Doubles and trebles were the order of Worcester’s Festival of Racing weekend – and we are referring to the racing rather than bar sales!
Out of luck at Pitchcroft’s first two meetings, champion jockey Tony McCoy, stormed back with a vengeance recording a treble in front of a packed Ladies’ Day crowd. The first two legs came in the opening novice handicap chase and the beginners’ chase. Both horses, Sagredo and Caddie Master were trained by Jonjo O’Neill and owned by JP McManus. O’Neill won the same beginners’ chase in 2006 and 2011 and boasted a 31% strike rate for the 14 days leading into the Festival weekend. Rebecca Curtis sent My Lad Percy from Newport in west Wales to give the Champ his third victory of the day in the bumper.
Trainer Richard Phillips is currently in the form of his life and even he was taken by surprise at his Ladies’ Day double, when Mr Tingle and Saticon stormed first past the post in the consecutive novice and handicap hurdles. Phillips, who was unable to recall when he last had a double, commented he was delighted, "Having had more seconds than the Liberal Democrats of late!".
The annual Valerie Lewis Memorial handicap chase, first run in 2005, was a competitive affair with the trainer / jockey, father / son combination of Brendan Powell and Brendan Powell junior teaming up to win comfortably with Shoreacres. The same pair scored again on the Sunday with Benny’s Wall in the handicap chase.
Sue Gardner from Longdown in Devon sent out the first double of her training career on Countryside day when Miss Saffron beat Paul Nicholls’ Minella Stars in the £11,000 novice chase, and Southway Star followed up in the conditional jockeys’ handicap hurdle.
Another father and son, trainer / jockey combination, John and Joe Cornwall, were on the score sheet with the unlikely Mad Professor who was 1 win from 62 runs going into the Handicap chase.
All in all, an excellent weekend’s racing in front of a 10,500 strong crowd over the two days.
Tony Carroll from Cropthorne has a summer jumping superstar on his hands with Jolly Roger. The five year old has won six races from six starts since April, four of these in nine days and all six in just 33 days. The wins have come with two at Uttoxeter, and one each at Cartmel, Newton Abbott, Hereford and Aintree, all under conditional, Lee Edwards. The horse will now head for the Galway hurdle following a short break.
Worcester based freelance jockey, Tommy Phelan has started the season well. With just ten wins on the board last season, he rode a double at Newton Abbott last week, bringing his total to six wins in the first two months of the new season.
Today sees the annual Senior Citizens’ raceday at Pitchcroft, when the discounted package tickets will be available to purchase at the gates.
The first race is due off at 2.10pm. If you are coming along, have a great day!
