Friday 6 June 2014

Rain not an issue for the Henderson runner

The unpredictability of the British weather struck again last week. Over 2 inches of rain fell at Pitchcroft during the 7 days between race meetings resulting in the ground riding soft but thankfully safe.

Rain softened ground did not suit all 3 horses that Nicky Henderson declared for the Worcester News sponsored bumper. On the morning of racing, the decision was taken that flat bred, Special Agent, owned by the Queen would not appreciate the conditions and the gelding was withdrawn. 

Henderson left Profit Commission in the race, a 33,000 Euro purchase by Presenting, but it was his second string horse, Leaderofthedance (pictured) who came out on top of the battle for victory with Bobble Emerald, owned by Arena Racing Company Chairman, David Thorpe.


Leaderofthedance was bred by his owner, Tom Whitley who also raced the horse’s grand dam, Garrylough to victory 7 times in the 1990’s when trained by David Gandolfo.

Accompanying the Henderson runners was new assistant trainer, Patrick Harty, grandson of Grand National winning jockey, Eddie Harty and son of the Curragh based trainer of Captain Cee Bee of the same name.

Harty is following the footsteps of previous Henderson protégées such as Charlie Longsdon, Tom Symonds and Ben Pauling, and came also to Worcester last week to meet up with his Abberley based workplace mentor, Liz Juckes.

Juckes, daughter-in-law of ex Worcestershire trainer, Rod Juckes, was at the racecourse in her capacity as workplace co-ordinator for the British Racing School in Newmarket.  Juckes mentors 40 ex students of the Racing School including rising star Oisin Murphy, currently riding for Andrew Balding on the flat.

It is always good to hear of the success of Worcestershire trainers and Tony Carroll from Cropthorne certainly had something to celebrate recently.

Carroll has trained Ocean Legend since 2010 and at Brighton last week, the horse won the 100th race he has run in. It is rare, and therefore a great achievement to keep a horse sound for that number of races.

Ninety-four year old former Kinnersley trainer, Mercy Rimell had success in the week at Brightwell’s Horses in Training sales at Cheltenham. Super Sam went under the hammer to Herefordshire trainer, Venetia Williams for £31,000. The gelding is out of Gaye Sophie, also bred by Rimell, who is related to her 1983 Champion Hurdle winner, Gaye Brief.

Champion jockey, Tony McCoy has had a great start to the new season with 40 wins from 112 rides in May earning him an amazing strike rate of 37%. McCoy, who recently turned 40 appears in no mood to slow down and indeed following his rides at Worcester last week, left by helicopter for 3 further rides at the evening meeting at Wetherby in Yorkshire, one of which was a winning one.

Tomorrow sees the feature raceday of the season at Worcester. A large crowd is expected for Edwards Motors Ladies Day when the annual St Richard’s Hospice Valerie Lewis Memorial chase will be the main race of the day.

Due to the anticipated extra traffic, the gates open at 11.30am with the first race due off at 1.55pm.