CURRE AND LLANGIB HOWICK
27th February 2005
by Liam Hale
It was a cold windy day in South
Wales and with heavy overnight frost the meeting did well to take
place. Two fences in the straight were omitted initially for the
first two races then for the entire card due to frost.
Only two out of the five runners
finished the hunt members race but it turned into a good battle
down the straight between Alpine Fugue (Miss Sarah Lewis) and
Blakeney Hill (Joe Price). Alpine Fugue kicked ahead on the final
circuit until being given a breather in the straight before running
on to collar Blakeney Hill (FAV) at the last. The 2002 scorer
Alpine Fugue prevailed by three lengths at the line.
The restricted race attracted
seventeen runners with many looking to have a chance on paper.
Recent scorer To The Top (James Tudor) made gradual progress
throughout the race and took it up two out from the front-runner,
Oneofthemongoes (Tim Vaughan). Who’s Eddie (M Harris) under a
driving ride joined To The Top at the last and ran on well to
score. Oneofthemongoes ran well for a long way and showed his first
worthwhile form and should be considered in a maiden. The first two
look like they are progressing well and will be worth watching in
the future.
The Mens Open saw the prominent
throughout Lough Ennel (R Jenkins) take the scalp of Windy Spirit
(James Tudor). Even though the jockey put up seven pounds
overweight, the chestnut gelding ran on well to defy the
well-backed Windy Spirit who had looked a big threat two out. The
nine year old looked classy in his win and could be worth following
know re-finding the winning thread. Wings of Hope (D Jones) ran
well for a long way and this ex hurdler under rules will be winning
a race this season, probably at a lower level.
The Ladies Open saw Knight of
Passion (Charlotte Tizzard) go off favourite and was prominent
throughout with Sip Of Brandy (Jodie Hughes) who pulled well clear
of the spread out field. The pair were upsides two out where Knight
Of Passion had not got rid of the persistent challenge of Sip Of
Brandy when the Hughes’s gelding landed awkwardly unseating
Jodie Hughes. This left Knight Of Passion to gallop onto victory
from the ex Venetia Williams trained Hescondido (Lucie Batchelor)
who ran on well from a long way back to finish second on his first
point start. The winner isn’t getting any younger, fourteen,
but should still continue to pay his way. Sip Of Brandy who won a
Ludlow Hunterchase in 2003 should be able to gain compensation in
the coming weeks where as Hescondido should score when ridden more
prominently.
The Intermediate saw a potential
star for the future in Cannon Bridge (Dai Jones). Dai Jones, his
style likened to Paul Carberry by the commentator, couldn’t
hold the already three times scorer so let him have his head early
in the second circuit and he turned the race into a procession. The
useful Beauchamp Oracle, had finished fifth in a recent Leicester
Hunter Chase (S Lloyd), was left in second but had no answer to the
impressive winner and could be interesting when switched to the
Williams main yard and is the type to excel for Evan Williams over
the summer months.
Division one of the maiden was
split with Godfrey Maundrell and Theatre Call running on strongly
to beat the first time out Room Enough (R Hodges) by fifteen
lengths. The winner having ran this season had the upper edge but
it will be worth following the second for the future as the gelding
gave the impression he is capable of winning a race.
Division two of the first
division involved controversy As What a Surprise (Lucy Rowsell)
jumped the last ahead of Kicking Bear (James Tudor) and looked to
hold of the challenge of the latter. The judge gave the verdict
that Kicking Bear had got up by the minimum margin and the Rowsell
camp made an objection but to no avail due to the Judges verdict
being final.
What a Surprise ran well after
three seasons on the sidelines and should be able to gain
compensation for this possible misdemeanour.
The Second division of the open
maiden saw some interesting runners with JP McManus running his
Just Back ridden by Alan Berry and the Mathias’s, who had
good success last year with Sohapara, running the Promising River
Treasure (Marc Barber). Just Back was jumping well in the lead
until unseating on the second circuit, which left What Up Jake
(William Oakes) to take a very large lead heading into the home
straight. His only pursuer was Nearly a Mildred (Rilly Goschen) who
was closing but still around ten lengths down approaching the last.
Whats Up Jake made a big mistake at the last, probably due to the
sloping side of the fence, and William Oakes did very will to stay
with his partner and from there sauntered home for second. Nearly A
Mildred showed her first worthwhile form whereas Whats Up Jake can
be seen as a very unlucky runner up and should be in the number one
slot before long.
James Tudor, leading jockey at
the meeting, was denied a double in the last race of the day when
Belles Last took it up jumping the last but then was carried out by
the loose horse leaving the front running Make It Easy and Tim
Vaughan to run on well to score. Belles Last did manage to get back
on the course to finish second ahead of Highway Robbery (D.S Jones)
and looks a winner without a penalty for the future.
Unlucky Losers:
Belles Last, Whats Up Jake, What a Surprise
Potential Future
Star: Cannon Bridge
|