Was Higham the only dry place in the country? The courses
first meet of the season saw 85 entries but only 35 declared for the six-race
card that was run on good/good to firm ground. Ground that spectators could certainly
hear the hooves rattle around the flat left handed track.
With a midweek cold snap that saw the thaw take its time to
come out of the East Anglian area course the organizers worked hard to get the
meeting going.
An early inspection saw the stewards omit the few fences
going out into the back straight making the fences 15 instead the usual 19.
Races cutting up into small contests allowed the firm ground
lovers to zip on to make fast run contests that in some events sorted the men out
from the boys.
It was local trainer and great supporter of the track
Andrew Pennock who made most of the day by saddling three winners throughout
the afternoon, the trainer that never really stops to take in all his
hard work was a hard man to find and talk to Constantly on the move, it was
left to his owners and jockeys to talk about his achievements.
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| Abbey lane takes the fence from placed horses Drumshambo and Carlanstown |
Abbey Lane opened the batting for the Pennock team with a
nine length win over Drumshambo in the Waveney Harriers members race for
veteran and novice riders.
Ridden by Ben James the 12-year-old took his
pointing career of four runs, two wins and two places the last win coming two
weeks back that time on good to soft ground.
‘It’s plenty firm enough out
there, but it’s safe which is the main thing,'mentioned the jockey. 'I got the ride off Mr Pennock
this morning and have been told plenty about him, I was delighted when I got
the call.’
The young assistant trainer to Michael Bell, who has ridden winners over both disciplines explained, ‘ I work for Mr Bell in the morning, after
midday I’m available then to go off school or ride out for other trainers, so
it works very well.’
On eight pointing rides with two winners, twenty five rides
on the flat and under rules this young jockey/trainer certainly comes with
experience and has something the trained eye of Pennock has noticed.
The
same can be said about the horse also who certainly looks the type to come on
from his endeavours, and one to note.
The in form trainer had to wait until the last two races to notch up his
finale two winners of the afternoon. Mahler’s Sprit winning the maiden open by
a length from Archie Wright having a positive season himself on Le Fou Royal by
a length.
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| Mahler’s Sprit winning the maiden open by a length from Le Fou Royal |
The seven-year-old chestnut owned by avid supporters of the
local trainer the 2 Farmers, a Butcher and two mates’ partnership were somewhat
surprised by the win.
'We didn’t really have a bet on him today as he was just
out for the run being a bit short on work,the weather has meant he hasn’t been
able to jump many fences but we seem to be lucky owners for Andrew, or he is a
lucky trainer for us. He is a good trainer though.’
Ridden by Evan David the horse seemed very competitive, the race run at a
much more sedate pace throughout the distance compared to earlier races and off
the fast ground it would be interesting to see how the gelding reacts to the
run and progresses.
The partnership not shy of collecting point to point races
as they owned the mare Galros Lady who was leading winning mare last season.
Again the trainer not present at the prize giving, never
stopping he was saddling up two in the last race of the day, jockey Evan David also
having to rush off to get on the 11/10 favourite for the trainer in the Restricted race.
The local trainer on a brace sent two to post for the final
race of the day, Scorpion Star ridden by David, the jockey looking for a double
for the afternoon and his 40th winner of his career.
And 7/4 shot
Torran Na Dtonn, ridden by another jockey looking for a double for the
afternoon Shane Roche.
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| Torran Na Dtonn, ridden by another jockey looking for a double for the afternoon Shane Roche. |
The favourite looked to be set to win three out, Roche on
the other Pennock horse on his heels, but it was the nine-year-old Torran Na
Dtonn who took the last in clean fashion, the favourite faltering giving Evan a
nasty fall, to take him to a 6-length win from Mere Detail and Charlie Marshall.
‘I had trouble pulling this fella up to be fair,’ mentioned
the Irishman. ‘He pulled my arms out the whole way around, he travelled so well
he’d test your fitness that’s for sure.’
The gelding by Fruits of Love looked a nice solid type for
chasing, and showed good jumping and enthusiasm that would be sure when out again
be hard to beat.
The jockey on two wins for the afternoon was delighted to
get good rides of quality trainers.’ I was asked to ride this one mid-week by Mr
Pennock and any ride from the stable is a good spare to get.
All three of the winners from the Andrew Pennock stable
looked very promising for the future and must of made for a happy horsebox on
the way home
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| Abbey lane |
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| Mahler’s Sprit (farside) Le Fou Royal (nearside) |
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| Torran Na Dtonn and Shane Roche. |
Shane Roche’s other winner of the afternoon came in the
shape of another spare ride. This time for fellow countryman Thomas Gallagher’s
Mr Raj the usual mount of Sam Davies-Thomas, who took the PPROA members race by
two lengths form Mister Bricolage ridden by Archie Wright.
‘He well suits this ground and has ran very well so early
on,’ mentioned the trainer.’ This was really meant as a prep race for him, but
it’s all fallen in so well for him today. Shane has ridden him well for me
today and I’ve told him to ride his own race, I just need now to find the right
races for him, he probably is not that much of an open race contender.
The jockey on 55 rides pointing and hunter chasing with
seven wins under his belt, six of the wins coming from race card doubles
mentioned, ’Tom has a nice bunch of horses with Mr Reddington, this horse is a
really nice jumper and we all thought he needed a run, he is a spring horse
really but I have given him a squeeze and he has come on for me.’
The trainer now with his work cut out to find races for the
nine-year-old, but note should be taken by this well-respected trainer when he
has horses out they would be well worth a follow.
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| Mr Raj |
Both open races on early entries looked very competitive
affairs,at declaration only six runners between the two races came forward on
the firm ground.
The Men’s open, trainer Francesca Nimmo sent her eleven-year-old
Green Bank to post the 4/7 favourite.
The pace not for the faint hearted certainly showed for from one
of the participants Good Order who found the going and pace too hot early on was well tailed off from the front pair of Green bank and Guy Disney on Off the
Ground.
At the eleventh fence the fast pace jumping was a little too
sharp for the Guy Disney mount as they came crashing to the ground giving the
jockey a nasty fall, this left Hugh Nugent and Green bank unchallenged for a
circuit to take the race at his ease.
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| Francesca Nimmo sent her eleven-year-old Green Bank to post the 4/7 favourite. |
‘I rode this fella at Barbury last time out and got
unseated, he was probably a little too over keen, but he has settled well and
is a horse we like a lot in the yard,’ mentioned the trainer on her first win of the season. Who last season
had a good run of winners in the Spring. ‘We have some really nice maidens to
run yet in the spring so all going well the season should pick up, they all
school at Mollington tomorrow so i hope all goes well there.’
Hugh Nugent who usually rides for the Cotswold based trainer
mentioned,’ being left on his own suited him really, the pace was very hot
to start as in a small field we had two big front runners, but he has jumped
well and with his head in front was happy with the way things were for him, if
he gets headed that’s when he seems to chuck the towel in a bit.’
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| Hugh Nugent on Green Bank |
The ladies open was run a similar fashion as that of the
previous race, a good pace was set, but quality showed through as the Alan Hill
trained Start Royal went to post on his 37th outing, 22 being wins.
Ridden by sixteen-year-old Izzie Marshall, Gina Andrews at
another meeting the thirteen year old looked the class act taking the lead from
the sixth fence and pulling away from his only two other competitors by 15
lengths two out.
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| Alan Hill trained Start Royal |
‘He is such a dream ride to get,’ mentioned the young jockey
still studying for her A levels. ‘I took the five pounds off still being a
novice rider but it was an honour to get the call with Gina being somewhere
else, I have to be honest about it getting on him I was slightly nervous as he
is such an amazing horse and I didn’t want to let anyone down, but he looked
after me so well out there.'
The jockey on a 40% strike rate, four winners from ten rides
regularly rides out for the Oxfordshire based trainer, in between school work,
the Hill yard being the place to be for jockeys with talent to tune into their
craft.
‘Riding out and schooling in the yard helps me so much, everyone is
eager to give good feedback and areas to work on so it really helps.’
Riding quality horses such as Start Royal also helps get the
young jockeys noticed, and there must be something the Hills have seen in this
young jockey to give her this sort platform to perform on.
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| sixteen-year-old Izzie Marshall receives her pize for the Ladies open |
So not a vast number of runners for the meeting, but a
quality one to boot.
All fallers and tumblers getting up and walking away from
their spills, all applauded by the enthusiastic crowd which adds to the
afternoon enjoyment.
Back to East Anglia again this weekend as Horseheath, one of
the best viewing tracks available has its first meeting of the 2016-17 season,
weather permitting……
