There is only one Hunters’ Chase run at Worcester every year and there won’t be many more touching stories than the one involving the local winner of the race run at the last meeting. Trained just four miles from the course at Lower Broadheath by Paul Senter, the Wife’s Sister was sent off at odds of 100-1. The race had been the target for her since Christmas, mainly because it would be close by for Paul’s Mum, Rose, to come and watch. Sadly Rose died a few days before the race but Senter and owner, Dawn Pugh, who is the scorer at Worcester County Cricket ground and who was also celebrating her 60th birthday, decided to run the horse for Rose. When The Wife’s Sister passed the post in front, giving Senter his first winner under rules, Pugh described the cheering from friends and family as akin to Manchester United scoring a winning goal!
In other news from the meeting, Claines trained Wakeboard whose previous run was in the Topham at Aintree put in a better performance in the handicap chase to come a close second behind Paul Nicholls’ Spock. Jockey Richard Johnson’s parents, Susan and Keith, celebrated an owner/trainer victory in the concluding handicap hurdle with Themanfromfraam ridden by Adam Wedge. Shaun Lycett made a promising start to the defence of his Worcester trainer’s title when Ironical and new recruit to the yard, Weapon of War, who had been off the track for 766 days, both came second in their respective handicap hurdle and novice hurdle.
Another lady celebrating her 60th birthday was Gail Hewitt whose daughter and son-in–law Kirsty and Mark Bettis from Bromsgrove sponsored the bumper in her name. Little did she know until after the race, that winner Broadway Buffalo who is trained by David Pipe, was the first runner for England rugby international Mark Cueto and Welsh international Andy Powell. Purchased recently at Cheltenham, the horse stayed on strongly to win by 10 lengths and his pedigree suggests he will go further in time. The second placed horse in the race, The Stout Italian who was also having his debut run, went through the Doncaster sales ring fetching his reserve price of £45,000 last week. Trainer Kim Bailey was out of luck with his offer of free training for 11 months if the horse made his reserve, as the son of Milan was purchased by bloodstock agent Aiden Murphy and will now be trained by Ben De Haan. One lucky punter went home happy having placed a £5 placepot bet and was the only person on course to win. The bet paid a staggering £26,000 on the night!
