SIX hunters’ chases were run in Britain between Wednesday, February 5th and Wednesday, February 19th inclusive, the most informative of which may have been that held last Saturday at Haydock.
There, in a four-horse race over two miles, six furlongs, the Paul Nicholls-trained Alcala, a 4/1 shot, got up close home to score by three and three-quarter lengths from the 4/6 favourite, Wishing And Hoping, with The Dellercheckout a long way back in third.
The winner, a 10-year-old French-bred gelding by Turgeon, was ridden by the 7lb-claimer Angus Chelada who had also been on board Alcala when the grey, in front and looking like a winner at the time, fell at the second last on his British debut at Ludlow last month.
In contrast, the Phil Rowley-trained, Alex Edwards-ridden Wishing And Hoping had started his season with an open success at Ffos Las in early December followed by a hunters’ chase victory at Taunton roughly a month later.
The Dellercheckout, ridden by Immy Robinson for her mother Caroline, landed opens at Barbury (December 15th) and Sheriff Hutton (January 12th) after which the Getaway gelding won the hunters’ chase at Ludlow on February 5th.
The aforementioned Cheleda won two opens this season when deputising for owner David Maxwell but the Downpatrick-born, London-based property investor was in the saddle himself when the Paul Nicholls-trained Bob And Co and the Rose Loxton-trained Shantou Flyer won hunters’ chases at Bangor on Friday, February 7th and at Fakenham seven days later.
A third hunters’ chase success looked on the cards for Maxwell at Doncaster on Wednesday just past but, having made all the running in the four-runner three-mile, two-furlong race the Nicholls-trained Captain Cattistock wandered going into the second last and dramatically deposited his rider over the fence.
That left the way clear for Toby Wynne to record a comfortable success on the 13-year-old Just A Par.
The six-year-old French-bred gelding Risk And Roll (by No Risk At All) landed the nine-runner hunters’ chase at Leicester on Thursday, February 13th in the hands of Milo Herbert.
Glory And Honour marks Irish-bred domination
THE weather has had a major effect on point-to-pointing in Britain over the past two weekends and, at time of writing, has already impacted the sport today and tomorrow.
While both meetings scheduled for Saturday, February 8th went ahead as planned, all three due to take place the following afternoon were postponed. Last weekend only one meeting took place out of the eight listed including some re-arranged fixtures.
There were five Irish-bred winners on the seven-race card at Chaddesley Corbett on Saturday, February 8th including Glory And Honour who made all on his debut to land the opening two-and-a-half-mile four-, five- and six-year-old maiden by 15 lengths in the hands of Co Galway native, Tommie O’Brien.
The 2016 Elusive Pimpernel gelding ran in the colours of his trainer, Anya Ingman, who, through Tom Bennett, gave €17,500 for the bay at Tattersalls Ireland last May; he was due to come under the hammer again at Cheltenham yesterday.
Bred at Sunnyhill Stud, Glory And Honour is the first foal out of the Sakhee mare On Khee who won three times on the flat and comes from the family of Accipiter and Brave Tornado.
Another winner with a human Irish connection at this Albrighton & Woodland (North) meeting was Mr Snuffles who saw off the favourite, Miss Seagreen, to claim the 13-runner restricted by one and a half lengths under Huw Edwards.
An eight-year-old gelding by Mr Dinos out of the unraced High Roller mare Magnum Society, the chesnut, who was winning for the third time, is trained by Co Cork-born Joe O’Shea.
The Joseph Smiddy-bred Getaway Flyer (Getaway – No Moore Bills, by Nicholas Bill) made it back-to-back successes when Jodie Hughes partnered the seven-year-old mare to victory in the 11-runner restricted. The bay ran in the colours of her Welsh trainer, Roger Wilcox.
The well-known colours of six-time ladies’ champion Pat Tollit were carried to victory in the ladies’ open by Josephine Banks on board the Diana Ralph-trained Hidden Charmer. The eight-year-old Stowaway gelding (out of Manhattan Babe, by Definite Article) beat the 4/5 favourite, Tb Broke Her, by two lengths.
Father-daughter success
The other Irish-bred winner on the card was Doc Carver who gave Rebecca Pugh her first win on her fifth start in the PPORA Club members novice riders’ conditions race. Doc Carver, a nine-year-old gelding by Lakeshore Road, is owned and trained by the successful rider’s father, Dennis.
Five of the six winners at Cottenham that day were bred in this country including the 10-year-old Beneficial gelding Forever Field (hunt members’ race), the similarly-aged Court Cave gelding Just Cause (men’s open) and the 11-year-old Presenting gelding Lord Scoundrel (ladies’ open).
The final two races on the card, both maidens, went to horses carrying an IRE suffix. In the four-runner three-mile maiden, the honours went to the 10/1 shot Manicman who was ridden by Jack M. Andrews for owner/trainer Bella Sowray.
The Getaway gelding was bred by Mary Fanning McCormack out of unraced Saddlers’ Hall mare Quinnsboro Hall, a half-sister to the 10-time winner Finger Onthe Pulse.
The two-and-a-half-mile maiden attracted nine starters and was won by the Rob Cundy-trained Josh The Plod under his owner, Charlie Buckle. The six-year-old Arcano gelding was bred by Brenda Reilly out of an Azamour mare, Dune Breeze.
Weather can’t dampen Ellis and Andrews’ day
THE sole point-to-point to survive the weather last weekend was at Brocklesby Park on Saturday when 37 of the 86 entries ran including Nicki’s Nipper who walked over in the hunt members’ race under owner Clare Pickering.
Four of the other six winners were Irish-bred including all three who provided trainer Tom Ellis and his rider wife Gina Andrews with a short-priced treble. The Warwickshire-based couple now top their respective leaderboards on 18 and 14 wins, both well clear of their nearest rivals.
The couple’s third and final winner on a blustery day was the four-year-old Getaway gelding Striking A Pose who, having seen off the only other finisher by 25 lengths on his debut in the concluding three-mile maiden, was due to be sold at Cheltenham yesterday.
A €32,000 Goffs Land Rover Sale purchase last June and owned by Ellis in partnership with Chris Jones, Striking A Pose is out of the unraced Be My Native mare Clonsingle Native whose previous produce include the five-time winner Ackertac (by Anshan).
Earlier in the day, Ellis and Andrews claimed the five-runner intermediate with the seven-year-old Dubai Destination gelding Dubai Quest (out of Longueville Quest, by Witness Box) and the seven-runner restricted with the seven-year-old Beneficial gelding Benefaktor (out of Hopeful Gleam, by Simply Great).
The Ellis yard did suffer a couple of reversals during the day with the Jack Andrews-ridden King Of The Clothe being beaten a head into second in the mixed open by the Oliver Pimlott-trained eight-year-old Golden Tornado gelding Duhallow Tornado (out of Cappard Ridge, by Executive Perk).
The 6/4 favourite initiated a double for Co Galway-born Tommie O’Brien which was completed in the three-runner mares’ maiden by the Sophie Lacey-trained French-bred favourite, Gold Clermont, who had the Gina Andrews-partnered Latenightfumble three lengths back in second.