Category: News

A rare day dominated by Jumps fixtures produced some fine racing at Stratford on Sunday where 55 runners from 61 declarations filled the six race card handsomely, unlike at Perth the same day where just 26 faced the starter on soft ground unwanted by a majority of summer horses.

The feature handicap hurdle produced a heart-in-the-mouth finish as the Milton Harris – trained Aliomaana showed enough of the flat speed in her breeding to hold off a sprinting late challenge from Enthused, under a driving ride from Harry Cobden. A short head marked the winning distance, but another stride might well have seen Cobden prevail.

Aliomaana has a physique is typical of the horses Milton Harris enjoys such success with during the summer. Light-framed horses purchased off the flat dominate so many of his winners, and Stratford’s tight circuit favours their nimble frame. Aliomaana is a Shadwell cast-off, and at this level, and off this racing weight, will win more similar contests. She is now a course and distance winner twice at Stratford, having won here last October too.

Harris is also a course and distance winner many times over. Following his horses at Stratford achieves a rare feat: a profit to a £1 stake consistently over 5 years, bucking a trend of trainer faith which almost never pays a dividend. Seven of Harris’ 19 winners this term have been with us – endorsement of suitable going and races best suited to his current class of horse. Only Newton Abbot comes close among other tracks.

The hot streak the stable has enjoyed to date appears to show no sign of easing either. The opening Conditional Riders’ Handicap Hurdle saw another flat-bred, Nadim, justify favouritism under Bradley Harris to give the stable a double and their 17th winner of the term. Bradley Harris had to work hard to get ahead; Nadim ran about a bit under pressure but had enough speed to win a 2l advantage over Zafar under Abbie McCain.

The Harris stable was represented in the following juvenile contest carrying their name as sponsor. However, it’s an unwritten convention not to win your own money back, and Swiss Money under Harry Cobden had taken the cue, keeping a respectful 20l distance in 5th from winner Vitani, from the Adam West stable, who made just about all the running to see off the other 10 runners. Lee Edwards, riding the winner, is unjustifiably short of rides; this was only his fourth this month, despite 12 fixtures. The likes of John Groucott, Alistair Ralph and Dave Roberts, who supply most of his rides, are not yet in full gear.

Steel Wave and Hunting Percival locked horns a second time in the Ladies Day is 23rd July Handicap Chase over 2m 6f. Each is a course and distance winner, Hunting Percival most recently at the start of this month when beating Pink-Eyed Pedro in a handicap hurdle here, Steel Wave winning here in May. Steel Wave had the edge turning in from the final bend this time round, reeling in the eventual third Conceal, and immediately putting distance between him and the rest of the pack to win by 4 1/4l.

Willie Mullins might offer a wry smile for releasing Steel Wave back in the autumn of 2018. The 13 year old doesn’t know how to run a bad race, and 10 wins, including this third at Stratford, mask a string of runner up positions too. Five of those have been under the guidance of Tabitha Worsely, a dream ride if ever there was one for a claiming rider.

Sophie Leech runs more horses in France than in Britain nowadays, but Arcade Attraction provided her first winner of the new season when making virtually all the running in the National Racehorse Week 9-17th September Handicap Chase over 2m3f under Brian Hughes. It’s difficult to refute her decision to concentrate on France when a similar winner at Clairefontaine earlier in the month netted a fourfold increase in the prize fund.

The maiden hurdle produced more than its fair share of drama after a first hurdle fall of Queen of Hindsight. Leader Mop’s A Legend then ran out at the third, which is also usually the last, taking out 20yards of rail as well as the wing, and rendering the flight unusable. Favourite The Galahad Kid from Fergal O’Brien, was prominent throughout, easily identifiable by his giant white blaze and socks. Eight runners bunched up at what would have been the second last, and rounded the bend together but Paddy Brennan had judged his race well and asserted to run out a comfortable 2 1/2l winner, making this Irish Point-to-Point winner a five time winner from 8 starts.

Over 100 attended St Edmund’s Cathedral in Bury St Edmunds yesterday to celebrate the life of former Chairman of Stratford, Nick Lees, who died in December. There was a strong representation from the world of horseracing, which Nick had filled for well over half his life.

Fellow racecourse directors, both from racecourses where Nick had been directly involved, and from further afield, assembled in strength in the C13th cathedral, whose tower was only completed in 2005. Former Newmarket impressarios Stephen Wallis and Chris Kennedy were joined by current Clerk of Course Michael Prosser, whilst Stratford directors Stephen Lambert, George Lee and Michael Rowe also attended, with current MD Ilona Barnett, and former Clerk of Course John Ford.

Nick’s lifelong connection with Leicester Racecourse, where he first entered racecourse management by dint of an involvement with the Leicester Bloodstock Sales as an auctioneer, was a constant throughout his professional career, and former manager David Henson and current non-executive director James Sanderson also attended. John Sanderson, architect of International Racecourse Management which still oversees tracks in Yorkshire, also attended, remembering a time when major racecourses collaborated together to sell their TV rights after the (first) withdrawal of ITV from racing in the ’80s.

Godson Ben Turner gave the eulogy, in which family, horses, the Army, racing and good humour were never far away. It was a fitting end to a man wedded both to racing, and to family life.

The growing success of Scottish racing manifested itself at Stratford on Tuesday in the feature Saige Decking Ltd Handicap Chase as three of the four home nations were represented among the field.

On a drab and chilly evening, whence the rain had mercifully stopped mid-afternoon, Ewan Whillans made the 540 mile round trip from Hawick in the Borders to win with Cracking Destiny, under Craig Nicholl. It was a subdued affair even so. Ewan Whillans’ wife Louise doubles up as owner, but had stayed at home, leaving Alistair to lead up and drive.

Cracking Destiny was best-rated of all the 8 runners, but has taken a couple of runs to get fit. Handy throughout, he came to pick up leader Blaze A Trail at the last, and went on to win by 4l. That’s 2 – 2 at Stratford for the handsome dark bay gelding.

Second home Blaze A Trail is part of a syndicate run by Chepstow supremo Phil Bell, trained by John Flint. The £9,000 purchase owes this group nothing; since their purchase in autumn ’21, he’s picked up six races, including a hat-trick of handicap hurdles here last summer. Keep an eye for future runs as he’s certainly not finished yet.

Race of the evening, however, has to go to Hunting Percival under Nick Schofield in the 2m 6f handicap hurdle. Turning into the straight, the race was between the aforementioned. Pink Eyed Pedro reverting to hurdles from chasing, and Hurricane Vichi, from the on-fire Milton Harris team. At the final hurdle, the David Brace – trained Welsh runner looked to have gained the advantage on the inner, but Hunting Percival was not to be denied. Game is an adjective that might have been coined specially for this son of Derby winner Sir Percy, outstaying both others on the run-in to win by 1/2l.

Hurricane Vichi being the third of his runners that evening, Milton Harris had no cause to be downcast, however. For starters, he was away on holiday in Thailand, but the stable had already enjoyed a brace of winners starting in the opener – cause for a Siam Sunray or two. Call Me Rocky needed the most urgent riding by Harry Cobden to get up by a neck in the first division of the Royal Equestrian Racing Club Maiden, whilst an hour later, Uggy Uggy Uggy illustrated that the speed in his flat breeding hasn’t been dulled by a switch to the winter code, this time ridden by Bradley Harris to a 6l victory over Coal Fire from the Bowen yard in the 2m 5f novices handicap hurdle.

Bowens however are difficult to keep out of the winners’ enclosure right now. Sean Bowen leads the riders’ championship with 44 winners, remarkable by any standards at this early stage of the season, and he was on the mark for that latest winner in division two of the Maiden with Sobegrand for Olly Murphy.

Shark Hanlon had despatched 3 runners from his base in Co Carlow, and Nasee had looked his best chance in the handicap hurdle won by Hunting Percival, folding tamely after being prominent throughout. Hanlon’s second runner, Lakefield Flyer, was also handy throughout in the Visit racingtv.com Novices Handicap Chase, but was no match for Chris Down’s Opening Bid, who had already asserted after the second last and ran out a comfortable winner under a 5lb penalty, this the third leg of a hat-trick following wins at Newton Abbot and Worcester.

Son Paddy was in the plate for the Irish trainer in the concluding bumper, but had to give way to Bradley Harris, this time riding for Seamus Mullins, enjoying his 8th winner of the new term on four year old filly Basilette, winning on her debut appearance on the track.

The summer Jumps campaign has long been characterized by Irish forays to Perth, taking advantage of the crossing from Stranraer to Larne. Notable among these invaders is Gordon Elliott, who sends more runners to Perth than any track bar Cheltenham. With 8 winners in the current calendar at Perth already, he is the leading trainer there by a country mile.

Sending runners to Perth has been a convenience for Ireland’s second largest trainer, no more difficult than sending a lorry to Sligo. But until recently, he’s been an outlier in despatching regular runners to small time British fixtures. This summer, however, that trend that Elliott began seems to be accelerating, and Perth is no longer the only destination.

The superior quality of Irish Jumping stock at the elite level has been a hot topic for some years, re-ignited with each big race winner plundered by an Irish stable. Time was when Irish horses visited for just the major meetings, but such is their prevalence nowadays, and such is their volume compared to the Irish Jumps fixture list, that more and more trainers are getting on the boat.

Yesterday, Elliott spread his wings to take in a winner at Uttoxeter, whilst last week, there was success for Emmet Mullins and Cian Michael Collins at Cartmel, which has rarely seen runners from the top British yards, never mind abroad, before now. Shark Hanlon fielded a bumper winner at Worcester earlier in the week, and runs three tomorrow night with us. John McConnell had a double at Cartmel last month.

Of 285 races run in May, just 3 were won by Irish trainers. Contrast this with June, when 14 of 207 races were plundered by Ireland.

The Irish have always been an adventurous nation, needing to trade to survive on the periphery of Europe. But this modern phenomenon speaks of different origins. There is simply not enough Jump racing at this time of year to satisfy the volume of Irish jump horses, and frankly, the level of competition over here is less than they might meet at home. When at least one race each card is won by the Closutton team, the pickings are meagre for others.

Running horses in the UK then is as much a displacement process as a new venture; Irish trainers marginalized by the concentration of power in few hands back at home are having to take advantage of more frequent racing in the UK, even if that means higher travel costs. But the losers in this are small British trainers outpointed by their Irish counterparts, who will only travel further afield if confident of paying their way.

The globalization of racing is not a topic for debate in a sport as essentially parochial as jump racing, but there is every indication that Irish trainers in particular are exploring every means to win races anywhere.

Have horsebox, will travel seems to be a admirable moniker, even in these times of sustainable travel.

Racing at Stratford is always dramatic, but officials were faced with more than the average drama yesterday when the Alex Hales – trained For Pleasure unseated Kielan Woods in the Parallel Creative Handicap Hurdle, precipitating the voiding of the race on safety grounds. It remains rare in the UK to void races; in over 3000 Jumps races every season, voided events are in single figures, but in this instance, there was no alternative in order to treat Woods. He eventually walked back into the Weighing Room with cuts and a limp, a reminder, were one needed, that riding Jumpers carries a health hazard.

39 horses faced the starter on a day of sport where many eyes were elsewhere. Competing with day one of Royal Ascot goes with the territory in horseracing; competing with a compelling fifth day to the first Ashes Test not far distant at Edgbaston less so. There were as many bitten fingernails for England’s attempt to unseat the Aussies all afternoon as for the race results, which had more room for manoeuvre.

Market leaders in the Trainers’ Championship Fergal O’Brien and Donald McCain regularly clash horns and honours were shared with a winner apiece after Brian Hughes took the Mares’ Novices Hurdle with a pretty much unchallenged run from odds-on favourite Titanium Moon for McCain, from Stowaway Jess for O’Brien. The race set the scene for a series of comfortable margins of victory in which the shortest winning distance was 2l, the largest 12. the five year old mare seems to have found her metier after transferring to a Jumps campaign with the Cheshire maestro. Three runs at Hexham, Cartmel and Stratford have offered up a second and two wins on the bounce.

The first two positions were reversed 30 minutes later when O’Brien’s Carrigeen Kampala stretched an 8 1/2l advantage over McCain’s VE Day in an all gender novices hurdle over a 2f shorter distance. Carrigeen Kampala, a daughter of Mahler, is another enjoying a summer purple patch completing a hattrick that began here at Stratford at the end of April and has continued through Newton Abbot in May. this time around Liam Harrison was on board, with his first winner as a fully fledged professional, five years after setting out with a winner at Stratford as a conditional.

Another budding conditional making headlines of the right sort for himself is Bradley Harris, who teamed up with his namesake (but no relation) Milton Harris in the opener, the racingtv.com/freetrial handicap Hurdle for conditional riders. Milton Harris won this race with Appreciate in 2022, and the 2l winning distance was sufficient for Sufi to pick up his third career win and maintain Harris’s current winning momentum following a cross card and cross code double at Sandown’s flat fixture and Hexham’s jump on Friday.

Two chases concluded the card with the welcome return to the winner’s enclosure for two trainers whose record last season in no way reflects their ability.

Neil King is the lesser known of the Kings training on the Barbury downland. Little more than a holler across the hilltop from Alan King lies the equally splendid Burderop stable from which the likes of Collier Bay won a Champion Hurdle. Neil King endured a torrid 2022-23 season with a mere 10 winners from just 138 runners. The 3 3/4l victory of Go Fox under stable rider Bryony Frost sets him up to pass that total soon if this momentum is maintained. Witha winner at Uttoxeter on Saturday, and evidence from placed horses that a run of form is imminent, studiers of form will do well to take note. Go Fox certainly looks capable of defying a penalty.

Also back among the winners was Kerry Lee, saddling Do It For Thy Sen in the concluding Watch On RacingTV Handicap Chase, certainly not the highest quality event, under Sam Twiston-Davies. Lee hasn’t been a frequent sight around summer fixtures, but the top weight of 12st 4 wasn’t enough to prevent a hattrick of summer chases, this 4 1/2l victory coming after wins at Uttoxeter in May and earlier in the month.

Look out for runners in stars and stripes come our next fixture on July 4.

Royal Ascot is in full flow, and as is the case every year, racing fans are counting down the minutes to the meeting’s highlight, the Ascot Gold Cup. Run over a trip of 2 miles 4 furlongs, the Gold Cup is the biggest race of the season for the flat stayers and has regularly provided some of the most memorable moments at the Royal meeting.

From the brilliant Yeats winning four races in a row, to The Queen’s mare, Enable, finally providing Her Majesty with a victory in her own race, the Ascot Gold Cup has had many dramatic stories to tell in recent years.

This year’s story is likely to involve the superstar filly, Emily Dickinson, as Aidan O’Brien’s youngster takes on the boys in the Thursday highlight.

https://twitter.com/Ascot/status/1666894111591243776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>

Can she better the boys?

A four-year-old rarely tackles a trip like that of the Gold Cup for the first time at Royal Ascot, and it is even rarer that that four-year-old is a filly. At Royal Ascot 2023 that is exactly what will happen when 11/2 chance, Emily Dickinson, lines up in the Group I contest.

Trained by last year’s winning trainer, Aidan O’Brien, Emily Dickinson has yet to record a victory at the highest level in her career thus far, but she does have some fine-placed form against some of the top horses, and she seems to be progressing nicely with age.

The daughter of Irish Oaks winner Chicquita has also shown improvement as she has stepped up in trip, with stamina being one of her biggest attributes. One thing that might be against her in the Gold Cup is the predicted good ground. She has put in the best performances of her career on a softer surface, so any rain that falls will be greatly welcomed by her connections.

The rivals

Coltrane

One horse in the race that has proven his ability to stay the lung-bursting distance of the Gold Cup is current 100/30 favourite, Coltrane. A course and distance winner in the Ascot Stakes twelve months ago, Andrew Balding’s star could hardly have been more impressive in winning the Sagaro Stakes this season, and he could take some beating if at his best.

Eldar Eldarov

Like Emily Dickinson, Eldar Eldarov is another four-year-old that continues to improve. A winner of four of his seven starts to date, the 7/2 Gold Cup second favourite was 3 lengths ahead of Emily Dickinson in last year’s St Leger, but there is no guarantee that he will confirm that form given that he is unproven at a trip of 2 miles or more.

Courage Mon Ami

The big unknown of the 2023 Gold Cup is the inexperienced Courage Mon Ami. Three from three on the track to date, John Gosden’s youngster may not have the experience of others, but he obviously possesses a huge amount of ability and he has bags of potential as a stayer.

🏇 Gold Cup: Coltrane vs Eldar Eldarov

🏆The staying division looks relatively open, with last year’s star stayer Kyprios sidelined by injury.

📈 A horse at the top of his game, Coltrane's stamina is proven, whilst Eldar Eldarov has the potential to take his form to a new level pic.twitter.com/EQ0Qp7biNS

— Sporting Life Racing (@SportingLife) June 12, 2023

The fact that Emily Dickinson will receive weight from all of her rivals in the Gold Cup must give her a chance. Courage Mon Ami is an interesting runner given his inexperience, but Emily Dickinson has the potential to be a top-class stayer and could take some beating if at her best, particularly if the ground turns soft. 

Tune into Racing TV to get the latest coverage on local horse races at 62 race courses throughout Ireland and Britain, including the opening day at Ascot tomorrow, when of course you’ll be at Stratford instead.

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The one-month free trial of 31 days does not always happen. For example, the current promotion only allows new viewers to capitalize on this offer if they sign up before midnight on June 30, 2023.

If you find that you do not want to become a paid subscriber to Racing TV, you will have to cancel your free trial over the telephone before it ends. This is because the company does not allow email correspondence for service cancellation. The payment for your first month’s subscription could be removed from your account before your free trial ends, so plan accordingly if you need to cancel the service.

The rich tapestry of racing allows for wonderful variations in the way it is presented across the world. Whilst Stratford offers country fare, grander metropolitan tracks offer big televised events. Across the world, racecourses offer an eclectic mix of eccentricity and grande marque style. So however loyal you may be to us here at Stratford, we would encourage you to explore, both within the UK and further afield.

Beneath are some recommendations. Filled with events and great racing, they all offer a fantastic day out for all the family. Yet some places just have to be visited. Below, we give our pick of the racecourses you have to see at least once. 

Ascot

No great surprises here. The Royal Ascot meeting is known the world over. The crowd is often as much of a draw as the racing, as celebrities, sports people and royalty flock to the course for some first hand Royal Ascot betting. A host of grade-one races take place, including the Gold Cup. This year Coltrane is the most fancied, at 7/2. Eldar Eldarov is a close second with odds of 4/1. Of course, you don’t have to be at the course to place a wager, as it is easy to bet on horse racing online and watch the events as they unfold from your device. 

Even if you do visit at another meeting, Ascot is still a sight to behold. A development around the millennium, reinvested some £220 million to refresh and update its grandstands, the most ever invested in British racing. This has made it a perfect course for spectators, with a beautiful concourse and a host of refreshments and entertainment options. Situated 40mns from London, it is also just a short transfer from the city. 

Cheltenham

Spectators at Stratford don’t need to travel far to enjoy a day at the self-appointed home of Jump racing.

Cheltenham Racecourse’s biggest event is the Cheltenham Festival, arguably the biggest meeting in the jump racing calendar. The Gold Cup is its most famous race, with the best horse and jockeys. Racing has been taking place at the spot since 1815.

It is one of the most scenic of all the British racecourses. Set in a natural delve in the countryside, it is surrounded by the Cotswold Hills. This also gives spectators a great view wherever they watch from. There are two separate courses – an old and new course. A 2015 redevelopment opened a 6500-capacity Princess Royal stand to cope with more visitors at the Cheltenham Festival but overcrowding in 2022 led to a reduction in numbers this year which was well received. It also has a huge auditorium known as The Centaur, ideal for concerts and conferences. 

Aintree

Aintree has to be included in the list of must-visit racecourses, as it is the home of the Grand National. This is the biggest race in the UK calendar, much like the Kentucky Derby is to the US. The course itself is made of three tracks. One of these is the gruelling Grand National course, along with a Hurdles course and Mildway Steeple Chase run. 

Aintree has had a chequered history, and was near to closure when Red Rum was enjoying his three victories in the ’70s. The Jockey Club saved the course, in part through a public subscription, and the racecourse has never looked back. The three days of the National continue to challenge Cheltenham for supremacy and may in the fullness of time supersede the Cotswold venue.

Situated in Merseyside, it is within easy reach of Liverpool, making it great for city breaks. The countryside around the course is also spectacular, though can get booked up quickly during big events like the National. 

Foxfield Races

Foxfield is one of several superb racecourses in Virginia, staging just two fixtures each year, one in April, the other in November. Prior to 1977, when the course was purchased by Mariann de Tajeda, the course was a local airfield, with a riding school run by the local huntsman.

Some 15,000 attend the Spring races, which give the ambiance of a large Point-to-Point. Temporary structures accommodate grandstands, bars and hospitality areas whilst the long-held tradition of tailgating allows spectators a rail-side position for their vehicle and elicits intense competition for the grandest picnic. This is east coast America at its best.

Craon

My personal favourite is a mixed racecourse in Western France, a hotbed of breeding and racing. In the heart of Mayenne, Craon stages steeplechasing, flat and trotting, including les Trois Glorieuses, three wonderful days in early September, when crowds flock in late summer sunshine to enjoy great racing and a good old-fashioned chinwag.

Don’t be surprised to see top trainers and riders there too. Louisa Carberry, an Irish emigré from the eponymous racing family trains at nearby Sennones; Philip Hobbs won the big cross country steeplechase with Balthazar King 10 years back, and Charlie Deutsch rode there last year during a summer break with Emmanuel Clayeux. It’s a perfect start or end to a visit to the Loire Valley.

Dieppe

Closer to home, and just a short skip across the Channel is the racecourse at Dieppe. Established in the Victorian era, Dieppe thrived during la belle epoque, when Parisians would relocate to grand second homes at the seaside towns of Deauville and Dieppe, by dint of access via the new railways. To that end both venues are very anglicised, but Dieppe is a more scenic course.

17 fixtures across the summer from June to September make this a favourite destination when a strong breeze is making a day on the beach less than appealing.

Bad Harzburg

Germany isn’t known for its Jump racing, but its racecourses enjoy a wonderful variance. Among the prettiest and certainly the most eccentric is Bad harzburg in Lower Saxony about 60 miles south south east of Hanover. Situated on the edge of a national park comprising the Harz mountains, it has a certain Alpine charm.

The annual race week attracts crowds of 30,000, and the quirky feature steeplechase includes a water jump where the horses actually have to swim across the obstacle! It brings a fresh meaning to cross country racing.

Warrnambool

Jump racing is on the wane in Australia, except in Victoria, where Woodford Racecourse in Warrnambool stages the Grand Annual Steeplechase each May, a throwback to colonial times for sure. The Aussie version is Australia’s richest Jumps race and run over the longest distance – 5,500m and more obstacles than any other chase worldwide – 33.

Victoria is choc-a-bloc with racecourses, so if you’re a racing nut, then you won’t find it hard to stumble across some others whilst you’re there, and you’ll find yourself in good company. There’s racing every day across the continent at large, with some 350 venues where crowds of 500-100,000 will enjoy a flutter and the chance to put their glad rags on.

Runners were in short supply during Saturday’s fixture when just 33 horses faced the starter in the seven race card, with ground conditions the primary reason. Even with a going description of good, good to firm in places, the recent summer sunshine is impacting field sizes across the country.

Honours for the evening go to Brian Barr, who scored a double but familiar names of the summer campaign were much in attendance.

Among those Stratford stalwarts who have been noticeable by their absence from the winners’ podium over the past 12 months is Seamus Mullins. The Mullins horses do not generally live up to the reputations of his Irish relations, but are to be respected around courses like Stratford and, in particular, Plumpton. His four runners on Saturday night were a welcome addition to small fields, and between them took home a tally of £12,314 from a winner, two seconds and a third placing: a more than respectable day’s work.

Tommie Beau made the most of the lack of competition in the four runner Charles Peters Recruitment Handicap Chase over the extended 3m 3f, defying a penalty from a winner just 4 days earlier at Newton Abbot to beat Captain Tommy by 1 1/2l under Micheal Nolan. At this grade, he looks as if he could win again; there was more in the tank at the line. Mullins is surely one to follow just right now; he is one of few trainers to show a positive return to a £1 stake if following all his runners.

Milton Harris is another to show prominently in Stratford rankings, and left his mark on this fixture through the efforts of 5/6 favourite Komedy Kicks, bustled along by Harry Cobden in the opening Royal Equestrian Racing Club Novices Hurdle, and to all appearances, destined for the runner-up spot jumping the last. But persistence wins the day, and Cobden’s efforts were rewarded as Komedy Kicks found more under pressure, running on to win going away by 1 1/2l. Milton Harris is already prominent in the Trainers’ rankings, but Cobden has laid his cards on the table for a Championship bid, and is within 5 of the leader Sean Bowen, with current champion Brian Hughes sandwiched in between. There’s a long way to go, all three will concur.

The first of Brian Barr’s two winners came from the neatly named Begin The Luck, who pitched in a winning turn against Stratford three time winner Romanor from the Seamus Mullins stable in the 2m 5f Handicap Chase. Harry Reed won’t have done the Barr runner many favours in terms of his handicap rating, but he’s an improving horse; this was a fourth winner in just six races since he turned to chasing in March.

Pak Army proved another multiple winner for Barr in the concluding Grace & Dottie Novices Handicap Hurdle, making all and running all the way to the line to record a 2 3/4l victory over Nadim. Pak Army is another to keep improving. His four wins since March have seen his official rating rise 19lb and he looks far from finished yet. All in all, a good evening’s work for the drive home to Sherborne.

Just 4 faced the starter in the Knights Bullion Handicap Chase over the minimum trip, but just 2l covered the four at the line. With the last omitted, the race turned into a speed contest from the second last, but it was Elios D’Or for Robert Walford, ridden by Harry Kimber, who prevailed, a 1/2l separating him and Admiral’s Sunset at the line. Who’s to say a small field cannot set the pulse racing?

Two handicap hurdles made up the remainder of the card, and it was no surprise to see Kim Bailey’s Shantou Express sent off favourite for the Farmers Fresh Handicap over 3m 2f. Bailey’s horses are running out of their skins presently whilst their trainer enjoys a 50% strike rate. Shantou Express won as he pleased under David Bass.

An equally easy winner was Lighthouse Mill for David Dennis, one of three trainers ensuring the Edgcote estate maintains its resurgent racing reputation. This former base for great horses like Spanish Steps now houses three trainers and some 200 horses, within easy reach of all the Midlands tracks. Lighthouse Mill has been knocking on the door this past few months, and whilst his first hurdle victory in 14 runs hardly set the world alight, he accomplished it in a style which might lead the observer to believe he could improve. Gavin Sheehan was the lucky man in the plate.

Champion trainer Paul Nicholls showed that his expertise for the craft extends from the zenith of the sport at Cheltenham to its grass roots in hunter chasing and Point-to-Point when picking up the feature event at Stratford’s hunters’ evening on Friday.

But whilst he took the scalp of last year’s winner Vaucelet in the feature Pertemps Network Stratford Foxhunter with Secret Investor, it was clear to see that daughter Olive’s victory on Shantou Flyer in the Royal Equestrian Racing Club Ladies Open Championship final gave him still more pleasure.

Olive has been riding out of her skin this season, her second between the flags. 39 rides have resulted in 11 winners, of which Shantou Flyer has provided four, starting at Larkhill in late November before progressing through Chaddesley, and hunter chases at Exeter before Stratford. Always handy in this last race, she took up the running from the seventh, and never looked back. The 12l winning distance was a reflection of this horse’s superior rating, 12lb ahead of the next best in the field of 7.

Trainer Sam Loxton, third in this race last year with Caid du Berlais, has enjoyed an impressive strike rate between the flags this season. One in three of his 36 pointing or hunter chase winners has passed the post first, a rate not even his mentor Nicholls can achieve.

In truth however, Nicholls’ interest in the sport is largely because of Olive’s success. The man who has conquered the heights of the sport’s greatest races is very much at home in the amateur division of the sport, but owners and trainers need have little fear he is planning to dominate. This is a family affair.

Secret Investor, owned by Herefordshire – based Clive Hitchings – was a deserving winner of the Pertemps Network Stratford Foxhunter, but the rapidly diminishing 3l margin would have been reversed in another furlong. Runner-up Vaucelet, who lost a shoe in running, was hard – driven to make up ground from three out, and were it not for a messy leap at the last, the positions might have been reversed. It looks like 3m is my optimum trip, given his largely blemish – free season of 4 from 5 outings has rarely been over longer distances. Yet the sport is the winner for having a horse of this calibre within it; Secret Investor, rated 142, is the winner of 11 races and over £167,000 in prize money, toward which this £11,000 prize is yet a modest contribution.

Vaucelet will likely be back again; trainer David Christie enjoys this meeting and has met success here on several occasions, plus the homestay hospitality of Managing Director Ilona Barnett adds a considerable advantage!

Secret Investor and Vaucelet may well have to contend with a new challenger next year in Sine Nomine, winner of the pointtopoint.co.uk Champion Novices Hunters’ Chase over the same 3m 3f distance. This gripping race saw plenty to excite the enthusiast. Three rounded the turn closely bunched, with Sine Nomine boxed in on the rail by a Jack Andrews on Brave Starlight, determined not to give race room. Once beyond the rail, Jack Dawson had the speed to take up an inner berth as Precious Bounty, with Sine Nomine to the inner, Brave Starlight to the outer, jumped the last in unison. The last two went on, before Dawson was able to conjure some extra speed to get him 2 1/2l clear in the final 100 yards.

Winning trainer Fiona Needham has recently stepped down as Clerk of Course for Catterick to devote more time to the family farm. The trip back up to North Yorkshire will have been all the sweeter for the anticipation of what is to come from this exciting novice.

Gina Andrews, crowned champion lady amateur rider during the course of the evening, showed just why she has won that accolade when getting up to win the Grace & Dotty Restricted Novices Hunters’ event over 2m6f, to ensure no Hunters’ evening was without an Andrews winner. In a white knuckle finish, favourite Captain Biggles and long – time leader Raleagh Flora, under Charlie Marshall, joined issue turning out of the bend, and met the last in unison. With a winning distance of just a head, it was only favourite backers who were glad of the result; a dead heat would have been as fair. Winning trainer Tom Ellis breaks records in the amateur level of the sport as frequently as Paul Nicholls in the professional game, this taking his seasonal tally into the mid seventies.

The Paul & Olive Nicholls team narrowly missed out on what could have been a double after Magic Saint went under by just 1 1/2l in the opening Jumping for Fun Hunters Chase over the minimum trip. leading off the bend, Magic Saint was in command, but Kaproyale under Zac Baker, took closer order. A blunder at the last gave the advantage back to the Nicholls contender, but Baker, having kept his seat, was able to conjure another run from Kaproyale to peg back the leader halfway up the run in and pull 1 1/2l ahead by the line. It was a 17th victory for winning trainer Fran Poste.

Jack Andrews, denied a winner in the Novice Championship, made sure of his place on the Winners’ board for this annual Hunter chase jamboree in the closing Visit Irish Store Sales with ITM Point-to-Point Bumper. Some may argue a flat race has no place in the Point-to-Point circuit, but the influx of h=young horses gives the lie to this outdated argument. Racegoers were rewarded with a gripping race in which Nigel Padfield’s Penniless ensured that was most certainly not the case with a 1/2l victory over Old Gold. The winning owner gets a £1,000 cheque to spend at any Irish sale coming up so chances are a Padfield horse will appear in the same race next year.

One truly unique race makes up this innovative and popular card, being the 2m 5f Hunter Chase handicap, underwritten by the White Swan Hotel. Two non-runners on account of the ground made this just a 5 runner field with a weight range from 12st 5 to 10st 5. Winner Sixteen Letters looks a horse to frustrate his trainer and rider Josh Newman. Plenty of ear movement approaching and after the last indicated he had more in the tank as Gina Andrews galvanised Peacock’s Secret alongside, but Sixteen Letters decided to find more and the 2l winning margin is not a reflection of his superiority when he opts to show it.