FIVE point-to-points were held in Britain between last Wednesday week and Monday just past with James King riding six winners in that time frame, giving him a seasonal total of 25 going into this fourth-last weekend of the campaign.
King recorded a double at Cothelstone on Wednesday, May 12th, where there were just three Irish-bred winners on the eight-race card. He got off the mark for the afternoon in the men’s open on the 11-year-old High Chaparral gelding Thumb Stone Blues, who he also trains, and completed his double in the restricted on the Michael Bowen-trained Staple Head, a nine-year-old gelding by Morozov.
The concluding maiden at this Weston & Banwell Harriers’ evening fixture fell to the Teresa Clark-trained, Darren Andrews-ridden The Kitchenmecanic who saw off his better-fancied stable-companion, Jasmin Des Borde
Four days later, King was in action at Tabley where he partnered three winners, two of whom were for Francesca Nimmo.
The pair combined to score with one of three Irish-bred winners on the seven-race card, the eight-year-old Doyen mare For Rita, who landed the club members’ conditions race as the odds-on favourite, and followed this up with victory in the older horses’ maiden with the British-bred Mahon Point (by Kayf Tara) who was due to come up as Lot 510 at Doncaster on Wednesday.
King initiated his treble at this Knutsford Races Club fixture in the keepers’ conditions race on the Angela Slatter-trained Waterloo Warrior, a nine-year-old Kalanisi gelding.
Again riding for Nimmo at Bratton Down on Monday, King landed the intermediate with one of four Irish-bred winners on the six-race card, the seven-year-old Yeats gelding Largy Mountain who brought up a hat trick of victories for his connections.
The reigning men’s champion, Jack Andrews, partnered two winners during the same period, and is now in co-third place on the leaderboard with 15 successes.
He got the leg-up at Cothelsone on the British-bred Lassue who claimed the second division of the two and a half mile maiden as the even-money favourite.
The five-year-old Geordieland mare, who is trained by the currently sidelined former multiple champion Will Biddick for his in-laws, the Nuttall family, is among the entries for the Tattersalls Cheltenham May Sale at Newmarket next Thursday.
Hexham winner
Cherry Coward provided Andrews with a winning mount at Hexham on Saturday in One Conemara, the 13-year-old Milan gelding recording his 11th victory between the flags in the nine-year-old and upwards conditions race.
Riding, and training, honours at this Haydon meeting went to Rosie Howarth who initiated her first ever double in the restricted on the six-year-old Getaway gelding Rossderrin and completed it in the Skinner’s ladies’ open with the year-older Touch Of Land gelding, Merrion Avenue.
Among the other four Irish-bred winners on the eight-race card was the William Easterby-trained and ridden Ask To Dance who landed division one of the two and a half-mile maiden.
The five-year-old Ask gelding was led out unsold at £19,000 as Lot 508 at Goffs UK’s Spring Sale during the week.
MANY congratulations to Co Meath’s Georgie Benson who partnered her first winner in Britain at Cothelstone last Wednesday week and her second at Edgcote on Sunday on her only two mounts during that period.
The 22-year-old, who previously worked for Gordon Elliott, joined Alan and Lawney Hill in July 2019 and the majority of her 15 rides to date have been for their Oxfordshire yard.
Benson won the novice riders’ conditions race at Cothelstone on the Alan Hill-trained Knight Bachelor while the 11-year-old Vinnie Roe gelding Barney Dwan, her winner of the mixed open at Edgcote, is trained by Sally Randell.
There were six Irish-bred winners on the eight-race card at this Grafton hunt meeting.
These included the seven-year-old Gold Well gelding Everything Now who, under owner Alexandra Ingram, brought up a double for trainer Francesca Nimmo in division one of the maiden, and the 13-year-old Darsi gelding Sir Mangan who, partnered by Ben Sutton, initiated a double for the Hill yard in the novice riders’ final.
Like Benson, Co Galway native Tommie O’Brien rode a winner at Cothelstone where the Chris Barber-trained French-bred Famous Clermont obliged in the opening conditions race.
On Sunday, he travelled to Tabley where he won the veteran horse race on the Joanne Priest-trained Ballyboker Breeze, a 13-year-old gelding by Gold Well.
Co Meath’s Martin McIntyre rode at Monday’s evening meeting at Bratton Down where he partnered the 4/5 favourite, Know The Score, to a half-length success in the featured four-mile, one-furlong mixed open.
The successful eight-year-old Flemensfirth gelding, who won a bumper, a hurdle and a chase when trained by David Pipe, is now in the care of Leslie Jefford.
Know The Score was sold for £380,000 at Tattersalls Cheltenham Sale in November 2017 following a first-time out success in a four-year-old maiden at Ballinaboola earlier that month for the Sean Doyle yard.