19 May 2008 Folkestone - United Hunts' Meeting
Hannah Grissell: took the Guy Peate Memorial Novices' Hunters' Chase aboard Gavin Wragg's Prey Bird
Di Grissell was the trainer in form, saddling two winners and a third from her four runners, while the fourth, Glory Trail, who has never hit the heights but has been one of the yard's favourites for many seasons, went into retirement after finishing unplaced.
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Di, who 20 years ago had ridden a winner on this track on Goodlooking Bird, legged up her daughter Hannah to take the Guy Peate Memorial on Goodlooking Bird's daughter Prey Bird, bred, and still owned, by herself and Gavin Wragg. Gavin, though, was absent from the winner's enclosure, as he had missed his flight from Ireland.
"He's a very difficult and quirky horse," was Di's assessment of Prey Bird, "but Kate Stavarkova, who looks after him, gets on with him well and always rides him."
Hannah was in no doubt about her mount's ability. "He's the most able of any horse I've ever ridden, with plenty of gears," she said. "but he does bottle it a bit with too many horses around him, which is why I dropped him right out early."
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Philip Hall was the successful jockey on Di's second winner, the Grant's Cherry Brandy Novices' hero Glenbower Woods, whom owner Caroline Hargreaves had been intending to ride in her hunt Members' race. "We gave him a race beforehand with Philip, and he won that, and then he won again, so Caroline thought he'd better keep the ride," explained Di.
Caroline, though, has not missed out on partnering Glenbower Woods in other disciplines. Having done all the hunting with him, she had taken him on a sponsored ride the previous week - "He was the best behaved horse there," she laughed - and will shortly be taking him on a riding holiday to Cranborne Chase, as well as making an appearance in the racehorse class at Heathfield Show.
"He's probably not loaded with ability but he knows how to use what he's got," said Philip, whose mount had been schooled over wire in Ireland before coming to Britain.
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Bob Hacking, who rode 200 career winners as an amateur, and also bred a top class jockey in son Paul, hung up his stewarding hat after 40 years as chairman of the Folkestone panel, and was presented with a framed photo depicting past racing at the track.
It was Paul who answered the query from one of the colleagues who was admiring the photo of horses negotiating a chase fence. "Is that you Bob?" she asked. "He's not quite that old," Paul informed her. "That was taken in 1888!"
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Kadount justified his long odds-on favouritism in the 2m Open, disposing of his rivals in little more than an exercise canter under James Owen. "I don't let anyone else on him at home," smiled owner Joe Turner's grandson Ed, who admitted there had been less pressure this time than when he started favourite eight days earlier at Fakenham in the race for the Turner Family trophy.
"That will probably be it for the season," added Ed when asked about future plans, "but don't ask James because he loves riding him!"
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Anthony Ward-Thomas's mount Joy des Iles failed to recoup any of his owner's sponsorship money in the 2m5f Maiden, with victory going to Andrew Parrish's Silver Dollars. "He feels more like the horse who won his Maiden at Cottenham," said trainer-rider Phil York of the grey, who found the 2m trip at Cheltenham last time too sharp for him. "I thought he'd burst next time out but he wouldn't let me ease up, then I realised it was Richard Burton's horse that had chucked blood all over me."
"He's Emily's pet," grinned Phil, referring to Emily Harbour, who works in the yard. "She plaits and polishes him, and I told her it wouldn't make him go any faster, but fair play to her, he was quick enough today."
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"One-woman band" Clare Wills, who has worked for Brendan Powell for the past eight years, won the 2m5f Open, sponsored by Bob Hacking, on her Watership Down, who she acquired from the trainer as an intended hack four years ago. "It was Brendan who suggested that I have a go at racing him," she said, and the partnership has now won five Points in addition to this success.
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With trainer Louise Alner busy at home, it was mum Sally who was in charge of Trade Off, who won the 3m7f Shepherd Neame Open under Ian Chanin. "I was worried he'd got there too soon," admitted Ian, who had thought for some time that Trade Off would be suited by a long trip. Bill Dupont and Annie Tory's ten-year-old was equipped with a tongue strap for only the second time, the first being when he was runner-up to Golden Jack at Wincanton earlier in the month.
