With
three quarters of the season’s meetings now under our belt for the season, we
are seeing an interesting pattern of Worcester course specialists emerging, and
it is particularly pleasing to see a number of horses who have run well in
defeat over the summer, finally getting their noses in front.
Kinnersley
based John Spearing, who trains Over the Air for owner/breeder Mrs Peter Badger,
was delighted that the horse’s Worcester form over the past 13 months which
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improved last week to record a win in the concluding handicap hurdle under
regular rider and Cheltenham Gold Cup winning jockey, Nico De Boinville.
In-form
jockey, Will Kennedy commented that this is the first year he has been in the
enviable position of being given the choice of decent horses to ride in
races. Kennedy was faced with a
difficult decision for the opening handicap chase between Jonjo O’Neill’s Clubs
Are Trumps and Cut the Corner who is trained in Claines by Richard Newland.
Kennedy
is the only jockey to have ridden Clubs Are Trumps (pictured below) to his 5 wins to date,
including a victory at Worcester in July.
The jockey has also enjoyed success on the Newland trained horses this
year.
Swayed
towards the proven Clubs Are Trumps, the race turned into a great tussle
between the Flemensfirth gelding and the Sam Twiston-Davies ridden Cut the
Corner, who has now posted three seconds at Pitchcroft this season. Clubs Are Trumps held on to his narrow lead
over the last fence to win by one and three quarter lengths.
Miss
Tenacious proved to be third time lucky at the course on the same day, having
run to second place at Pitchcroft twice this year, and most recently behind
Worcester specialist, Fairyinthewind. This time the eight year old mare was
ridden up with the pace in the feature chase, and managed to reverse the form with
Fairyinthewind to win on the line for her owner/breeders, brothers John and
Paul Frampton.
Recruits
from Irish point to pointing make popular jumpers in this country, as the Evan
Williams trained Roadie Joe showed when following up his August Worcester
bumper win with success in last week’s maiden hurdle. He could be a horse to look out for.
With
the winter jumping season fast approaching and the ground turning a bit softer,
a good number of National Hunt trainers and bloodstock agents flocked to
Doncaster last week to the DBS September sales to stock up on new recruits.
Alcester
trainer Dan Skelton paid £46,000 for Savello who won the 2014 Johnny Henderson
Grand Annual Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and was sold by Gigginstown House
Stud. Richard Newland was also in a buying mood, picking up 5 horses to bring
his tally for winter jumping up to 16.
Afternoon
racing starts at 2.10pm tomorrow.
