Last week’s Worcester raceday
attracted a sell-out Senior Citizen’s crowd, contributing to the busiest
afternoon meeting for several years. Seven hundred and fifty elderly people poured in as gates opened, to
enjoy racing in the sunshine on the banks of the Severn.
Droitwich based company, Civicare
were headline sponsors of this annual event and had 2 named races in which the
horses chosen as Best Turned Out both returned victorious to the winner’s
enclosure. One of these was the third in a quickfire, one hour, treble for champion jockey, AP McCoy. In the Rough, trained by Jonjo O’Neill, had also won a maiden hurdle at
the course back in June.
McCoy’s second win was aboard
Donald McCain’s Book Of Excuses, who gave owner Tim Johnson a memorable 24
hours having enjoyed success at Bangor the previous evening. Chesterfield (pictured) was also first past
the post under the 19 time champion jockey, having his first run for John Ferguson and he is
an interesting recruit to hurdling. A
four-year-old former flat horse, the gelding was previously owned by Godolphin
and has a win at Newbury under his belt.
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An up-and-coming local jockey on
the scene is Stan Sheppard, son of Ledbury trainer, Matt and point to point
trainer, Nicky. Sheppard had his first
outside ride aboard the Matt Sheppard Racing Club’s Iktiview in the concluding
hurdle, and came a creditable third.
As the home of summer jumping, we like to keep an eye on Worcester winners going on to further success. Recent examples include Iguacu, trained in
Hereford by Richard Price for Malvern owners, Derek and Cheryl Holder, who came
out and won again at Stratford last week. Princesse Fleur, trained in Hereford by Michael Scudamore has a Worcester
win and 3 seconds on her form sheet and managed to get her nose in front again,
also at Stratford. Mr Satco, triumphant first time
over fences at Pitchcroft last month for owner/trainer, Donald McCain went on
to score in a beginner’s chase at Cartmel. Degooch, also trained by McCain,
is a horse to watch, having followed up a recent Worcester win with another at
Southwell on Tuesday. Degooch is owned
by Paul and Clare Rooney for whom McCain has been busy buying horses all year,
including spending 110,000 guineas on a three-year-old gelding by Sea the Stars at
the Tattersalls July sales.
The meeting at Worcester tonight
is special for 2 reasons. It is the
annual Angel Hotel Pershore Plum Festival race evening, which marks the start
of the month long, award-winning event in the town. It is also the evening when racing supports
its own. We have a unique Grand
Racecourse Ticket Draw in aid of Racing Welfare for which all 58 British
racecourses have donated tickets as prizes. It is good to see all the courses coming together for the cause and presenter,
Derek Thompson will be on hand to assist with proceedings.
The
first race on a card which also features the legendary Land O’ Plums Chase,
first run at Pershore in the early 1900’s, is due off at 5.50pm.
