Tuesday, 20 May 2014

Rejuvenated Fade To Grey Puts In Bold Performance

There could not have been more relieved and indeed happy owners at Pitchcroft last week than the Worcester Racing Club syndicate. Their 10 year old Fade To Grey (pictured), who is blind in his left eye, was a former course winner in 2011 when his score sheet included two firsts and two second places. In 2012, the horse suffered a near career-ending injury at Newton Abbott and has been nursed back to the racecourse by Cheltenham based trainer, Sean Lycett.

The horse has had three runs on the flat this year before being tried back over hurdles at Worcester’s first May meeting.  The plan went wrong that day and he missed the start, pulling up shortly afterwards. Declared to run in the feature hurdle last week, not only did he redeem himself, but put in a brave performance to be beaten by just two and a half lengths.


The winner, First Avenue is owned and trained in Epsom by Laura Mongan and had previously sprung a surprise win in the listed Paddy Power Imperial Cup at Sandown last March.

The runner up was also an interesting contender. For Two, trained by Paul Nicholls and ridden by his newly appointed stable jockey Sam Twiston-Davies, is owned by Andrea and Graham Wylie. The five year old won a newcomers race at Auteuil in 2012 and has been placed in 5 of his 6 starts for Nicholls.

Life at Jackdaw’s Castle under trainer Jonjo O’Neill must suit the winner of the 2 mile 7 furlong handicap chase. Playing the Field, who won very readily with 13 lengths to spare, had been at the yard for just 3 weeks. Owner, Sarah Hall-Tinker said she had recently been introduced to O’Neill by close friend and former Grand National winning jockey, Bob Champion.

Bumpers can throw up some interesting results and last week was no exception. The race looked to be at the mercy of the O’Neill trained Magheral Express, to give Tony McCoy a swift double on the card. The horse who changed hands for £50,000 last year looked to be the winner up the home straight, but under a ride described as ‘unbelievable’ by trainer, David Pipe, he was caught on the line by All Force Majeure, himself a 48,000 euro purchase as a three year old.

Pipe, who has hit the ground running at the start of the new National Hunt season and currently leads the jumps trainer’s table with a strike rate of 41% winners to runners, went into the meeting with 9 wins in the first 13 days of May.

Twenty six horses appeared in the six day entry stage for the annual Hunter Chase which is the first race on the card at Worcester tomorrow evening. The race is specifically aimed at the 13 hunts which make up the West Midlands area. Included in list was Vincitore who has won twice at Worcester in the past, including the Fred Rimmel Memorial Novice Chase in 2011 when formerly trained by Charlie Longsdon.


The first race tomorrow is due off at 5.40pm.