It's
not every meeting that Worcester Racecourse can boast a 'first' for racing but
something was witnessed at last week's meeting that has never been seen before
at Worcester or anywhere else.
Barry
Geraghty rode in a selling race. The top Irish jockey is now first jockey to JP
McManus and included in his book of 3 Jonjo O'Neill trained mounts, the ride
aboard Church Field, a 7 year old who on his only previous start at Worcester
back in May of this year, came 10th in a field of 16.
Down
a grade, the horse who has now amassed £35,089 in prize money during his career
to date, won the race by 2¼ lengths.
In
the subsequent auction, there was a three way bidding war between trainers Phil
Middleton, Neville Ender (trainer of Grey Monk who was bought back in by Ender
for 14,500 guineas at Worcester's previous meeting), and Jonjo O'Neill. The
horse was sold to Middleton for 7,000 guineas.
To
count Wishful Thinking, Menorah and Captain Chris amongst your owned horses
must be a great feeling. Local owner Diana Whateley, has a new Alflora 4 year
old gelding in training with Philip Hobbs called Wishful Dreaming. The horse is
a full brother to Wishful Thinking, a very successful horse who has earned his
owners £466,638 to date.
Wishful
Dreaming had his third ever start at Worcester last week, following up his
listed Cheltenham bumper victory on New Year's Day by winning the 2 mile novice
hurdle. He is certainly an exciting
recruit to hurdles and one to keep an eye on.
An
ex locally trained horse who has very recently moved to a new trainer is
enjoying his change of scenery. Jayo
Time, formerly trained in Claines by Richard Newland to win at Worcester in
July, moved to Kerry Lee's yard on the Shropshire and Welsh borders, following
a Worcester claiming hurdle in August.
The
6 year old achieved his second win in a month for his new trainer at Ludlow's
first meeting of the new season last week.
Jayo Time is now partly owned by senior Channel Four commentator, Simon
Holt, who had much pleasure in calling his own horse to victory at Ludlow.
With
just 2 meetings still to go at Worcester to the end of the 2015 season, it is
looking ever likely that Jonjo O'Neill will scoop the winning trainer prize
again this year, and Richard Johnson will claim the top Worcester jockey
honours, something he very much hopes he will emulate nationally at the end of
the National Hunt season next April.
Next
week's column will include a review of the 2015 Worcester season, building up
to the final meeting on the 21st October.
The gates open for afternoon racing tomorrow at 12.20 pm.
