to ride his winner in the amateur handicap.

Hampered at the start, the four-year-old off top weight came through to hold on well in the final furlong taking on the far rail for the first time in the meeting.

Fast Play

‘She has taken me over to the far rail to be fair, but if she can get hampered at the start and take me over to the far side and also win, she has plenty more to give, it probably helped me a little to be off the pace for a lot of the race.’

As mentioned the young jockey still at sixth form and rides out for the Lambourn trainer said he was grateful for the trainer to give him a chance. 'I’m indebted to the guvnor really for giving me this chance and the owners, he is so good to ride out for I’m very lucky.’

It seems another candidate for the racing industry after school James mentioning that possibly not as a jockey but he would like to work somewhere within the industry.
Have we seen a new assistant to the champ jockey turned trainer who knows, but unknown to him he has just found that eighth race for Richard Hughes that’s for sure.

'I’m indebted to the guvnor really for giving me this chance and the owners, he is so good to ride out for I’m very lucky.’

Well that’s it for the track by the river next to the big castle in the Royal County, last one out……… Turn off the lights, until next year.

More blogs and images from Royal Windsor

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WINDSOR EIGHT, CROWLEY GREAT

Jim Crowley seemed to cement his place on the flat jockey’s wall of fame.

With barely a week to go until the flat season finale at Ascot, and with that the champion jockeys crown up for grabs, former national hunt jockey Jim Crowley seemed to cement his place on the flat jockey’s wall of fame.

Coming to the Royal Berkshire course the Ascot man with 141 winners, sixteen above the outgoing champ Silvestre De Sousa, Crowley steered home a double for the afternoon making it a near certainty if there is one for him to take the crown. 

With 300 hundred nation hunt winners, and the only ‘to be’ flat champion to have ridden in the Grand National, Crowley bought home Broadhaven Honey for Ed McMahon in the 2 year olds five-furlong nursery.

Crowley bought home Broadhaven Honey for Ed McMahon in the 2 year olds five-furlong nursery.

 ‘I’m just going to keep pressing on riding as many winners as I can, i have twelve rides today, and as Saturday comes and Ascot, then the enormity of what I have done will sink in.’ 

And not stopping is what this champion elect will do, four meetings over the next 48 hours, a trip to Redcar at the end of the week and then Ascot is what faces the jockey for the week. 

The Harbour Watch filly doing the job, at 7/1 running on gamely to beat Richard Hannon’s Fabric by ½ a length.

And to top it all the next race on William Haggas’s Ejeemi Crowley made all to take a steady win by 2 lengths from the favourite First Voyage.

Jumping out the stalls smartly the jockey soon had the three-year-old by Sahmaardal well in his stride for his one-mile voyage in the first division of the three year olds and upwards maiden stakes. 

Running up gamely on the stand size rail the jockey mentioning he was a nice horse that moved well and enjoyed the ground at Windsor.

And to top it all the next race on William Haggas’s Ejeemi Crowley made all to take a steady win by 2 lengths from the favourite First Voyage.

With rides up to the last at Windsor, a helicopter ride to Chelmsford and a 8.25PM clock off time, Jim Crowley would not be one to be said to be sitting on his laurels, the former Amateur turned jump jockey, now champion flat jockey certainly is working as hard as his two winners at Windsor’s penultimate flat meeting of the season.

Broadhaven Honey

Ejeemi

The second division of the mile maiden went to top weight Archery Peak, trained by Luca Cumani, the four-year-old by Arch out of a Fusaichi Pegasus mare shot to evens money favourite and only ever having three runs in his career, this lightly raced horse on paper looked the banker of the day.

Ridden by Adam Kirby who mentioned, ‘he is a nice type, but only a moderate sort of race really.’ 

Archery Peak,

Asked why the horse has been very light on the racecourse visits over his four years the jockey said. ‘I just ride them really, so best to ask the trainer on that one.’

 Says to me and with the evidence of the betting, the Newmarket trainer has seen something in this four-year-old that most cannot. One to watch me thinks.

 Says to me and with the evidence of the betting, the Newmarket trainer has seen something in this four-year-old that most cannot. One to watch me thinks.

Going back to the first race of the afternoon, the six furlongs two-year-old maiden stakes. Open wide trained by Amanda Perret, who indecently is the sister in law of Jim Crowley and who gave the champion his first rides under flat rules. Ran on well inside the final furlong to take the race by a length from Wedgwood Wonder, Founding Father the 5/2 favourite in third.

‘He is a very nice horse in the making, and has stuck his head out for me well there,’ mentioned the jockey Paul Maulrennan who last weekend at Chantilly was unlucky on the Nunthorpe winner, Meccas Angle in the Prix de l’abbaye, a possible entry in the champions sprint at Ascot this weekend.

The well bred two-year-old by Invincible Spirit out of an Indian Ridge mare in only his third run seems a nice type, and one that would look to improve as it rises into a three-year-old.

One for the notebooks again I feel for the new season.

Open wide

The three-year-old and upwards fillies and mares race was taken by 5/1 shot Invermere. 

Trained by Richard Fahey and ridden by Windsor debutante, 5 lbs claimer Adam McNamara, the Kyllachy filly was driven out in the final furlong to beat the favourite, Henry Candy’s Nicarra.

‘I was probably in front a little too soon,’ mentioned the jockey. ‘But she is a versatile type that has won her race well.’

Nicarra, Carp Diem Lady, Invermere

Asked what he thought of Windsor the young jockey said.’ Yeah I’ve enjoyed it, never been here before and it is always good when on a winner.’

With thirteen runs on a racecourse and three wins under her belt it would be safe to say you would have to watch how the handicapper reacts to the win, a favourable weight could see this filly race and win sooner rather than later.

Asked what he thought of Windsor the young jockey said.’ Yeah I’ve enjoyed it, never been here before and it is always good when on a winner.’

Charles Hill took the three year olds and upwards six-furlong handicap with Menai. 

The Dark Angle gelding at 6/1 went past the post four lengths in front of Jonathan Portman’s Equistar.

 Steve Drowne on board the horse who has disappointed the last few runs mentioned, ‘a flat track has suited him better today, he has always shown a bit at home really and I thought he would be a possible Britannia horse, but its probably he’s a back end horse over six furlongs that will pick up races.’

With two wins from ten starts the horse that has ran in some fair decent company maybe one to take heed of what his jockey has mentioned in the back stages of a season and the win at Windsor being an easier contest for the horse, could be out again soon, and one to watch.

Menai.

The conditions race for three year olds and upwards saw Beardwood a horse with indifferent form take the race by 1/2 a length from Priors Brook from the Andrew Balding yard.

The four-year-old by Dutch Art out of a Be My Guest mare ran a creditable fourth in the Cambridgeshire, but disappointed at Redcar nine days ago, ‘ it was a race that suited him,’ mentioned Adam Kirby on board,

‘Its certain you would get another win out of him to be sure.’

Priors Rock (Left) Beardwood ( right)

Trained in Middleham by Mark Johnston,the horse was driven out by Kirby in the final furlong to win well in the end, and look hopefully the type if the handicapper treats him well to win a few more contests.

Zodiakos the favourite meanwhile came in well tailed off, under Jim Crowley, trained by Hugo Palmer the three-year-old stepping down in class, looked a good thing for a treble for the champion elect, the report back being the Kodiac gelding was never going, would be one to watch though.

The last race of the afternoon went to the Newmarket yard of Marco Botti. 

Owned by the Heart of the South Racing and ridden by Martin Harley, Velvet Revolution battled out well with the favourite Tyrell from Alan Kings yard to take the tree year old one mile three-furlong handicap by a nose.

Tyrell (left) Velvet Revolution (Right)

‘The horse has a lot of heart and gelding him has certainly helped him, he is a nice stayer, his brother was the same.’

By Pivotal out of a Perugino mare now with one win from five starts looks a type that will be better for another winter, still not looking the full package, but one surly to watch from a trainer that will surly bite back from a fairly quite season behind him.

‘The horse has a lot of heart and gelding him has certainly helped him, he is a nice stayer, his brother was the same.’

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A GREAT EIGHT AS WINDSOR TAKES ON WINTER

As the flat racing fraternity is still getting over French dressing from the weekend, Windsor racecourse starts to countdown it’s last three meetings of the 2015-16 season.

The great and the good were on display, not only in horseflesh but trainers and jockeys a like, and with fine late autumn weather and eight races on the card the good to soft ground bought some fine racing.

The first race a six-furlong maiden for three year olds, Henry Candy saddled 7/2 favourite Santorini to take the race by a length from Bella’s Venture.

Santorini 

Ridden by Dane O’Neill the three-year-old maiden stayed on to take his race well.

 By Tagula out of a Whipper mare,the gelding took a race that I would say could spring up a hatful of winners, a blanket separating the first seven horses home.

Still revelling over the yards fantastic Prix De La Foret win with stable star Limatoe the trainer seemed in fine spirits, despite a major piece of travelling over the past twelve hours.

Ridden by Dane O’Neill the three-year-old maiden stayed on to take his race well.

A fair few horses to notebook in this one,but one to note was third placed Hurricane Rock out of the Simon Dow yard. Idled a little in the stalls, but finished strong, jockey John Egan having difficulty pulling up.

But a good open race to boot,few to many to watch.

The next two races were a divided maiden stakes for two year olds over the Windsor mile.

Glorious Forever won division one, beating Dettori on John Gosden’s Jewel House by a neck. 

Ridden by George Baker fresh off his first group one success in the Prix Du Cadran on Quest for More,who mentioned, ‘He is a big type of horse that has been given plenty of time, he has idled a bit in front and as Frankie has come to join me he has gone on. He is a horse that has potential for sure.’

Glorious Forever

Ryan Moore

Division two of the maiden saw another successful jockey from the weekends French elegance continue in winning ways. 

Ryan Moore on Sir Michael Stouts Adamant took the race by a length and a quarter from again Mr Dettori on Hugo Palmer's Munawer.

The good looking Dalakhan colt seems a horse to note for next season and looks the type to improve.

Ryan Moore on Sir Michael Stouts Adamant took the race by a length and a quarter from again Mr Dettori on Hugo Palmer's Munawer.

The jockey in no mood for media during the afternoon, but more like having his fill of questions about his success in the Prix De l’arc. 

But to be sure the success for the jockey did not stop under the shadows of the palace of Chantilly.

Geneva Convention, Ryan Moore on top took the mile two-year-old handicap by half a length from the favourite Calibration ridden by Jim Crowley.

Geneva Convention, (far left) Ryan Moore on top took the mile two-year-old handicap

Trained by Richard Hannon, whom himself having a double for the afternoon, Skeaping taking the claiming stakes under Pat Dobbs who is off in October to Dubai to see out the British winter.

 Both horses looked very nice types, well bred to boot. 

Skeaping

Geneva Convention by Clodovil out of a Galileo mare, will now more likely be put away until his three-year-old campaign, but a horse well liked by the Marlborough trainer.

Skeaping by Excellent Art, again out of a Galileo mare, and wearing blinkers, this three-year-old beating the favourite Cold Fusion in the claiming stakes. Both horses claimed for their asking price.

Skeaping by Excellent Art, again out of a Galileo mare.

Geneva Convention

Glorious Forever won division one, beating Dettori on John Gosden’s Jewel House by a neck. 

 Adamant

Harry Bentley was another jockey stopping at the Royal Berkshire course, before going home from his excursions to France,

 Wild Hacked for the Marco Botti yard again beating Frankie Dettori by a short margin, half a length on Gosden’s Stratum.

Bentley still rolled over after his win on Limatoe, squeezed up between the Italian and the rails, holding on in the final few yards of the race.

Wild Hacked (far left) for the Marco Botti yard again beating Frankie Dettori by a short margin, half a length on Gosden’s Stratum.

Wild Hacked

‘He has won well really, he is a type that has to carry momentum through and I was always just in the space between Frankie and the rail, when I’ve asked him to go through it his momentum has taken him.’

The three-year-old seems to have improved with a step up in distance and was a pleasing winner for Khalid Bin Ali Al Khalifa who was in attendance.

The combination of Roger Varian and Andrea Atzeni, disappointed on the promise of Promising in the Arc, yet no to be, made up for it in some sorts with a nice win in the three-year-olds Handicap with Tiercel.

This very competitive race saw the Olden Times colt out of a Diesis mare take the race on the line beating Outback Ruler trained by Clive Cox by a neck.

Tiercel (right) Outback Ruler (left)

‘He has always gone very well at home; the ground today wasn’t really to his liking but his class has seen him through. He has a lengthy stride which we haven’t really been able to use on the top of the ground.’

The colt now will more like be put away until next season, but again was a pleasing win for Prince Faisal who graced the Berkshire turf.

‘He has always gone very well at home; the ground today wasn’t really to his liking but his class has seen him through.'

As with Promising no excuses from the Newmarket trainer, the A game just did not cross the English Channel. But as the yard mentions we live to look on to next year.

To complete proceedings, the eighth race was a five furlongs’ dash for amateur riders. 

Fourteen runners to post 20/1 shot Frangarry ridden by nineteen-year-old Jessica Cooley, trained by Newmarket based Alan Bailey took the race by ¾ of a length from Head Space.

 Frangarry

‘That was amazing, he travelled so well, I ride him every day at the yard and the trainer said to jump him out get him settled and then just let him go, and he did just that.’

The young amateur on her first winner, the only other handful of rides coming on a few horses under rules and in Arab racing was delighted with the win, the four-year-old unable to get off the maiden streak in fourteen runs.

‘The yard hasn’t had a greatest of seasons, so it was good to get another win in, hope the boss is happy with me.’  Asked about turning professional? ‘if I can get my weight down then yes I’d love to turn apprentice.’

‘That was amazing, he travelled so well.'

The image above says it all smiles all around, not only for Jessica but all that attended this bumper card on the most quality of afternoons.

More Windsor meetings throughout the season can be seen at

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