A right royal Ladies Day

Ladies Day at Worcester Racecourse is so much more than just another raceday. The day seems to attract larger crowds each year, and the statistics tell us that many of these people only come racing once a year, representing on the whole, a different type of crowd to other racedays. 

I think it’s also important to remember that the year on year numbers of people who dress in their finery and come out to enjoy themselves, not only support the Racecourse’s biggest day but also many of the local restaurants, bars, shops, hotels, car parks and indeed other attractions in Worcester over the weekend. Nor must the generosity of the many racegoers who contributed to the incredible £25,000 raised for St Richard’s Hospice on Ladies Day, go unmentioned.

On a day when 2,000 spears of locally grown asparagus were consumed, 100kg of seafood was prepared, 1,000 scones and 1,500 pies were enjoyed, the racing highlight was undoubtedly the victory of Her Majesty the Queen’s homebred, Take to Heart in the concluding maiden hurdle.

The gelding by Sakhee who has previously been placed in all his 6 races bar one, led for much of the race and won by a clear 15 length margin under Nico de Boinville.  The race was a qualifier for our summer 7bets4free.com Fixed Brush Hurdle Series, giving Take to Heart automatic eligibility for the £25,000 final in October.

You have to look back to 2014 to find the Queen’s last runner at Worcester. Also bred by Her Majesty and trained by Nicky Henderson, Special Agent won a bumper at the course on Ladies Day in June that year, similarly coinciding with Derby Day.

On that occasion, when I sent the photograph of Special Agent to the Queen, as I do for all our winning owners, I received communication back thanking me and saying that Her Majesty had enjoyed watching the race from the Royal Box at Epsom.

By contrast, the £9,000 Sparkling Anja Potze Fine Jewellery handicap hurdle was won by permit trainer and owner, Rosemary Gasson from Banbury with Mr McGuiness who was 2lb out of the weights. The decent quality field featured three previous course winners, including Slim Pickens trained locally in Claines by Richard Newland.

Horse power meets steam power at the races tomorrow afternoon, when we stage the annual Severn Valley Railway Charitable Trust raceday.  The two racedays held in aid of the Trust in 2015 and 2016 have raised between them, an amazing £45,000 which has gone towards the restoration of historically important trains and carriages, building new facilities and funding the Heritage Skills Training Academy, helping to ensure the Severn Valley Railway will be here for future generations to enjoy.  It never ceases to amaze me just how generous people are and how much a raceday can help to raise for a wide variety of very worthy local charities.

The first race is due off tomorrow at 2.20pm.

Weston continues impressive strike rate at Worcester with mare Solstalla

One of the things I most enjoy about the racedays is the interesting people I meet, week after week, both involved directly with the racing and also those visiting the course to enjoy a day out.

Last week I had the pleasure of talking to David Weston, a trainer from West Overton near Marlborough, following the win of his four-year old filly, Solstalla in the mare’s maiden hurdle. Weston’s breeding and training operation is very much a family affair which includes his partner and owner of Solstalla, El Tanner and their children. His national hunt horses, in the main, are ridden by Cheltenham Gold Cup winning jockey, Nico De Boinville, who Weston has known since he was 16. 

Solstalla, ridden by Nico De Boinville with trainer David Weston

Weston has an impressive strike rate at Worcester.  Four of the six horses he has run at the track have won.

Solstalla, who is by Halling out of a mare called Solstice, started her career on the flat and her last win came at Goodwood in 2015 as a three-year old.  The filly first ran at Pitchcroft on Pershore Plum Festival raceday in July when she came second, a run she followed up with a further second at Fontwell in August.

Another horse Weston has run at Worcester is the homebred, At First Light.  The mare was ridden by De Boinville to win three times from three runs at the course last summer.  Last week she had her first run of the season at Uttoxeter where she stayed on well to come second to Tim Vaughan’s Dovil’s Date.

The ‘banker’ of last week’s meeting was Vintage Vinnie who was having his first run of the season, back over hurdles.  The son of Vinnie Roe won on the bridle by 16 lengths and obviously goes well fresh because he also started his 2015 season with a win at Worcester last September under Leighton Aspel.

Vintage Vinnie is trained on the coast near Newport by Rebecca Curtis, who has a 25% strike rate for the horses she sends to Worcester.  The gelding’s form last season included a second in the Skybet Chase at Doncaster in January under Barry Geraghty.

With Richard Johnson riding at Perth last week, a win in the opening novice chase gave Aidan Coleman sufficient points to take the lead in the Worcester jockey table by 10 points from Sam Twiston-Davies and Richard Johnson.  The lads are fiercely competitive and they will be going all out at the final three meetings of the season to secure the top honours.

Dan Skelton has overtaken Nicky Henderson to take the second spot in the trainer’s table this week behind Philip Hobbs, thanks to a second place for his recent Worcester winning mare, Stephanie Frances in the opening novice chase.

More stories are sure to come from the race meeting at Worcester today, when the first race is due off at 2.10pm and the gates open at 12.10pm.