Wednesday 5 June 2013

A review of the scintillating CrownGate Ladies Day at Worcester Racecourse

If ever there was a champagne moment, it was at Worcester Racecourse on Saturday afternoon. On a day when record crowds enjoyed the racing whilst basking in the sunshine on the banks of the river Severn, an emotional owner welcomed his horse back into the parade ring, having won the feature race of the day.

Peter Bowling is a great friend to the Racecourse and over several years has had 11 runners at the course, resulting in seven winners, two seconds and one third placed horse, with only one unplaced finisher. That is a wonderful strike rate for any owner. Pure Faith, trained in Wales by Peter Bowen gave Bowling his 25th winner under rules when, at odds of 20-1 he saw off Venetia Williams’ Ciceron in the Chemical Corporation 30th Anniversary Valerie Lewis Memorial handicap chase.

Formerly running against horses of the calibre of Kauto Star and Albertas Run, Pure Faith has dropped in the handicap in the last couple of years. Jim Lewis was on hand to present Bowling and co-owner, Simon Scott with the impressive annual silver trophy. Bowling’s former star, Swansea Bay, who included two Badger Ales Chases, the Edward Hamner Chase and six wins from six starts at Worcester in his winning tally, is the most successful horse at the course in recent times.

Ruby Walsh’s decision last week to step down as number one stable jockey to former Champion trainer, Paul Nicholls will be much to the benefit of Daryl Jacob who now moves up to the coveted position at the Ditcheat stables. Jacob wasted little time in notching up his first winner since Walsh’s announcement and this was aboard Saint Roque in the handicap hurdle at Worcester on Saturday. The horse was following up a Fontwell win a week earlier and will probably go chasing from here due to an inevitable rise in the weights over hurdles.

Champion jockey AP McCoy was also on the score sheet on Saturday and has already taken the lead in the Worcester jockey table in defence of his 2012 title, following a delayed start due to injury. McCoy steered an exciting new JP McManus owned prospect home for trainer, Jonjo O’Neill in the second division of the bumper. Another Hero, who cost his owner 50,000 Euros, is a half brother to Supreme Novice winner, Back in Front and following his impressive debut under rules, the four year old is definitely one to watch going forward.

In further news of recent Worcester winners, Anquetta was recently sold at the DBS Doncaster sales for £24,000 to Cheltenham Gold Cup winning owner, Robert Waley-Cohen. The horse rewarded his new owner and jockey son, Sam by taking the two mile handicap chase at Newton Abbott under top weight and will remain on the go through the summer, staying on at Nicky Henderson’s Seven Barrows yard.

Interestingly, three of the victors from the 12th May meeting at Worcester have all come out and been successful again next time out, within two and a half weeks. The other two horses being Royal Knight, trained in Claines, and My Lad Percy.

We are hoping the weather stays fair for the evening meeting on Thursday when the first race is due off at 5.55pm.

Pure Faith (Tom O'Brien)