28 April 2008 West Norfolk - Fakenham
Tim Lane: getting vibes from the Clerk of the Scales!
At this meeting two years ago Nibby Bloom sustained a very badly broken leg, but he had always maintained that he did not want to end his career with that fall, so it seemed that everyone on the racecourse was keeping their fingers crossed for his comeback on Bunratty's Sole in the Confined Conditions race. He was cheered back into second spot in the unsaddling enclosure, and having proved that neither style nor ability had vanished in the meantime, promptly hung up his boots.
He was presented with a bottle of champagne, and received three hearty cheers from his fellow riders, some of whom had not been born when he rode his first winner on Fling Ding at Costessey in 1981. He was national champion in 1994 and altogether recorded 184 victories between the flags, including a five-timer at High Easter in his title-winning year.
***********
"I hope you noticed there were two older than me in the line-up, and they're still riding!" Nibby Bloom, following the photo call with his fellow riders.
**********
The one who beat Bunratty's Sole home was David Kemp on Barry Belchem's Took My Eye, whose connections had a smoother journey to Fakenham than they had to Penshurst with Halcyon Times the previous day, when they also picked up a new horsebox. The journey south was somewhat fraught due to a slipping clutch on the old lorry, and having walked the course, it was decided that ground conditions were unsuitable so Halcyon Times did not get a run. To cap it all, the new vehicle ran out of diesel on the way home!
**********
As one champion bowed out, another one made his debut at the Norfolk track. Rhys Flint, who has had the national novice title virtually sewn up for several weeks, teamed up with Don Cantillon's debutant Clash to take the Maiden, having got the ride through agent Dave Roberts.
"He's only got one pace - anything can beat him at home," was Don's assessment of his giant five-year-old prior to the race, but that pace proved much faster than that of any of his rivals. Clash is a home-bred son of Don's useful mare Alpine Gale, who died foaling last year, though hopefully the line will continue through her last foal, a filly by King's Theatre.
**********
It was the conclusion of a successful three days for Rhys, who on Friday evening won the prestigious Dunraven Bowl Hunter Chase on Lady Myfanwy. The following day he rode two horses at Laleston before driving to Wolverhampton to win the Amateur Riders' Handicap, his first success on the flat. He finally arrived at Fakenham at around 11pm, hoping to be able to get a bed at the hostel, but finding everything closed up he spent the night sleeping in his car!
After Clash's victory he had another long drive, back to Philip Hobbs's Somerset yard ready to ride out first lot on Monday morning.
**********
"I think the lady on the scales fancies me - she's made me get on and off them so many times," commented Tim Lane, adding "I stand more chance of winning the National Lottery than weighing out at the right weight!"
**********
Hannah Watson, whose Ladies' Open victory on Beet de Bob was the partnership's fourth in East Anglia this year, had spent the previous evening celebrating Jeremy Mahot's double at Brampton Bryan that afternoon, and with a day to himself, the Frenchman acted as Hannah's chauffeur to Norfolk.
"He saw the sausage stand, and I promised I'd buy him some if I won," laughed Hannah, "but I won't have to now because I've won some." [Musks, the famous Newmarket sausage company, presented every winning rider with a bottle of champagne plus a box of sausages.]
*********
Sausages were also on the mind of Sam Vaughan-Jones, who opened his account in the Members' race on Nokimover. "We had a barbecue last night and didn't have any sausages, so I could have done with these yesterday," he said.
Sam had spent 1½ hours in the bath that morning to get his weight down, followed by a round of golf at Brancaster, where he was captaining an eight man team in a mini Ryder Cup format over two days. The match was still going on when he left, but he was brought the bad tidings after Nokimover's success - despite his own good form (he won all three matches) his team lost by half a point.
*********
Nokimover also gave elder brother Alex his initial victory, and the 14-year-old will race on next year. "He's unretire-able because he doesn't do anything else," said Alex and Sam's mother Alice. "He's an awful hunter, and isn't a hack, so he can carry on racing. He's a horrible horse who has to live in a pen - he can't live in a stable - but he's now won us ten races." Feed merchant Gary Luck, joint-owner with Alice, has therefore been able to recoup some of the money with which he had generously sponsored the day's Maiden race.
Nokimover's trainer Gerald Bailey was saddling Denvale to win at Garthorpe, but the yard's head girl Lizzie Appleton was with her charge. "When he arrived he didn't have anyone to look after him so I volunteered and I've had him ever since," she explained.
**********
Nick Pearce, who partnered Mid Div And Creep on her first run as a five-year-old, was booked for the Restricted ride on the mare at around 9.30pm the previous evening, and made his trip from Sussex worthwhile by landing the spoils. Luckily for connections, the weight cloth which was looking very precariously balanced in the closing stages managed to stay under the saddle until a few yards after the line.
**********
Matt Smith, who had finished second on Mid Div And Creep the previous week, rode Esplendidos for one of his main stables, that of Katy Thory, but took a crashing fall which gave him a dead leg. Despite hobbling for the rest of the afternoon, Matt bounced back to win the Men's Open on Star Double. "I was told he was quirky," said trainer Fleur Hawes of the former Nigel Twiston-Davies inmate, "but he settled in beautifully, so perhaps a small yard suits him."