Racing highlights included the feature hurdle of the season which was the £18,500 Totepool sponsored handicap hurdle. The 14 horses who lined up for a race worthy of its billing include the one-eyed mare, As I Am, who won 3 races at Worcester last summer before going on to success in a listed mares’ races at Newbury and Cheltenham over the winter. Claines trained Bobowen, winner of the 2013 Market Rasen Summer Plate also took his chance in the race.
The eventual result of an
exciting finish was a 1-2 for Irish owner, JP McManus with his second string
horse, Vulcanite (pictured in the green far side below) defying top weight to beat the AP McCoy ridden, Join The
Clan. Vulcanite now heads for the Galway
Hurdle.
Wolverhampton racecourse is currently
having a new Tapeta all weather surface laid on its track and legendary
trainer, Michael Dickinson who is currently overseeing this operation, was
spotted enjoying a busman’s holiday at the Worcester family raceday. Dickinson is famous for not only training 2
Cheltenham Gold Cup winners, Silver Buck and Bregawn, but also for being the
only person in history to train the first five home in a Gold Cup in 1983.
Mike Hammond who trains at
Abberley had a rare Worcester
winner ridden by Denis O’Regan. Provincial
Pride staged a rally having been booked for fourth place over the last
hurdle. The horse was formerly trained
in Ireland
by James Joseph Mangan, trainer of the 2003 Grand National Winner, Monty’s
Pass.
The West Midlands Area includes
12 hunts, all of whom run annual Point to Points. The season which started last
December and ended in June culminated in the annual awards dinner at the
Racecourse on Saturday.
It was a good night for
trainer/amateur jockey, Tom Weston. Weston picked up accolades for
the leading Area point to point trainer, for leading horse with Soutine and
finished runner up to Mark Wall for the top gentleman rider honours.
Racing resumes at Pitchcroft
tomorrow when gates open at 12.20pm.