20 May 2008 Golden Valley - Bredwardine
Saint Reverien: Welsh Border Area Confined Championship victor
The Golden Valley meeting at Bredwardine has settled into an end of season spot and quickly established a reputation for producing good ground. This was the case on Saturday afternoon, which resulted in plenty of runners with two races requiring division on the day, creating a 9-race card.
It seems impossible to believe that during his 14-year race riding career Adrian Wintle has never a treble but this milestone was finally achieved on Saturday although he needed all his experience and skill to retain the partnership after Sparklinspirit made a major blunder at the 14th in the Men's Open.
Kevin Young's 9-year-old was disputing the lead with Itsalf at this point but had opened up a clear advantage over his rivals by the end of the back straight. 6-lengths clear as they turned back towards the second from home they had little difficulty maintaining that advantage all the way to the line.
Trainer Andy Hobbs was inclined to blame the patchy ground for the horse's disappointing run at Cold Harbour but report this ground "was much more even. We only had the open to go for so you had to make the most of the opportunity while the ground is in his favour".
Trainer and jockey combined to take the Welsh Border Area Confined Championship with Saint Reverien.
The French bred 10-year-old is something of an enigma and provides a major challenge to his jockey, although Wintle knows the horse's idiosyncrasies better than most and on this occasion opted to make the long run for home.
The horse has so much ability, but on occasions in the past when he has been held up for a late run he has declined to produce the goods. The other side of the coin is that Saint Reverien does very little once he hits the front, which makes the jockey's task almost impossible.
Wintle was able to switch Clive Hitching's gelding off at the back of the field for most of this contest before the Westbury on Severn jockey asked his mount for an effort at the end of the back straight where he got an immediate response and they quickly opened up a 3-length lead.
The favourite Super Cannes began to eat into their advantage approaching the final obstacle but with Saint Reverien receiving both vocal and physical encouragement they eventually prevailed by a length.
Wintle reported afterward that "I almost lost my voice shouting at the winner" in a race that the Hanley Swan stable is making a habit of winning having taken last years contest with Springbrook Girl.
Nick Lowe does well with his French bred horses and the Westbury on Severn trainer provided Wintle with the final leg of his treble in Division I of the 5-6-7 year old Maiden.
The complexion of this race changed dramatically with the departure of two well-fancied horses at the 14th. Lotomore Court had just taken the lead whereas Inch Royal had been prominent for much of the race but their exits left Baraka de Baune and Firebird Rising vying for the lead.
Ole Maestro was always travelling well in third place and eventually came through to claim the lead between the final two fences and had put 10-lengths between himself and the runner up as they passed the judge.
The 6-year-olds early season form left a lot to be desired but he has been novice ridden on several occasions recently and it needed all of Wintle's experience to steer the winner home after he started hanging badly on the flat.
West Midland trained horses claimed the first three places in the Ladies Open where Madge Carroll benefited from another superb ride by Jane Williams.
Hannah Lewis and Premium First and Claire Hart and Neophyte were determined to make it a strong gallop and the former looked to have burnt off his rivals as he held a 3-lengths advantage on the final bend.
Miss Williams was in third place at this point but timed to run to perfection bringing the favourite through to take the lead between the final two fences and staying on well to land the spoils with the fast finishing Touch Close depriving Premium First of the runners up spot.
Royal Rocket provided Upton on Severn based trainer Lindsay White with her first success after the 11-year-old had out jumped her rivals in the 8 year old and upwards Maiden.
The ex-inmate of Venetia Williams's yard was asked for her effort by David Mansell at the penultimate and she maintained a narrow advantage until drawing clear of Oakley Gold on the run in.
Slad Trainer Sophie George took Division II of the younger Maiden with Irish import What of It.
The 5-year-old is owned and ridden by the trainer's brother Tim Edwards, with the horse being sent over to England by their father John, who has a good record with Irish bred acquisitions in this country. The winner got the better of a protracted battle with Sahara's Dream on the flat.
The second division of the Restricted was expected to go to the favourite Sykee Savage but after holding every chance at the last, the Julie Houldey trained gelding could not hold the late thrust of Tom Houlbrooke's mount Major Royal.
