22 April 2008 Cleveland - Mordon
Jacqueline Coward: took the Ladies' Open despite the intervention of a loose dog!
24 hours prior to the meeting, Mark Walford had commented how much he would like to ride a winner for Robin Tate. His wish was granted when he partnered Robin's home-bred Chummy's Double to victory in the 2m4f Maiden Division Two, thus becoming the first jockey to carry the well-known red and gold Tate colours to victory since Robin's daughter Fiona Needham hung up her boots five years ago.
The groom and leader-upper of Chummy's Double was none other than Fiona herself, whose attention to detail won the mare the best turned out prize. "At least I haven't lost the knack," she laughed.
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"About time you had a winner." Mick Easterby to Robin Tate after Chummy's Double's success.
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"Idiot of the day" award must surely have gone to the spectator who could have caused an appalling accident by letting his dog run onto the track in the Ladies' Open as the horses were jumping the last fence in the straight. What was even more reprehensible was the fact that the dog was on an extension lead which its owner made no attempt to reel in.
Fortunately all the runners landed safely, with the eventual winner being Jacqueline Coward on Narciso.
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Kelly Bryson followed up her Holcombe double by taking the 2m4f Maiden Division One on the impressive four-year-old Qollioure, the first foal bought out of a field in France by the Shirley-Beavans. "He's called Rocket at home, so he's aptly named," smiled Philippa Shirley-Beavan.
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Kelly's other mount, Silk Parasol, was holding every chance when taking a tired fall in the last in the Restricted, leaving Oliver Greenall to come home well clear on Lord Gee, whose trainer David Easterby was saddling a runner for his father Mick at Stratford.
The second past the post, Quinta de Lobo, lost his weight cloth after the third last so disqualification was inevitable, but that did not prevent Mick from casting his eye over the chestnut in the unsaddling enclosure and saying to Brian Dunn, whose wife is a co-owner, "Go on, put it on my lorry."
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It was a frustrating day for Oliver, who added three second placings to his victory, and then himself hit the deck at the last in the Confined with Network Oscar. The odds-on favourite had a slight lead over eventual winner Monte Cristo and Charlie Johnston, whose mother Deidre, Monte Cristo's owner-trainer, was away at a Riding Club hunter trial, while his father Mark was at Great Leighs.
"We swapped his usual visor for blinkers today, and it's woken him up a bit," Charlie explained.
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"I'm not buying any more horses until she's won on each one!" smiled Dorothy Bell after her daughter Lucy, who rode her first winner last month, had taken the 3m Maiden on Jimmys Duky. "He wore a different bit today," she added. "I don't know what it is because Lucy's got so many we could open a tack shop."
Lucy, a successful event rider, may take that route with Jimmys Duky during the summer. Her current eventer is the former winning Chaser Javelot d'Or, who has reached Intermediate status.
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The last jump in the 3m Maiden had to be omitted because of a fallen horse, but due to the less than efficient handling of the situation by the fence stewards, neither Lucy nor Oliver Greenall, on Special Order, was aware of the fact until they had almost reached the obstacle. The warning flag person, who should have been standing well in advance of the fence, was in fact right beside it, thus giving the riders no chance of taking avoiding action until the last minute.
Oliver was the worst sufferer, having to pull across the track almost at a right angle, but he admitted afterwards that it would have made no difference to the result.
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The Men's Open was fought out between two of the elder statesmen of the changing room, Nigel Tutty and Chris Cundall, who can muster 101 years between them. It was the junior of the pair, Nigel, who came out on top, taking the spoils on Bobby Buttons. "He's been trying for years to win on that horse," remarked Karen Tutty of her husband, who missed Bobby Buttons's two victories when he was sidelined with broken ribs.
Nigel, who has ridden over 140 winners between the flags and several more in Hunter Chases, has announced his intention of retiring at the end of the season.
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If there had been a prize for ride of the day, top of the list would be Chris Dawson, who had to kick and push the reluctant Confined runner-up Recent Edition for every yard of the three miles. The comment "You must be fit, Chris," was met with "Not as fit as I was five minutes ago!"
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There were firsts all round in the opening Members' race. The winner Alisons Treasure was an initial winner for owners Pat and Barry Garbutt, for trainer Trevor Glass, and for rider Andrew Glass, 18, Trevor's son.
