How many times at the race
meeting on Wednesday did I hear ‘what a difference a week makes?’ It was quite unbelievable to be abandoning a
meeting one week and watering the same ground 5 days later, which had turned
almost ‘firm’.
Not to be deterred from running
their horses at Worcester however, trainers made 313 entries for last week’s
meeting at the 6 day stage, declaring 187 of these to run the day before
racing. Due to our stable capacity of 95
and the ‘runner per stable’ rule, 92 of these horses were unfortunately balloted
out. Worcester remains firmly on the map
as a popular summer jumping course.
This summer’s National Hunt racing
in our locale is a tale of three ‘Richards’.
Former champion point to point
jockey, Richard Woollacott boasted a 50% strike rate from his runners over the 14
days prior to our meeting. The wins
included a double at Uttoxeter, one of which was with Vintage Tea who ran at
Worcester’s Ladies’ Day in June.
Woops of encouragement from
Woollacott rang around the parade ring on Wednesday, when his Allerford Jack
just touched off David Rees’ Chandler’s Cross in the opening Handicap Chase.
Richard Phillips remains a close
second to David Pipe in the Worcester trainer’s table and Claines trainer,
Richard Newland is in the form of his life.
Newland’s Bobowen posted
victories recently at Stratford and again on Thursday at Uttoxeter. Smalib Monterg registered his third victory
since being claimed in a Ludlow seller in April by winning the handicap hurdle
at Newton Abbott in the week. Paddy the
Hare also came a good second in Uttoxeter’s beginner’s chase.
On the same card, Newland had a
rare bumper runner, Rex Appeal who also put in an excellent performance only to
be pipped on the line by a short head.
Another local trainer in great
form currently is Tony Carroll. Direct
Flo gave Carroll a Worcester winner on Wednesday, after which Carroll declared
the mare a sun worshipper, commenting ‘she likes it when the sun shines’.
The Kevin Morgan trained My
Farmer Girl was one of three mares to take the honours at Pitchcroft. Her owner/breeder, John Duckworth was pleased
his perseverance paid off as he had travelled to the course from Glasgow the
previous week to watch the mare run, only for the meeting to be abandoned.
Eyes will be on the Festival from
Galway this coming week. A number of
British raiders are planning to make the trip with trainers Rebecca Curtis and
Sophie Leech making entries for the Galway Plate, and Tim Vaughan, Donald
McCain and Peter Bowen amongst 6 trainers with intended runners in the Galway
Handicap Hurdle.
Worcester has its own feature
night tomorrow when the Pershore Plum Festival family race evening will include
the third running of the revived Land O’Plums Chase, formerly run at Pershore
Racecourse in the early 1900’s.
It is also a night when the
course supports Racing Welfare, a very worthy charity who looks after anyone in
need, connected to the racing industry.
Silent auction lots will include Mornings on the Gallops generously
donated by Jonjo O’Neill, Charlie Longsdon and Tim Vaughan.
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The gates open at 3.50 pm and the
first race is due off at 5.50pm.
