Peter McNeile – Page 12 – Stratford Racecourse | Horse Racing

Kap Auteuil clocks four-timer to bookend our season

Posted on October 31, 2021October 31, 2021 by Peter McNeile

The feature event at Stratford’s penultimate fixture produced a race to savour when Kap Auteuil, successful here in March, completed a four-timer for long time owners Andrew and Sarah Wates in the colours made famous by Rough Quest in the National many moons ago.

Race sponsor Charlie Longsdon wasn’t represented in this annual race in his name, but he’ll wish he trained the winner, now that Toby Lawes has run up four chase winners with this French-bred son of Kapgarde. At the last, it was anyone’s race from the winner, Reserve Tank on the inside, and trying to come between horses, Carys’ Commodity. The last named hit the fence all wrong and capsized, whilst Reserve Tank fell independently, leaving the winner clear of a lucky Black Kalanisi for the Fergal O’Brien team. It’s an old adage but also true, that you have to jump round to win.

Kap Auteuil [noseband] and Tom Cannon win at Stratford. 28/10/2021 Pic Steve Davies

Toby Lawes, former work rider for Altior, and now embarked on a career training under his own name, has had a successful two days, this following a winner at Fakenham yesterday. If luck comes in threes, look out for his runners tomorrow.

The other handicap chase winner will have done nothing for injured Jonjo O’Neill Junior’s temper after Alan Cawley booted home the first of 3 winners today for the Jackdaws Castle team, with a double to follow under Richie McLernon at Ffos Las. Cawthorne Lad was largely unfancied, and was less than foot-perfect at the fifth, ninth and last, but by the home turn, Cawley had the measure of the race, and he was able to dominate Seamus Mullins’ Romanor, a winner here over half a mile shorter in July. The Jackdaws team are sending out runners and winners everywhere presently – definitely a team to follow.

The Queen may have something in common with Steel Wave, winner of the J H Rowe Memorial Chase later in the afternoon. Age doesn’t seem to be a barrier to either of them, and whilst the Gary Hanmer – trained Steel Wave can’t match Her Majesty’s 95 years, his 50 races ensure plenty of miles on the clock, but apparently, no loss of racing zest. The winner kept on nicely under Tabitha Worsely, another of our growing band of women riders ensuring racecourses are re-jigging the configuration of their changing room facilities.

Neighbour in the changing room, Bryony Frost continued her good week at the office with a follow up winner to yesterday’s at Taunton when Onemorefortheroad showed that experience counts against Alan King’s Call of the Wild in the British Stallion Studs EBF Nationakl Hunt Novices Hurdle. Frost conjured a good leap at the last against a sketchy one from her rival, and stayed on to a 1/2l victory.

The card opened with a mares maiden, in which Gazette Bourgeoise, trained by Ben Case at Edgcote, prevailed with some ease. The five year old ran consistently last winter whilst always finding one or two too good for her, and a summer seems to have improved her. A happy result all round, as well as for rider Harry Bannister, enjoying a 16th winner of the term.

Dan Skelton is a man on a mission to reach the top this season, focusing on quality runners to fill all the big races, but it’s rare not to write about him come a fixture at Stratford. We’re not going to make that omission here either, as despite withdrawing several runners on account of going quicker than he wanted, Dorisa Queen was able to send the team home to Alcester happy after triumphing by 4 1/4l in division one of the Wildix Unified Communications Handicap Hurdle, in the process earning brother Harry his 1,000th winner.

Harry Skelton jumps the last hurdle at Stratford for his 1000th career winner on Dorisa Queen. 28/10/2021 Pic Steve Davies

The second division went to another man in fine form at present. Ben Pauling has trained four winners in the last 7 days and the latest is 6 year old Norley, who justified 11/8 favouritism to win division two.

As if to prove that you don’t need to be of gold cup quality to produce a great finish, the Claire Dyson Equine Water Treadmill Selling Conditional Jockeys Hurdle produced a terrific finish in which any of three might have won at the last. The winner will head back to Grace Harris’s yard in Monmouthshire after failing to raise a bid in the ring afterwards, despite a most gutsy performance.

Is this the year for Skelton to win a Championship?

Posted on October 29, 2021October 26, 2021 by Peter McNeile

Dan Skelton looks set for another strong season as his yard seems to improve every year.

Skelton has made a solid start in the early stages of the 2021/22 campaign. As always, a lot will depend on who wins the big races at the major festivals this season as the Trainers’ Championship in Jump racing is decided on prize money. Much as we’d like to play a part during the frequent summer fixtures at Stratford, it’s more often that our early spring fixtures play a role in the closing stages of any championship bid.

With Champion Jockey Harry Skelton riding so well, the brothers may be in line for their best season yet on the track. Even if you weren’t able to attend this Spring, Skelton jnr was in blistering form as his elder brother helped him to a first Jockeys’ Championship with several doubles and trebles at Stratford in a blazing run of April form.

Strong Team Which Can Have Success At Cheltenham Festival

The Cheltenham Festival is the biggest meeting of the year in National Hunt racing. Although that comes at the end of the season, Skelton will already be thinking about which races his horses will run in, such is the impact of the Festival on the thinking of the elite of trainers.

Third Time Lucki last weekend made a winning start over fences at Cheltenham and he is likely to return to the same course for the Arkle. The novice chaser is 14/1 in the bet on horse racing ante-post market for the race at the Festival, although a lot of contenders haven’t yet been seen.

Skelton enjoyed four Grade One victories last season and one of those came with My Drogo in the Mersey Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree. The six-year-old was unbeaten over hurdles last year. He is now set to embark on a novice chase campaign. The horse is amongst the market leaders for all the novice chases next March.

Queen Mother Champion Chase runner-up Nube Negra looks set to tackle the leading 2m races this season. The Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown and the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton both carry decent prize money ahead of his shot at the leading 2m chase contest at the Festival.

Henderson and Nicholls Likely To Be Biggest Rivals Again

Skelton was able to split Henderson and Nicholls for the first time in his career next season but he will be fully aware of how strong both stables are. It could be one of the closest title races yet between the three trainers. There’s a certain irony in Nicholls’ one-time protégé pinching the title from his former teacher.

Nicholls won his 12th Trainers’ Championship last season. He had 172 winners, which was a career best for the Ditcheat trainer. Although he did not have a great Cheltenham Festival, he won the Tingle Creek and King George VI Chase.

Henderson, who is an eight-time winner of the Trainers’ Championship, won the Arkle last season, one of the highlights for the Seven Barrows man. With Gold Cup contender Chantry House in his stable, he will once again be targeting some of the biggest 3m+ chases.

The Grand National at Aintree is a race Henderson has yet to win. The world’s most famous steeplechase will be one of his priorities this season. If he can land the Aintree feature, he will go a long way towards regaining his crown. Indeed, such is the scale of the prize fund for the National that it puts almost any of the top five contenders into the fray.

Hopefully, we will see lots of runners from Skelton, Nicholls and Henderson at Stratford from next March. It is set to be a fascinating battle between these three leading exponents of their profession.

Living legends: celebrating Racing long after the last flag has been raised

Posted on October 26, 2021October 24, 2021 by Peter McNeile

It’s well known that the Irish love their Jump racing. Of course, plenty of British trainers are painfully aware of that fact at the moment, given the dominance we have seen from the Irish at blue-riband events like Cheltenham in recent years, even at this past weekend’s Showcase fixture. But today, some of those Raiders who delighted both British and Irish fans alike have a home in the Living Legends tour in County Kildare.

Visitors can visit the tour at the Irish National Stud, brushing up against the likes of Faugheen, Hardy Eustace and Hurricane Fly. While it’s in its infancy, Living Legends is a fantastic idea and has room to evolve into something much bigger. Moreover, it’s something that should be considered on this side of the Irish Sea.

Would racing fans pay a few quid to visit some of the modern greats in the UK? Would they appreciate a day out reliving great memories with stars Altior, Sprinter Sacré and Cue Card? It’s easy to see something like that being popular with British racing fans.

Take, for example, the latest member of the Living Legends tour – Faugheen. It’s difficult to stress just how popular “The Machine” was in Ireland during his heyday. And, when he joined the Living Legends, it became national news. There was a great buzz about Faugheen’s arrival, and it also sparked online debate about who could be next to arrive – Douvan? Tiger Roll one day? Obviously, the focus is on geldings who can’t sire foals, but you could also make room for some mares, like Annie Power or Quevega, once their breeding days are done.

Faugheen in his pomp, under Ruby Walsh

Fans enjoy a special relationship with their National Hunt stars

The racing journalist Enda McElhinney, who writes for The Telegraph and MansionBet Blog, once wrote in the latter about the unique relationship between fans and jumps racing horses. The prolonged careers, “returning year in, year out”, allows fans to develop affinities with certain horses that is arguably not possible on the flat. Yes, we all loved Frankel and other stars of the flat, and some can have lengthy careers. But the jumps horses who re-emerge to surprise us and win us over again have a different kind of appeal.

Consider Sprinter Sacré’s Champion Chase win in 2016. There’s a fair argument that it was the best Cheltenham Festival moment of the 21^st century. The proverbial roof came off the place, and the tears were flowing from more eyes than Nicky Henderson’s alone. But that moment came from fans developing a relationship with Sprinter down the years. The 2016 win carried the weight of history on Sprinter’s back, and that made it extra special.

Australia also has a living legends programme

Ireland is not alone in having a Living Legends tour. Australia, too, has it, although with a few differences. Ireland’s tour is run by the National Stud, whereas it’s a welfare charity Down Under. But you can see Melbourne Cup winners like Prince of Penzance, and it has homed many stars down the years, including Silent Witness and Apache Cat. The focus in Australia is a little different, having a big emphasis on taking horses ‘home’ from urban environments (notably Hong Kong), but the end result is similar: fans flock to see big names who sparkled on the track in the past.

Getting back to the British Isles, there is a logistical advantage for the Irish in terms of location (The National Stud in Kildare is within two hour’s drive of most of the major training operations) and in relationships through the various strata of racing, including government backing.

But wouldn’t it be nice to see a similar set-up in the UK?

Skelton and Murphy tune up for seasonal gear change

Posted on October 24, 2021October 24, 2021 by Peter McNeile

The Skelton machine has been quietly winding up to full speed, and this weekend’s full-blooded card across two days at Cheltenham and the Old Roan Chase at Aintree allowed some of that pent-up energy to be released. With a winner at Cheltenham on Friday and Allmankind’s seasonal debut at Aintree today, there was an indication of the latent firepower shortly to be released from the Alcester championship challenger.

Friday was the first day’s racing with any sort of crowd at Cheltenham since the infamous 2020 Festival, which brought the course plenty of brickbats given the level of infections that ensued afterwards as the first of our three lockdowns came about. Some 10,000 attended for what amounted to a normal day’s racing, although hand sanitiser and the odd mask were still in evidence. The overpowering atmosphere though was one of relief that racing can once again be enjoyed in the bucolic surroundings of Jump racing’s headquarters.

Even at this early stage in the autumn season, conversations are already hinting at March, and Third Time Lucki, last seen beaten 3 1/4l and 14 1/2l respectively behind Belfast Banter in the County Hurdle and Top Novices and the Festival and Aintree, did nothing to dispel such speculation with an impeccable chasing debut in the squareintheair Novices Chase over the minimum trip. 8 1/2l separated him from Irish challenger Buddy Rich, one of several runners from Gordon Elliott, at the line. His owner Andrew Newbould has the patience of Job, seemingly; he’s waited 30 years for a Cheltenham winner, and his horse is now quoted as short as 14/1 for the Arkle.

It looks like Skelton’s other winner of the weekend may skirt Cheltenham in March and endeavour to repeat today’s success in the Melling Chase at Aintree. Allmankind, winner of 4 races in his novice season including the Grade I Henry VIII Chase at Sandown, showed his liking for an extended trip in the Old Roan Chase over 2m 4f, beating fellow Warwickshire trainer Olly Murphy’s Itchy Feet by a length. There are further big races in store for both of these for certain.

Olly Murphy didn’t leave Aintree empty-handed however. French-bred Mackelduff, under Aiden Coleman, kept on strongly to win the £20,000 Jewson Wallasey Handicap Hurdle by 3 1/4l from Pouding Poet from Tom Lacey’s, and looks capable enough to win again.

Stratford may be winding down to its conclusion, but in every other sphere, the sport is girding up to full momentum.

Scholfield advertises his ability with quick double

Posted on October 17, 2021October 17, 2021 by Peter McNeile

There was further evidence of the gathering momentum of the Jumps season at Stratford on Saturday, one of three Jumps fixtures to take place for the first time since April. The sixty-one horse turnout was a reflection of Stratford’s ability to produce consistent good ground in a month when rain has been in short supply.

You can set your watch by the seasonality of Nigel Twiston-Davies, who always excels in the autumn months, capitalizing on the early season prizes before the heavyweights whose owners have deeper pockets take to the stage. This highly successful but understated yard in Naunton is a bellwether of the sport, producing result after result, and Saturday’s card was typical, with a brace of winners, ridden by Nick Scholfield and Zac Baker.

Four year old Ballintubber Boy broke his duck in the opening Jo Huxtable Birthday Celebration National Hunt Maiden Hurdle for the finish of the day, but it looked like hard work for horse and rider. Handy throughout, he was under pressure down the back straight from two out, and didn’t look like he was going to reach the front. Scholfield’s persistence counted however, as he got alongside Harde Fashion in the final 150 yards, winning by just a neck. Let’s hope such a hard race doesn’t leave its mark on the four year old.

Twiston-Davies was successful again in another birthday anniversary race, when One Forty Seven won the Paul Sheldon 75th Birthday Celebration Handicap Chase for a remarkable third time in another close finish that could have gone any of three ways for the last 200 yards. Remarkably, this 0-120 chase has only ever been won by the Twiston-Davies yard in four runnings since 2018. The tussle between Seamus Mullins’ Romanor, Richard Newland’s Makka Pakka and the winner was a real humdinger, with One Forty Seven making up five lengths after the last to win close home. Distances of 3/4l and a neck would have you believe that the result could have easily been different but for one horse’s memory of a race that is his by right. Horses for Courses is a phrase made for One Forty Seven.

Nick Scholfield continued his rehabilitation to the mainstream after injury laid him out for much of last season with his 24th winner of the term in the second, making a quickfire double, and once again showed why this freelance is in demand with a forceful finish on Kilcrest Moon in the William Hill Pick Your Places Handicap Hurdle. the winner, showing improved form, was the subject of an enquiry to which Oliver reported the horse had stripped fitter than previously and was dropping slightly in trip. at an SP of 10/1, there was certainly little evidence that connections had benefited strongly.

Kilchrest Moon and Nick Scholfield [right] jumps the last with Alramz before winning at Stratford. 16/10/2021 Pic Steve Davies

On a day of birthday races, it was septuagenarian John Spearing who prevailed in the Beryl’s Birthday Bash Mares Handicap Hurdle with a length win by Pillar Of Steel under Jamie Moore over Triple Nickle. The six year old has enjoyed a remarkable summer with five victories, outdoing the handicapper on each occasion, starting way back at Worcester in June. Spearing has little to prove nowadays, but horses who win five times in a season are always a joy to train.

Pillar Of Steel and Jamie Moore winning at Stratford. 16/10/2021 Pic Steve Davies

This has been a year when the ability of our women riders has been highlighted by the likes of Rachael Blackmore, but the reality remains that little more than 10% of our professional riders are women. The talents of the fairer sex were well illustrated in the closing Jackie Bates Female Jockeys Handicap Hurdle, when Tabitha Worsely notched her sixth winner of the season and 35th in all when racing away to an 8l victory on Amelia’s Dance for Robert Walford. Tabitha, a graduate from the Point-to-Point ranks, is another in a growing posse of girl riders that threatens to force racecourses to enlarge their women’s changing rooms.

Rebel Leader picked up a second consecutive chase win in the 2m6f Philip Smith Handicap Chase after a sustained duel with Max Young’s Orchestrated from the fourth last. Both horses looked tired racing around the final bend, but it was Richard Newland’s horse that stayed on most strongly to record a 2 1/2l win and the Newland stable’s 30th of the term.

Selling races are few and far between nowadays, but they provide both a varied spectacle and a chance to pick up a winning racehorse cheaply in the post-race auction. And so it proved after Aiden Coleman brought home Al Kherb a well-backed 1/1/2l winner of the Gary Hill Stag Do Selling Hurdle for trainer John Quinn. The winner raised £7,500 afterwards, with Fort l’Ocean also claimed, more than justifying the inclusion of the race for the racecourse.

Four Skelton horses to follow this winter

Posted on October 13, 2021October 13, 2021 by Peter McNeile

Visitors to Stratford are well used to seeing Dan Skelton’s horses come to the venue and plunder the spoils. The trainer has a fine record here, and he has continued that fine tradition with wins across the summer and early autumn, including last Monday with Too Friendly, ridden by brother Harry.

While Skelton has tasted plenty of success across the UK, there are some standout names in his stable. And with the jumps season upon us, we pick out four that are well worth following in the from the autumn right through to Cheltenham and beyond in the spring:

My Drogo

The horse that is arguably causing the most stir in Skelton’s stable, My Drogo has been called the “most exciting Skelton prospect” by Racing TV. My Drogo went four from four over hurdles last season, including a huge win in the Grade 1 Mersey Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree. That’s got tongues wagging over his potential when switching to fences this season. But Skelton is certainly taking a wait and see approach. The Racing Post called the plans for My Drogo “fluid”, and the trainer himself called for caution before fans get too ahead of themselves. He did mention the Marsh Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham as a possibility, however. And Skelton seems to agree with the assessment that the attributes are there for My Drogo to be a Gold Cup chance one day.

Shan Blue

It never really happened for Shan Blue last spring. Hopes were high after an assertive win in the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day, but coming up against Chantry House in the Marsh Novices’ Chase (Cheltenham) and Mildmay Novices’ Chase (Aintree) – Shan Blue was thumped by 32 lengths in the latter – was too tall an order. Pundits expect the 7yo to have a tilt at the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby later this month. Perform well there, and you can guarantee there will be a lot of buzz about Shan Blue’s chances in the King George VI Chase, a stated target according to Skelton. 888 Sport’s ante-post horse racing odds have Shan Blue down as a 33/1 shot for the King George – expect that price to tumble should Shan Blue look well in the Charlie Hall.

Allmankind

Since moving to Skelton’s yard, Allmankind has seven wins from ten. But all three of his losses came at Cheltenham. There shouldn’t be too much read into that, however. Allmankind’s class is there for all to see, and lest we forget, the horse is still a 5yo. Moreover, there is a Cheltenham victory – back in November 2019 on his resumé. This season, you should expect to see him in action in the Old Roan Chase at Aintree in November. After that, it’s anyone’s guess. He’s doing the rounds on the ante-post markets for Cheltenham at 33/1 for the Champion Chase. But Skelton – never afraid to swerve the Festival if he feels it doesn’t fit – might have other plans.

Allmankind wins well at Sandown last December

Protektorat

Part-owned by Sir Alex Ferguson, Protektorat hinted at his class when delivering a (relatively) surprising victory in the Grade 1 Super Alloys Manifesto Novices’ Chase at Aintree in April. Skelton describes the horse as “a thinker”, and the trainer has grand plans for him. Expect a run at Carlisle in mid-October, and that will likely be followed by a trip to Cheltenham in November for the Grade 3 Paddy Power Gold Cup in November. As with Allmankind, there is no clear pathway to what happens next, but a good performance in the autumn will open many doors for Protektorat, and that’s one of the reasons he’s a horse worth watching this season.

Who says mid-week crowds are poor? Stratford sets example for others to emulate

Posted on October 6, 2021October 6, 2021 by Peter McNeile

The results tallyboard for Monday’s card at Stratford took on a more familiar view as the big names of the sport flexed their muscles in preparation for Chepstow’s big prize money fixture this weekend that is the traditional launch of the autumn campaign.

Winners for Skelton, Twiston-Davies, Hobbs and Fergal O’Brien punctuated the meeting, with Evan Williams, Jamie Snowden and Chris Gordon also keeping their end up, watched by a large crowd of over 1,300 spectators. Proof, were it needed, that post Covid, the experiences market may allow racing to benefit from higher attendances now that people can get out and about freely once again.

Evan Williams has moved to new premises over the summer, and the largely dry autumn has, to date, kept his forays pretty limited. Less than half his anticipated volume of runners in September and October (to date) is largely a function of ground conditions, although there was no fault to be found with Stratford’s Monday Good To Soft ground.

But there was no mistaking the quality of finish from Howdyalikemenow in the opening Retraining of Racehorses Novices Hurdle, a comfortable 14l winner from Dan Skelton’s Jay Jay Reilly. In truth, there was but one horse in it from the fourth, and there’ll be more races to come from this admirable galloper.

As bellwethers of the sport go, you’ll find few better than Philip Hobbs, whose strike rate is consistently around 18-20%, and who has passed the £1m mark in win & place prize money in 6 of the last 8 seasons. If last season was less than vintage, this has as much to do with the Irish rout in March as being second bested by his peer group at home.

Irish – bred Canastero finally found the winning post at the ninth attempt when just getting up at the death in the Even Keel Foundation Handicap Hurdle. Too many finishes like that will bring on grey hair at the double.

There was an exciting finish to the Support the IJF Novices Handicap Chase, when Representing Bob, for Jamie Snowden’s Lambourn yard, overcame leader Give Me A Moment in the final 110 yards to produce a 24th winner of the term for Gavin Sheehan. In this week, when steeplechases have been thin on the ground, the other chase, for conditional riders, also produced good entertainment.

Representing Bob [left] wins at Stratford from Give Me A Moment. 4/10/2021 Pic Steve Davies

Winner Templehills, last a winner in mid October at this very course in 2020, came good once again when hitting the front under Jack Savage just before the last. Although less than foot perfect, he ran on well to score by 4 1/4l.

The remaining three races were all for youngsters, among which the most notable was Too Friendly, once a Derby Hope for Tim Gredley, now gelded and switched to a life with Dan Skelton. The Skelton team is another in no great hurry to get going this summer, but their winning presence at each of the past two Stratford fixtures is a sign that the behemoth is girding up once again.

Flat speed came into play as Too Friendly joined the leaders at the last, but he was less than foot perfect, and needed to persist to come out on top against Alan King’s Oceanline in the Stratford racecourse Supporting Racing Charities Juvenile Hurdle.

Too Friendly and Harry Skelton win at Stratford. 4/10/2021 Pic Steve Davies

Fergal O’Brien and Paddy Brennan kept up the pace at the head of the Trainers’ Championship when Samba Dancer ran out a 6l winner of the Novices’ Handicap Hurdle, whilst the concluding bumper, which attracted just 6 runners, fell to the 6/5 favourite, Chris Gordon’s Aucunrisque.

Exciting autumn brings additional momentum to the sport

Posted on September 27, 2021September 27, 2021 by Peter McNeile

As the flat season comes to an end after this weekend’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, attention has already started to switch over to the winter jumps season. And for all that we love staging fixtures in the bright sunshine and warmth of high summer, even at Stratford, we recognize that the core Jumps season begins at the start of October, with the season opener at Chepstow racecourse on Friday, October 8, just four days after our first of three fixtures that month.

Stratford’s campaign straddles three seasons, but a week after Chepstow, our own autumn effort will come on Saturday, October 16, hopefully attracting some big name trainers and jockeys to accelerate the autumn season in style. It’s a fixture where summer successes meet autumn debutantes to see whether racecourse experience can trump higher quality breeding.

When autumn gets underway, there will be a lot of action on for jump racing fans to keep up with, and seasoned veterans of the sport will know what they are looking out for. However, if you are new to jump racing, you may want to try and pick up as much horse racing knowledge as possible ahead of the new season. This could include combining some other gambling-oriented hobbies with horse racing. If you like to play casino games, then there are many horse racing themed casino games available. These include Scudamore’s Super Stakes, a game available on many sites and with £5 deposit casinos, you can deposit a small amount.

With the additional knowledge you gain, you should be able to really enjoy the upcoming season.

What are the big events this autumn and winter?

Away from Stratford racecourse, there are a number of big events that you cannot miss this season – the highlights of jump racing where the biggest names from the sport all come together. The biggest week of them all is without a doubt the Cheltenham Festival, which is set to run on March 15-18, 2022. These four days see a tussle between the best from Great Britain and the best from Ireland, with 28 races and many huge prizes to be won. And British trainers will be keen to exorcize the ghost of 2021, when they received a fearful drubbing.

Ahead of the festival, as is traditionally the case, Stratford will race on March 14, the ideal place to be if you want to get yourself ready for the Cheltenham Festival. As an appetizer to the main dish, it’s also a fixture where jockeys are trying to remain in one piece, whilst spectators chew over the prospects for the morrow’s Supreme Novices Hurdle.

A month later, if we are talking about individual races then there is no bigger than the Randox Grand National at Aintree, which next year will be run on Saturday, April 9. This is a race that is watched by millions, including many who don’t usually watch horse racing, or keep up with the sport in any way.

The National is one of the biggest sporting traditions that we have in the UK, and will no doubt once again attract plenty of attention. History was made in 2021, when Rachel Blackmore (pictured beneath) became the first female jockey to win the race and given her rise to stardom in the sport, you would be foolish to write her off winning another. It’s great news to see her back after her recent injury. We’re unlikely to see her here in the UK until March though.

These are the two biggest events to look out for, but there are many more as the season progresses. Look out for the November meeting at Cheltenham, the biggest early-season meeting of the autumn. Christmas is another busy time, with the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day, followed by the Welsh Grand National at Chepstow a day later. In reality, every weekend brings another great race to savour up and down the land.

Don’t ignore the grass roots of the sport

The counties of Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and up and down the Severn Valley are a heartland for the sport, housing horses galore for every level of racing.

And whilst the recent National Racehorse Week has focused on the professional ranks of the sport at the country’s 60 racecourses, the strength of that support is fed by a hugely enthusiastic and practised amateur division at Point-to-Point level. Adapting to current trends, the Pointing season, which concludes at Stratford each May with the country’s most valuable set of hunter chases, this season will begin in late October. Venues like Chaddesley Corbett, Mollington and Barbury Castle allow budding horsemen and trainers to learn the craft or race -riding and training without the bright lights of television coverage. Any newcomer should experience this branch of the sport to see the champions of tomorrow. For local fixtures, follow Pointing West Mercian.

With all of this to look forward to, the new autumn jumps season looks set to be another exciting one. But don’t overlook us just yet… We’ve meetings of our own on October 4th, 16th as previously mentioned and 28th for our autumn swansong.

Five in a row for lucky Presentandcounting

Posted on September 6, 2021 by Peter McNeile

There was a distinctly end-of-summer feel to this final weekend’s fixture at Stratford on a Saturday when racing competed with the delights of the popular Moreton Show, not 45 minutes down the Fosse Way. Those that attended were not disappointed however.

Hang In There, previous winner here and runner up in the Summer Plate at Market Rasen last time, led from the off in the feature Happy Birthday Jamie Bristow Handicap Hurdle for Emma Lavelle and joint owners Tim Syder and Andrew Gemmell. Despite carrying 16lbs more than his rivals, this in itself reduced by a 10lb rider claim by young Joe Anderson, he was able to brush off his rivals when they joined him at the second last, and from a 1 1/2l lead at the last, with an enormous leap, suddenly the race was all over. The winning distance of 7 1/2l told only part of the story. It will be no surprise to see Hang In There in some of our better handicaps through the winter.

Hang In There and Joe Anderson win at Stratford. 4/9/2021 Pic Steve Davies

The Keogh & Hows Handicap Chase won’t rank in the pantheon of high quality chases, but three time course and distance winner Franz Klammer approached it with a mind to make this four for local trainer Peter Pritchard. Making every post a winning one, he retained the lead, even after a blunder at the second last, and was only swallowed up by winner Rythmn Is A Dancer in the run to the last. A trier all the way, Franz Klammer lost nothing in defeat, and there will be other races – probably here at a course he clearly enjoys. The winner, trained at Ditcheat by Paul Nicholls with Harry Cobden in the plate, won by 7 1/2l to record his debut steeplechase victory.

Percy’s Word, successful here last month for the Skelton team, followed up in different circumstances with a hard-fought half length victory over the Philip Hobbs’ trained Camprond in the opening National Racehorse Week 12-19th September Novices Hurdle. Officially rated just 114, Percy’s Word looks much better than this, and can improve again.

This worthy celebration of the equine athletes at the centre of our sport is the brainchild of Richard Phillips, absent from Stratford whilst promoting new syndicates at Moreton Show. Yards all over the country will open their doors from next weekend to those registering on the national website. Phillips’ small yard at Adlestrop has already capped numbers at 300, so it’s reasonable to expect huge crowds at the open days in Epsom, Malton and the Henry Cecil Open Days in Newmarket. Former racehorses were paraded before racing to mark the week ahead.

ROR Racehorse Parade at Stratford. 4/9/2021 Pic Steve Davies

Presentandcounting was lucky to complete his hat-trick of Stratford wins in the Pardy’s Dairies Novices Chase under Brian Hughes. A winner here at each of the past two meetings in a golden summer that has also included novice chase wins at Worcester, Perth and Cartmel, Donald McCain’s charge made all but was headed by Hooper coming out of the final bend. It looked like Hooper’s race but he met the last all wrong and luckless rider Ben Ffrench-Davis was catapulted out of the side door.

That said, Presentandcountung has done nothing but improve all season; since his debut novice chase triumph at Worcester back in May, he has improved 32lbs, and there’s nothing to say he can’t figure among our top novices provided he can manage winter ground. Presendandcounting has made a valuable contribution to McCain’s excellent start to the season, where 26 winners to date have garnered over £200,000 in prize money.

Hughes was also successful in the Naf Racing Handicap Chase over the minimum trip later in the afternoon, notching a third winner this term for Charles & Adam Pogson from their Nottinghamshire yard. Having led much of the way, Larch Hill was headed at the sixth, but given a breather, was able to reel in Romanor from Seamus Mullins’ yard on Salisbury Plain to finish full of running.

Worcestershire trainers were able to keep some of the prizes nearer to home in the remaining two races. Well-backed favourite Bagan, held up in rear, moved smoothly through the field in the Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle to win the Seller comfortably by 7 1/2l for Tom Gretton. Rare for selling races nowadays, the winner found a new owner afterwards when Simon Prout paid £11,250 for this winner of 3 races.

Bagan and Jason Dixon [left] win at Stratford. 4/9/2021 Pic Steve Davies

The closing bumper was won by Strensham Court, trained by Sam Drinkwater within earshot of the eponymous service station on the M5. Kept up to his work by Danny Burton, the winner showed good speed to put distance between him and the placed horses, finishing full of running.

Caramelized provides topping to a regal weekend for King

Posted on August 25, 2021August 25, 2021 by Peter McNeile

We’ve not yet reached September, but it’s clear from Monday’s results that the established leaders of the National Hunt game are flexing their muscles in preparation for the autumn. Four of the sport’s market leaders put their marker down on the winner’s enclosure in statements of intent for the easing of the ground when better quality horses will make the competition yet stiffer.

The Skelton team has been noticeably quiet this summer in comparison to last summer, but opened their account for the day with just their 16th winner since the season began, and the third of Stratford’s season. Cast your mind back to the final 8 weeks of the season, when Harry Skelton and Brian Hughes were head to head in consecutive Stratford fixtures with doubles and trebles to see the difference in tactics this time around. Brian Hughes leads his rival by nearly 30 winners at this juncture.

Percy’s Word, beaten a neck in his last outing at Uttoxeter, finally broke his maiden in the opening Join RacingTV Now Maiden Hurdle, joining issue with the leaders between horses as they approached the final obstacle and forging clear to justify his even money favouritism.

The next few months are always a timer to identify newcomers to the sport in the form of flat recruits searching for a place in the JCB Triumph Hurdle. Fresh from saddling Asymmetric in the Prix Morny at Deauville on Sunday, Alan King produced an early contender in the form of Caramelised, a son of Dansili, who fairly trotted up in the second division of the RacingTV.com Juvenile Hurdle, winning with a penalty by 19l. Alan told Racing UK, He’s not a good work horse; he shows nothing at home, but we’ll have to take him more seriously now!”

Meanwhile, another yard that excels in autumn races accentuated its well-being when Goa Lil broke his chasing duck at the fifth attempt in the 2m 5f Novices Handicap. Owned by the trainer after having been sold on by Isaac Suede and Simon Munir in the Spring, Goa Lil was last of the leading group of five turning into the straight, but showed good speed under strong driving from Sam Twiston-Davies to win by 1 1/4l in the end. “Hopefully that’ll get him sold,” remarked the rider afterwards. Expect Goa Lil to make the most of the yard’s autumn. Whilst there are only 7 winners on the board, autumn has traditionally been harvest time for the Naunton yard.

Goa Lil [Sam Twiston-Davies] centre and winner jumps the last with Fat Sam [left] and Royal Ruby [right] before winning at Stratford. 23/8/2021 Pic Steve Davies

Another mainstream yard rarely seen out over the summer is Oliver Sherwood’s Rhonehurst yard. Indeed, bumper winner Puffin Bay was their only runner in August, and may make for a 100% record with less than a week to go till September, winning ears pricked from a fast-finishing Shantou Champagne for the Bowen team.

Rider Sean Bowen had previously been successful in the Dr Roberts 50th Birthday Handicap Hurdle on Wbee, enjoying a third hurdle victory at Stratford in five months for Gary Hanmer. Indeed, Hanmer clearly has a liking for Stratford, with 8 winners here, second only to his local course at Bangor. This relatively new outfit is making a name for itself around the smaller venues on the promise of something bigger to come.

The runners are flagged around the fences in the straight due to the low sun. Wbee [in rear] tracks the leaders before a fourth consecutive victory. 23/8/2021 Pic Steve Davies

Justin Landy’s is another small yard finding success through a couple of good horses, with the likes of Shetland Bus enjoying consistent success for the yard, now joined by eight year old Captain Cobajay, a modestly rated horse who has nevertheless been well placed to win consecutive handicap chases before the handicapper anchors him. This second victory a week after the first, in the RacingTV Profits Returned To Racing Handicap Chase shows a good return for a horse from a switch of stable in early August, so fitness clearly wasn’t the issue.

The small yard of Jake Thomas Coulson took the other handicap chase over 2m3f with a pillar to post run from Chipati under Fergus Gregory. There was plenty to like about the way this dour grey stuck his neck out to outrun Air Hair Lair and This Breac, just when those tracking the leader might have considered he’d shot his bolt.

Chapati and Fergus Gregory [grey horse] leads all the way to victory at Stratford. 23/8/2021 Pic Steve Davies

Our final winner was in the first division of the Juvenile Hurdle won by Caramelised. The less well known Sheena West, trainer of Air Hair Lair in the aforementioned handicap chase, enjoyed a successful trip to Stratford when Fred Bear outran a Skelton horse in Scots Gold. Rather like Caramelised, Fred Bear led from start to finish, and whilst finished leg-weary, which precipitated a mistake at the last, none of the others were able to get on terms and the field was strung out across Warwickshire at the line.

THE GOING

Author: Peter McNeile