The Richard Newland success story
with his horses at Worcester Racecourse continues. Going into last week’s meeting, the Grand
National Winning Claines trainer had had 6 winners from just 13 runners this
summer, and 21 winners at the course in the past 5 years.
Newland sent 2 horses to the
meeting, both ridden by Sam Twiston-Davies who was having his first rides back
after a short spell on the side lines with a collarbone injury.
Duke Street was having his first
run over fences in the Worcester News beginners chase and managed a creditable
third place, beaten only one and a half lengths by the 8/11 hot favourite, Wait
for Me trained by Philip Hobbs.
Newland’s other runner was Vosne
Romanee in the £20,000 feature race, the Sparkling Anja Potze Fine Jewellery
handicap chase. The versatile six-year
old picked up well after the last and ran on to win his 9th race for
his trainer, previously scoring twice on the flat, 4 times over hurdles and
twice over fences.
Top Irish jockey Bryan Cooper, until
recently retained by Gigginstown Stud and now riding freelance, made his first
visit to Worcester Racecourse last week.
Cooper partnered Guiding Stars
for trainer, Harry Whittington in the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber
of Commerce sponsored bumper. Cooper,
who won last year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup aboard Don Cossack, gave Guiding Stars,
a 16,000 Euro purchase as a 3-year old, a positive ride but was just touched
off into second place by the 8/13 favourite, Hatcher, trained at Alcester by
Dan Skelton.
The interesting upcoming horse of
the day for me, was the well-bred, 4-year old Galileo gelding, Counter Shy who
won the concluding 7bets4free.com maiden hurdle under a confident Richie McLernon
ride.
Sent off at odds of 14/1, Counter
Shy was kept up with the pace by McLernon and was seemingly undeterred by the
thoroughly distracting antics of two very novicey horses ahead of him.
Counter Shy gave us a second link
to the Cheltenham Gold Cup on the day, as his trainer, Jonjo O’Neill also
trained his dam, Cross the Flags, a half-sister to the 2012 Gold Cup winner,
Synchronised.
Current Worcester leading
trainer, O’Neill invited me to his syndicate owners’ day at Jackdaws Castle
last weekend.
Around 100 owners were treated to
a champagne breakfast before visiting their horses in the yard and watching
them work on the picturesque gallops, with far reaching views over the
Cotswolds.
One of the challenges we face in
racing is encouraging young people into the sport. It was refreshing to see a group of 20
something year olds, enjoying the whole owners’ day experience, enthusiasm that
I am sure they will transfer to the racecourse once their horse runs.
Tomorrow sees the annual
Macmillan Cancer Support raceday at the course.
The popular coffee morning packages are now sold out but general entry
tickets are still available on the gate and there are opportunities to support
the charity fundraising in the marquee area, organised by the Ladies from Boots.
The gates open tomorrow from 12
noon.
