19 May 2008 North West Point-to-Point Club - Tabley
Iris's Prince: Rhys and John Flint
There were no surprises in the final of the Dodson & Horrell Novice Riders' Championship, with the odds-on Iris's Prince taking his seasonal tally to nine by scoring comfortably in the hands of Rhys Flint. And happily for the sponsors, the winner and his stable companions are fed on their products.
As always, the chestnut was unobtrusively bandaged low down, as are all the Flint horses, as a precaution against cuts and nicks.
Iris's Prince was bred by Chris Stubbs, the meeting starter, who still has the dam Colonial Princess, but she is now 24 and will not be put in foal again.
The race itself proved less stressful than had the journey north for Rhys's father John, with a 90 minute wait in stationary traffic on the motorway en route to overnight lodgings at Haydock the least of his worries. Rhys, who had arrived home at 3am on Saturday after his Aintree Hunter Chase victory on Harlov, was making his own way from Bredwardine, and feeling tired from his lack of sleep had pulled into the motorway services for a 30 minute rest.
"He fell asleep and didn't wake up for three and a half hours," said John. "He'd switched his phone onto silent so we couldn't get hold of him, and we were going mad with worry. But by the time he got going again, the traffic had cleared so he got to Haydock just 20 minutes behind us!"
Rhys has yet to have a ride for his boss Philip Hobbs, but John was quick to point out what a great support the trainer has been. "There's a pecking order at the yard," he explained, "and Rhys knows he'll get his chance, but Philip has been a tremendous help, and always lets Rhys have time off to race-ride."
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35 minutes later, Rhys closed to within one of Nick Scholfield's all-time novice record of 25 by winning the Restricted on Kinsale King, who was moved by owner Robert Jones to the jockey's mother Martine's yard less than a month ago.
John Flint's pre-race prophesy "If he stands up he must have a good chance," was right on the mark, and form students might have noted that his winning Maiden race time at Llanfrynach was the day's equal fastest, with the Ladies' Open.
Robert, who still rides Kinsale King three times a week, enjoyed success a few years ago with Kinnefad King, trained for him by Robert Williams.
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Somebody who was unable to remember when she had her last winner was Cynthia Bibbey, whose Rivertree, a non-finisher in his five outings to date, took the 2m4f Maiden under Barry Denvir. "I've waited a long time for this," smiled the delighted owner, who had agreed to pay the chestnut's vendor another £50 should he win for her. "That must be about my 30th attempt for them," was Barry's estimate, "so it's been very good of them to stick with me."
Trainer Clive Davies bought Rivertree, who was fitted with first-time cheekpieces, out of a field in Presteigne. "He could have won the Derby on breeding," he said, adding that due to his small stature, Rivertree might be best suited to Ladies' races in future.
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The 10yo&up Club race went to George Scott on Dell Farm Boy, who has been leased for the season by Carly Goodall to Lynne Wynne, who had an accident when schooling at the end of last year and has been unable to ride since. Dell Farm Boy is now returning to Carly, but is on the market as a schoolmaster, a job for which he would seem to be ideally suited.
George, who has until recently been working at Paul Nicholls's yard, has applied for a job in Newmarket with a bloodstock agent, and his long-term ambition is to become a trainer.
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"Are you sure you've got him fit enough?" were Mick Easterby's words in a phone call to his daughter Cherry Coward prior to Sonevafushi's Men's Open success under Oliver Greenall. "I've been riding him myself," was her reply, to which came the retort "In that case, you definitely have!"
"My phone bill goes mad in the Pointing season," complained Cherry. "He always seems to phone at the wrong time so I have to ring him back!"
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The Easterby connection was also to the fore in the Ladies' Open won by Mick's granddaughter Jo Mason on General Grey, owned like Sonevafushi by Tom Bannister and trained by his wife Madge. Jo sits her ‘A' levels in two weeks time, after which she is going to Leeds University to study Sports Science.
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The Ladies' Open favourite, 14-year-old Little Brown Bear, who was beaten into fourth, has been retired. "Age has caught up with him," said owner George Barlow, for whom he won four races under Rules when trained by Richard Ford, and six Ladies' Opens from Diana Williams's yard.
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Trainer Gary Hanmer and rider Richard Burton carried on where they had left off at Bangor the previous day, and they teamed up to win the 3m Maiden and the Club Members' with Malt Max and Proud Andees respectively.
Malt Max was given to owner Roy Thomas, but it was uncertain whether he'd get on a course again. "He was an RSPCA case, and was in such a bad state that I phoned the Jockey Club about it," said Gary.
Proud Andees belongs to Roy's wife Carol, "But she doesn't pay to keep him - I do," grinned Roy.
The chestnut had a clearly visible mark at the top of his off-fore where he was kicked two days previously by Border Fusion, hence his defection from Saturday's Hunter Chase at Bangor. "He bruised the muscle which blew up, but I thought if the swelling went down he'd be okay to run, even though he has to lead with his off-fore," said Gary. "This course is really too sharp for him - he needs seven minute tracks."