North Norfolk
Harriers
Higham
Sunday 25th January 2009
by Simon
McInnes
Going: Good (Good to Soft places) - but getting
softer as the day progressed.
For the second year in a row, the evil gods
of travel sucked me in with a swift journey to this meeting and a
nightmare return. I know that I am making the right sacrifices to
the right entities, so it must be the North Norfolk Harriers that
are letting the side down. Maybe many other people saw what was
coming, or more likely, were dissuaded by the terrible weather, and
the crowd was below par, put off by no more than loads of rain and
a healthy wind. There were plenty of runners, but presumably a fair
chunk of them were expecting better ground and faster races as is
more normal for the course.
race 1: Openfield
Agriculture 5-7 year olds Open Maiden, Div I
1: Delgany Run 2: Captain Marshall 3: Sharp Action
Winner owned: Mr & Mrs CM Wilson, trained: Nicola Pollock,
ridden: Matt Smith
It takes a bit of imagination to
conjure up a similarly uninspiring maiden as the first division of
this, where the only unraced contender, Witch Hazel, did not look
fit enough to do herself justice, even if she had the requisite
ability, and the rest of the field had worked hard to prove that
they lacked the talent. The bookies, presumably fearing a plunge on
an otherwise innocuous horse, offered prices that varied between
the laughable and the risible. However, the form in the book
counted as Delgany Run had been behind subsequent winners Quotica
De Poyans and Nessa last time out. Alas, he had been a long, long
way behind but it was a straw to be clutched at. Delgany Run
launched his attack four from home, and that was that. Captain
Marshall had pulled very hard in front and the fact that a) he
clung on to second and b) he ran like a non-stayer in his only
other point, does not say much for the oppo.
race 2: Openfield
Agriculture 5-7 year olds Open Maiden, Div II
1: Not Another Barney 2: Doctor Kingsley 3: Monashee Grey
Winner owned & trained: NW Padfield, ridden: Gina
Andrews
At face value this seemed to be the better
division, but it could be argued that as several of the runners
were quite experienced maidens, they had less scope for improvement
that the earlier bunch. Riding a good race from the front, Gina
Andrews set a steady early pace on Not Another Barney and gradually
wound things up, causing the oppo to drop away one by one. The
final outcome was a wide margin victory, from a second placed horse
that had pulled up in all three previous runs. It is possible that
Doctor Kingsley has improved in his close season break - could it
have been to a miraculous degree? Monashee Grey showed some
plodability as a hurdler, and it was more of the same, only worse,
on his pointing debut.
race 3: Dodson &
Horrell PPORA Club Members, Novice Riders
1: Master Rex 2: Nokimover 3: Independent Trader
Winner owned: Ms A Embiricos & Mrs S Embiricos, trained: Alex
Embiricos, ridden: Johnny Bailey
This proved to be the
most exciting race of the day, although at the second last Master
Rex and Independent Trader were far enough clear that the chances
of Nokimover getting within a whisker and Rare Gold being hot on
the heels of the leading trio seemed quite slim. Master Rex has the
valid excuse of being a teenager of long-established stamina
limitation, and his managing to just hang on and end a long term
losing streak was a timely moment of heart warming sport just as
the conditions were at their bleakest and leaving one or two people
present wondering how they reconciled there attendance in a cold,
wet field in Suffolk to claims of being well-rounded, sensible
individuals. Independent Trader looked the most likely winner at
the third last, and although he tied up sharply, it was his first
run since May and his jumping never faltered, so all is not
lost.
race 4: Smiths Gore 8
year olds and up Open Maiden
1: Viceroy Close 2: Clande Boye 3: Fenny Lane
Winner owned: The Oak Partnership, trained & ridden: David
Kemp
As was the theme of the day, Viceroy Close made his
move to steal the glory at the far end of the track, and for the
third time so far it paid of handsomely. The race was quite
eventful, as a series of ragged attempts to start ended up with the
field jumping off with three horses a fair bit adrift, Activator,
Best Deal and Fenny Lane. The field was further disrupted when the
first of those, having fallen, ran loose the wrong way and brought
down Mountain Emperor, as well as hampering some others. All this,
plus some indifferent skills at the fences by Clande Boye, added up
to making Viceroy Close's job a fair bit easier. Fenny Lane's rider
did not panic to make up the ground lost at the start, but he was
not good enough to catch Clande Boye, so it is hard to imagine that
he would have beaten the winner had he jumped off on terms.
race 5: Barratt &
Cook Intermediate
1: Pouilly 2: Jazz Attack 3: Took My Eye
Winner owned: Fraser Duffin, trained: Fleur Hawes, ridden: Matt
Smith
A competitive race for a mere six runners, in
which bumper winner Pouilly made a successful debut in points, but
was rather fortunate to do so. The early pace was funereal, and
after a mile of so, Matt Smith took the bit between his teeth,
transferred the metaphor to Pouilly, and rode an aggressive race
from the front. Market leaders Peppershot and Took My Eye could not
handle it, but Needs Time, who missed last season, did react and on
his comeback run looked the most likely victor when he hit two out
and eventually shook his rider to the ground, in disrespect of an
heroic effort to cling on. He was only alongside Pouilly at the
time, but the winner was so tired from the last, it is hard to
believe Needs Time could have finished any slower, even with the
momentum lost in the error. Jazz Attack was looking very fit in
advance and in coming second posted his best effort in a long
while.
race 6: East Anglian
Horsebox Co Ltd Men's Open
1: Chilling Place 2: Another Dude 3: Tuesday's Child
Winner owned & trained: MJ Tuckey, trained: Ben
Tuckey
Poor old Another Dude. He was second to Kjetil in
this last season, ended 2008 being runner-up to Kadount, and turned
up for his seasonal debut this time only to bump into Chilling
Place. That horse had been lightly raced lately, but he looked fit
enough and his history of coming second had been in good handicap
company and at up to three miles as well. Chilling Place, who has
not changed owenrship, won quite comfortably, as form and betting
suggested he ought to, and Another Dude was an honourable best of
the rest. With Basic Fact running below par, even if allowing for
stamina doubts, third was sort of up for grabs, and the fact that
Tuesday's Child popped into this slot in defiance of all standard
logics that can be applied to the science of predicting race
results probably does not mean a great deal.
race 7: Oasis Sport
& Leisure Club Ladies' Open
1: Bonne Noel's 2: Mai Cure
Winner owned: Ms C Cuselle & Mr R Mills, trained: James Owen,
ridden: Kelly Smith
The case for this being a decent
open was fairly sparse, and when the favourite, Scotland Yard
unseated at the eighth* it thinned out even more. And the race
itself is of suspect form as a suicidal pace meant that a steady
chain of runners had bash at leading before they dropped away for
good. Bonne Noel's was a touch hesistant and jumped left at the
last two, presumably due to fatigue, but had only Mai Cure, with no
wins above maiden company, left going against him and not quite
really challenging for the honours. Tallow Bridge would have been
third had he not almost fallen, and thus unseated, at the last.
Again fatigue was a big factor, but the landing sides of the fences
were getting very battered by this stage and logic says that there
must have been one or two places of suspect footing.
* From my perfect vantage point, at the
opposite end of the course in the drizzle, the mistake did not look
as if it registered too highly on the modified version of the
Richter Scale often referred to in jumping circles.
race 8: Stevensons of
Norwich Countryside Alliance Club Members Conditions
1: Bob Justice 2: Quid Pro Quo 3: Duke Of Stradone
Winner owned: Paul Rackham, trained: Simon Stearb, ridden: Rupert
Stearn
There was an early fear that this could be
divided, but in the end only six went to post. Three were worthy of
consideration. Armaturk (would he stay?), Bob Justice (would he get
home in the ground?) and Quid Pro Quo (was he fit enough?). The
Armaturk challenge ended when he was quickly pulled up five from
home, and Quid Pro Quo hit the wall half way up the straight. Thus
the hardy few that managed to see it out to the end watched Bob
Justice trundle home by default.
Plus Points
Nokimover (race 3): Fifteen and with a shed
load of wins to his name, showed sufficient verve to suggest
something like one of these novice riders' heats could let him add
to the tally.
Saafend Rocket (race 3): Was alongside the
second and fourth when he fell two from home, and having always
looked happier going right-handed, he ought to be capable of better
than this.
Shaamit The Vaamit (race 4): Might have been
second had be not blundered at the second from home causing his
jockey to have to complete without the use of stirrups. In the
ancient world, riders would have shrugged off the inconvenience (or
wondered what a stirrup was) but for The Vaamit, it meant he ran
much better than the final result.
Needs Time (race 5): An unlucky loser who can
develop on the effort if the jumping error does not prove
typical.
Another Dude (race 6): Is good enough to win
again in Opens, with a bit of luck in avoiding the top notch
oppo.
Manoram (race 6): Should have had a chance of
nabbing third on his best form, but he is not the most consistent
horse, and his less than 100% fitness at least gave a good reason
for being below par.
Quid Pro Quo (race 8): Will be better for the
run and seems to appreciate a good old slog on a testing
course.
Down Arrows
Not Another Barney (race 2): Is forced out of
maidens by a win barely worthy of the name - will he be able to
lift his game?
Siam De Baune (race 3): Ran well for a long
way, but as he got tired his jumping became scrappy, which seems to
be a regular problem for him.
Took My Eye (race 5): Won three last year,
and was placed in a hunter chase, but was beaten a touch too
easily, even allowing for an eight month break and the easing
ground.
Peppershot (race 5): His best form looks
decent, but his completion rate is disturbing.
Mai Cure (race 7): Is not suddenly an open
class runner so taking this result at face value is probably
unwise.
Bob Justice (race 8): Won far and square but
did not prove his stamina when conditions are testing.