Bradley Gibbs took centre stage once again at Cheltenham on Friday during HQ's season swansong for the Hunters' evening fixture. Premier Magic, successful in the St James' Place Cheltenham Foxhunter, returned to the scene of his greatest triumph for an assured 17l victory over Rebel Dawn Rising in the Ienos Grenadier Final.
The race turned into a match from 4 out with David Kemp's Rebel Dawn Rising, whose win in a Garthorpe qualifier for this £10,000 Final has been interspersed with BD and UR figures. In truth, Premier Magic always had the upper hand and had the race won before the last. For good measure, Gibbs added to his score in the opening John Wyke aka Mr Guinness Memorial Hunters Chase over 2m with Fier Jaguen, last seen leading the field in the Aintree Foxhunter, where he unseated Gibbs at the seventh. Fier Jaguen came here with a mighty reputation on the back of wins at Chaddesley, Revesby Park and Ston Easton, but his jumping left much to be desired over these stiffer obstacles. Although blessed with a turn of foot, he looks something of a tricky ride. David Kemp didn't head back to the east of England empty-handed however, as Law of Gold went one better than his second in this race 12 months previously to win the four miler. This attritional race always attracts a large field, but it needs to. Of the 12 starts, just 4 finished. Law of Gold is a model of consistency, with three victories from his last 7 runs, the other four efforts being runner-up. He sensibly avoided the Foxhunter here a month ago, and that decision was vindicated. He looks a likely candidate for the Stratford Foxhunter in 3 weeks' time. Another with sound claims to Stratford is Quintin's Man, who stayed on resolutely to pass several others and win the Lycetts Insurance Brokers Intermediate Chase under Darren Andrews for John Heard. The John Corbett Cup, the season's highest accoldae for novices, is a potential target. Champion Point-to-Point trainer Tom Ellis has carried all befor him this season, reaching a personal career best. Winning at Cheltenham however still means plenty, and Fairly Famous put him and rider Gina Andrews in the winner's enclosure with a ready 15l winner over locally-trained Marcle Ridge in the 3m2f Kdta Hunters Chase. The shortest distance of the night occurred in the Barrie Wells Trust Box4kids Mares Hunters Chase, a relatively recent addition to this programme. There were three in a line approaching the second last. Tom Broughton on Miss Seagreen was first to go for his stick, and looked to have the worst of the tussle, but the 10 year old mare stuck to her task after the last to get uo in the final 75 yards to beat Sine Nomine and Singapore Saga in the best finish of the evening. Sine Nomine, brought down from Catterick by Fiona Needham, could be fairly adjudged to be an unlucky loser; there'll be other races for the game grey mare. The winner was trained by Lucy Smith, a welcome reversal of Marcle Ridge's defeat. The evening concluded with another close contest in the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars open race over 2m4f. Paloma Blue looked to have the race in safe keeping two out, but had to rebuff a persistent late challenge from Fix It All, under J J Murphy-Knight, winner of two hunters' races at Ludlow. Josh Newman had somethig left in the tank, however, and ran on again to win by 3/4l with last year's winner Solomon Grey back in third. TOM Ellis broke his own record for number of winners in a season in the trainers' championship when Master Templar triumphed at the Warwickshire meeting at Mollington, near Banbury, in front of a big Bank Holiday Monday crowd. Ellis had eclipsed last year's tally of 62 for the campaign when Pass The Glass won at Dingley on Sunday.
But with Dundrum Wood's walkover at Edgcote last month not counting towards the championship, it was Master Templar's victory in a match for the Butler Sherborn Warwickshire Hunt Members, Subscribers & Farmers Race which saw him set a new mark in the trainers' standings. With Jack Andrews taking over the reins on the eight-year-old from his sister, Gina, as he chases the men's riders' championship, the Jenny Hayward-owned eight-year-old made the running before Largy Mountain jumped ahead at the fourth-last under James King. However, Andrews galvanised his mount on the run-in to claim the spoils by two-and-a-quarter lengths. Ellis, who is based at Marton, near Rugby, said: "I was dreading today. This meeting has been very good to us and very bad. I broke my leg here in 2015 and that was the end of my riding career. I view that as the record. It is nice to do it here on home soil." Master Templar has contributed four wins this term, and the trainer added: "He keeps plenty back for himself and is not an easy ride, so I am lucky with the two pilots we have and some brilliant novices coming through behind them." Ellis had trained and ridden Stormy Pass to take this contest at Ashorne in 2006 for Hayward, who commented: "When we were younger to win the hunt race was the highlight of the year and it's still the same." Wadham's late season flourish4/27/2023 Lucy Wadham has had a quiet jumps season by her standards, but enjoyed a late flourish at Warwick this afternoon, as her two runners landed her a handsome hurdle double.
Last season's 19 winners amassed a personal best haul of nearly £1/4m in prize money - not bad for a yard with such a modest number of horses. This year's season will finish some £40k adrift of that sum, firmly in the mid-division of the Trainers' table, from just 14 winners. Maiden hurdler Scene One set the ball rolling, justifying 7/4 favouritism from a promising second at Fontwell earlier in the month. The second winner hadn't attracted much interest in the ring, but Regarding Ruth picked up the leader two out and ran on gamely enough to land the spoils with a length to spare. Bryony Frost and Lucy are a consistent pairing. Frost has ridden around half the stable's runners this season, and the lion's share of winners. She'll be seeing out the season at Sandown where Frodon lines up in the bet365 Gold Cup under top weight, trying to deny Kitty's Light a quickfire and memorable staying chase double after last weekend's Scottish National. British tails were up after the Randox Foxhunter last Thursday when Famous Clermont justified considerable faith by a ready 4 3/4l win over Bennys King under Will Biddick.
Since opening his account at Larkhill on New Year's Day, the eight year old has done little wrong, winning a hunter chase at Wincanton, then the Walrus Hunters at Haydock en route to the Cheltenham Foxhunter, where he finished a 10l sixth to Premier Magic. He was tracking Fier Jaguen in the same Julian Sherriff colours until that horse pecked and unshipped his rider Bradley Gibbs at the seventh. Racing tends to run in families, and so it was here too. Trainer Chris Barber was continuing a long tradition in the sport, emulating his grandfather Richard, who won this race 14 years ago with Trust Fund. Rider Will Biddick told the Racing Post, "I've been around for 20 seasons now and I think my first ride round here was Le Duc in 2009. I've had a few seconds and I've been knocking on the door. It's a big thing for the amateurs to win this race – here and Cheltenham are our Gold Cups. To do it is massive." The winner will aim to return to the same race next year, but the 3 1/4m of the Cheltenham Foxhunter appears just a little too far. He looks a more likely candidate for the Stratford Foxhunter over a sharper track. Of the 27 to face the starter, 17 completed. A maximum of 28 runners will face the starter in Thursday's Randox Foxhunter Chase at Aintree, the second leg of the three valuable foxhunter races for amateur riders only in the season. Included among them is an intoxicating mix of veteran chasers and new blood, hoping to carry off a lifetime achievement and set themselves up for a tilt at the following year's Grand National. This is a race where it pays to follow trainers and riders with form. Ulster-based David Christie is resolutely focused on the Point-to-Point and Hunter chase division, and in Winged Leader he has a horse with impeccable credentials. A winner of 12 of his 18 Point-to-Points, his last outing not in the Winner's berth was a neck second to Billaway in the 2022 Cheltenham Foxhunter. He swerved that race this Spring to focus on Aintree, and has convincing wins at Cragmore, Farmaclaffley and Portrush to serve as an ideal preparation. He is deservedly the 4/1 favourite. However, this is not a race that regularly falls to the Irish, unlike the National itself in recent years. Last year's winner, fifth and seventh all renew rivalry. Latenightpass was a thrilling 1 1/4l victor last April from Cat Tiger. It's difficult to fault Tom Ellis's charge in his preparation this year. Three races include two wins at Alnwick and Charm Park, plus a neck second to Shantou Flyer at Chaddesley's Harkaway meeting, which has already produced a Foxhunter winner in Premier Magic. With Gina Andrews in the plate, punters are sure of a good ride. Follow rider form over the Aintree fencesA maximum of 28 runners will face the starter in Thursday's Randox Foxhunter Chase at Aintree, the second leg of the three valuable foxhunter races for amateur riders only in the season. Included among them is an intoxicating mix of veteran chasers and new blood, hoping to carry off a lifetime achievement and set themselves up for a tilt at the following year's Grand National. This is a race where it pays to follow trainers and riders with form. Ulster-based David Christie is resolutely focused on the Point-to-Point and Hunter chase division, and in Winged Leader he has a horse with impeccable credentials. A winner of 12 of his 18 Point-to-Points, his last outing not in the Winner's berth was a neck second to Billaway in the 2022 Cheltenham Foxhunter. He swerved that race this Spring to focus on Aintree, and has convincing wins at Cragmore, Farmaclaffley and Portrush to serve as an ideal preparation. He is deservedly the 4/1 favourite. However, this is not a race that regularly falls to the Irish, unlike the National itself in recent years. Last year's winner, fifth and seventh all renew rivalry. Latenightpass was a thrilling 1 1/4l victor last April from Cat Tiger. It's difficult to fault Tom Ellis's charge in his preparation this year. Three races include two wins at Alnwick and Charm Park, plus a neck second to Shantou Flyer at Chaddesley's Harkaway meeting, which has already produced a Foxhunter winner in Premier Magic. With Gina Andrews in the plate, punters are sure of a good ride. Shantou Flyer (right) catches Latenightpass at the last at Chaddesley's harkaway fixture in December Cousin Pascal was fifth in that race, and has been trained specifically toward this race. It hasn't been an ideal preparation; in soft ground at Hereford in January, he failed to finish, whilst most recently, he came off second best to Espoir de Teillee at Leicester. He may have shot his bolt in this race, especially given the weather forecast. The seventh horse in the 2022 renewal was Reikers Island from Alan Hill's yard, a distant 39l behind. He was well beaten in his last outing at Brafield and looks an improbable winner. The Bradley Gibbs - trained Fier Jaguen looks yet another from this successful stable to follow. He's another to have begun his campaign at the Harkaway fixture with a distance victory in an Open. He hasn't put a foot wrong in subsequent outings at Revesby Park and Ston Easton and merits his 6/1 price if he takes to the Aintree fences. Predictably, it's another virtually professional rider who challenges for favouritism in the naps table. Famous Clermont ran a 10l sixth to Premier Magic at Cheltenham on the back of a quartet of victories in Points and hunter chases. With Will Biddick in the plate, you are guaranteed a run for your money, even at 11/2.
James King has picked up a ride for Keiran Burke on the Penny Bunter - owned Envoye Special. They have some ground to make up on the main contenders. Among the other notables, you can never rule out a horse with P Nicholls against its name. Magic Saint will carry Olive Nicholls in the race for the first time, and whilst rated just 137 now, has been rated 9lbs higher, which would put him bang there if stepping back up to that standard. Contemporary, Fern O'Brien also has her first ride over the National fences but Sir Jack Yeats looks outclassed in this company. Once again, the race looks set to produce a dream result for one trainer-rider combination. Imperil does Littmoden proud at Auteuil4/11/2023 The Point-to-Point season is winding down, and summer fixtures are rarely making the heart beat faster, but a former inmate of Newmarket did British racing proud, when Imperil stayed on into fourth in France's richest Jumps race, the Grand Steeplechase de Paris at Auteuil yesterday.
Recently, this has been a fixture largely ignored by British and Irish trainers, yet with eye-watering prizes and soft ground, it's worth hanging out for. The Irish were as strong-handed as they could have hoped, with Willie Mullins fielding several, Emmet Mullins Noble Yeats and even a Czech runner hoping to sneak some euros. But the French are at their best against horses they have bred and sold abroad. Daniela Mele became the fourth lady trainer to lift the coveted prize with Rosario Baron under Johnny Charron, whose effort at Cheltenham in the Stayers petered out. It was a tight finish, with another French horse, Gex, runner-up a second year in succession for Emmanuel Clayeux, a neck down at the line. Imperil, a graduate from handicap company and winner of France's richest handicap at Auteuil a few weeks ago, ran on to be a creditable fourth. Nick, who has been training in France little more than a couple of years, told France Galop, "What a fantastic horse! I knew he would cope with the extreme distance. I was delighted with his last performance as the distance was too short for him. We'll be back next year! Maybe we'll mount a cross-Channel raid with him!" He chuckled, "This is great for a young French trainer like me..." And so it is, Nick. We're dead proud of you. Northaw Racing NewsWelcome to the News page. Here you will find the very latest information about Northaw Races and race course conditions
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April 2024
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