The Jumps season is winding up considerably, and this is amply demonstrated by the higher volume of runners and some well-regarded horses for this closing fixture of the 2024 season. 76 runners contested the 7 race card, providing each-way betting in every race but one.
It was a day of firsts, albeit that might sound like stating the obvious when 7 races have to adjudge a winner in each. Leaving that aside, 10lb claimer Chad Bament scored his first winner under Rules for Anthony Honeyball in the 2m6f handicap hurdle on the five year old Juggernaut, who picked off Fern O’Brien on her father’s Zhang Fei at the last and won going away as his name might suggest.
The Honeyball team in Dorset is rarely to be underestimated, and is already close to half the winners achieved last season, albeit in modest races so far. Horses like Sam Brown (rated 160), Kilbeg King (152) and Forward Plan (142), last season’s big earner for the yard, tell a story of a yard knocking on the top ten.
Springs A Girl outperformed punters’ expectations in the opener, even if the 1 1/4l victory at 80/1 was no great surprise to trainer Martin Keighley. In winning her first hurdle race in this mares’ maiden, she also offered up a first winner in 615 days for 7lb claimer Daire McConville, whose last winner was but a distant memory. As a claimer, visibility is everything; riding winners attracts the attention of other trainers. This was a welcome change of fortune for the rider who has ridden just 10 mounts this season to date, all for boss Keighley.
Alan King’s flat campaign has missed flagbearer Trueshan scoring big this term to fill the coffers, and truth be told, it’s difficult to replace horses of that calibre. However, the doughty Scot is a past master at finding youngsters who can win a hurdle race or two, and another such candidate was showcased in the EBF Novices’ Hurdle qualifier, underwritten by fellow trainer Charlie Longsden. Tom Bellamy rode an unfussed race on the four year old Mythical Moon, making his challenge 3 out, and picking off the leader on the run-in to score by 1 1/4l over Sixmilebridge and Nowmelad a further 1 1/4l in third. King isn’t yet troubling the leaders in the Championship, but you can be sure Barbury will produce something of note over the next few months.
One man who knows more than any other about first places is Dan Skelton, whose Alcester yard is running rich on a 29% strike rate presently, and has built up a healthy lead in the Trainers’ Championship. In the past week, he has averaged a winner a day, the 25th being his only blank. He didn’t disappoint Stratford fans this time around either, with Betfair and County Hurdle runner-up (see below) L’Eau du Sud graduating successfully, albeit not without incident, to fences. Despite making his own running in the 2m 3f contest, he made a right hash of the fourth, but continued in front to beat No Risk Des Flos 10l. He’s sure to strip sharper after more schooling at home.
Ben Pauling is another trainer really getting into gear now the autumn is fully upon us. Harry’s Hope justified 8/15 favouritism and won with a bit in hand in the 2m 6f Handicap Chase, named after John Rowe, father of Stratford Chairman Michael. This has been a slower start than last year for Pauling, but tells of a higher calibre of horse under his care. Expect to see him fielding runners in all the big races this term, most ridden by stable rider ben Jones, for whom this was a 19th scalp of the season.
Stratford is one of just two racecourses persisting with selling races over Jumps, the other being Leicester. The trend toward sales on the racecourse has largely put paid to this form of purchase, but whilst 1 1/2l winner Sam’s Amour was led out with no bid, the racecourse benefited from claims for second-placed Fame And Fun, a rare seller runner from Paul Nicholls, who moves to the Bowen yard, and Faraway West, claimed by Ian Marmion from Daisy Hitchins. Trainer Keiran Burke, who is also the owner, picked up the £2,900 winning prize albeit that may not have been the ultimate objective.
The season closed with another bumper, in which the 3 year old filly Watamu made a winning debut under any Rules, with an 8 1/2l victory for Harry Bannister and trainer Pat Murphy.
Stratford fans have five months to wait until the restart in March, but tickets will be on sale in the New Year.
