A sunny Sunday saw a large crowd at Kingston Blount treated to a winning swansong from course specialist Gabrial The Great, James King as good as clinch the Mens Championship with a treble and Izzie Marshall go one ahead of Gina Andrews in their nip and tuck battle for the Ladies equivalent.
“We must stop meeting like this every year,” I quipped to Gabrial The Great’s owner-trainer-rider Thomas Murray as they dismounted in the winners enclosure after the Farol Mens Open, in which eight faced the starter. “I don’t know,” he replied with a smile. “I quite enjoy it.” The 15-year-old, taking this race for the third year in a row and the fourth time in total, and increasing his course tally to six, was held up early before making smooth progress up the hill on the second circuit. He went second with five to jump but looked held by leader Slievegar until rallying after the last and getting his head in front in the last 100 yards to score by half a length. Eeze A Saint was 11 lengths third.
“That’s him retired now,” confirmed Thomas, who trains Gabrial The Great and one other at Kersoe, near Evesham. “I said I’d do it if he won today. He’s just a legend and loves it here – I only gave the cup back last week and said I might be picking it up again soon!” The evergreen veteran only made his seasonal debut on Monday and Thomas said, “He ran brilliantly and got back in one piece, so we thought we’d come here. They went a nice clip, and he wasn’t too keen, and picked them off bit by bit. I was glad when Toby (McCain-Mitchell, on the runner-up) came off the final bend so I could use the rail. He just put his head down. Thomas added that, unlike Gabrial The Great, he has no plans to retire yet, “Although people probably think I should! I’d like to win a Hunter Chase first.” His only regret on an emotional day was that wife Jess, at home with their four-month-old son Connell, wasn’t here to share in the victory.
James King opened his account in the first race, the five-runner Tree Barn at Christmas Common Conditions Race (Level 2). The champion-elect’s task on the Fred Hutsby trained Mot Pour Mot was made easier by odds-on favourite Southfield Lily’s reluctance to start. The mare was left 30 lengths and, while she made ground to be with every chance up the hill second time round, the effort had taken its toll and Mot Pour Mot – who had jumped into the lead four out and soon gone clear – won by an easy 11 lengths, with Nasee, who had flattered briefly, 27 lengths back in third.
It was an improved performance by Mot Pour Mot, one of five horses owner Marcine Marshall has in training with Fred. “He’s the secret,” she laughed afterwards. “I’ve known him and the family for years and he has a unique way of training. That’s my fourth winner of the season – three have come with Shoal Bay.” Fred was his usual low-key self afterwards, explaining his rich vein of form as, “The time of year – they’ve run themselves fit by now!” Asked if the South Midlands Area trainers title, for which he is in pole position, was a target was met with a simple, “We’ll see.”
James was riding Mot Pour Mot in place of Fred’s 16-year-old son Tom, now ‘retired’ for the season after five wins, to retain his novice status next year, and in the middle of his GCSEs. “I’ve been riding a bit for Fred,” he confirmed, “Filling in the gaps around Tom. He’s in good form and a man to keep on your side. Hopefully I’ll have a few more for him.”
The Richardsons Chartered Accounts Maiden, with 16 declarations, was split on the day into two divisions of eight and the first went the way of James again, on Max Comley’s Get Cracking. It was the six-year-old’s first run for Naunton-based Max Comley, and he was untroubled, taking the lead five out and scoring by 23 lengths – it looked longer – from the only other finisher Heathrow.
“We got him from Myles Osborne a few weeks ago on behalf of owners SW Racing to help with my championship bid and I thought he’d have a good chance,” admitted Max, referring to the leading trainer title. Get Cracking’s success saw him go to 20 wins, two behind Josh Newman in a tight contest. “It’s going to be a big week,” Max told me, “And we’ve got a few to run at Cothelstone. We’ve still got 10-12 to run and will give it everything we’ve got.” Max is hoping to take out a rules licence next season, saying, “I’m doing my modules in June, but we want to keep going with the pointers too, which my partner Ellen Wylie will train.”
James completed his treble – and trainer Luke Price a double – when Mini Fortune prevailed in what looked to this observer to be the closest finish of the day in the Bonner and Babington Estate Agents Intermediate, in which four ran. The mare – winning her fourth race in a row – looked out of contention when losing her place after a mistake five out, but kept battling, closed on Lunar Contact jumping the last and scored by half a length after a tussle all the way up the run in. Long-time leader Josh The Plod was twenty lengths away in third.
“She was my first runner of the season… and first winner,” said Luke of Mini Fortune, who broke her duck at Cocklebarrow in January. “We haven’t over-raced her, and owner Nathan Pyne has been patient, and we may keep going with her – we’ll see how she comes out of this.” Quizzed about the manner of her victory compared to easy successes on her last two starts, he admitted, “Sometimes mares make hard work of it. And she was facing better opposition on a galloping course.”
“I’m over the moon,” beamed the winning rider. “She’s improved all season – the ground was too soft for her in the winter – she’s very tough and all credit to Luke, who hasn’t got to the bottom of her yet.” James, moving on to 47 for the season and now 16 clear of Will Biddick – who drew a blank at the weekend – was counting no chickens about the leading rider title, but admitted, “It’s a great position to be in.” and nominated the “revelation” Grace A Vous Enki, on course to be this year’s champion horse, as the best he’s ridden this campaign.
Luke had initiated his double in the Highwayman Inn at Checkendon Restricted Race, in which only three started. The long odds-on improving eight-year-old, winning for the third time on the bounce was untroubled, jumping out in front for Izzie Marshall and never facing a challenge, going on to score by the length of the run-in and 20 lengths from Equus Flight and Highland Glory.
“James King found us for him from Chris Barber and we thought he’d improve – he was second to Jonbon in an Irish point!” smiled Luke, acknowledging the difficulty of improving one from the young Dorset handler. “We brought him out late this season, but I don’t know if he’ll run again as he likes it soft.” It was the trainer’s 12th win (he soon moved on to 13) of a weather-interrupted season and he admitted, “That’s not as many as I’d have liked, but so many meetings have been abandoned. I’ve still got plenty to run.” Explaining the change of rider, he said simply, “It worked well today and it’s good to give Izzie some help.”
Trainer-rider Lily Bradstock gained some compensation for her misfortune with Southfield Lily when Myth Buster took the College and County Estate Agents Ladies Open. Five went to post and Tigerbythetail was the odds-on favourite but, despite overtaking long-time leader For Rita three out, he couldn’t shake off Myth Buster, who quickened to the front round the final bend and stayed on to win by one-and-three-quarter lengths. For Rita never gave up and was just one-and-a-quarter lengths further back.
“That’s the first time he’s had his ground this season,” confirmed the trainer’s mother Sara, who now holds a rules licence following the sad passing of husband Mark. “He can’t jump out of the soft and pulled two shoes off at High Easter. We didn’t run him at Cheltenham because the heavens opened, and he may go for a Newton Abbot Hunter Chase now.”
Lily, who was saddling her second winner in her own name, confirmed her mother’s views, telling me, “He’s a very good horse on good ground and schooled brilliantly last week after losing his confidence jumping in soft going.” Talking about her string, which numbers four at the moment but which she hopes to increase next season, she said, “Southfield Lily will run again, we’ll see how Myth Buster comes out of this and we haven’t decided about Kevin (the legendary Southfield Theatre).”
The second division of the Richardsons Chartered Accounts Maiden was won by Graeme McPherson’s Yellow Car, building on his promising Larkhill debut in February. Always holding a good position behind the two runaway leaders, he took it up five out (as so many winners did on the day) and – despite being joined by debutant Washpool (one of three runners-up from three rides for Gina Andrews) at the penultimate, found more and quickened away from the last to take the spoils by six lengths under Toby McCain-Mitchell. Definite Dream, one of the early tearaways, stayed on for a distant third.
With the trainer absent, his representative Tia Harrison fielded questions afterwards, saying of the six-year-old – a well-backed even money favourite – “I look after him and ride him every day. He’s very well and we’ve always had belief in him. He ran green at Larkhill and is still inexperienced but took the tricky track in his stride today.” As for future plans, “He may go under rules eventually.”
The successful jockey Toby told me afterwards, “He got a nice lead, and they went off a bit quick (somewhat of an understatement). He was very professional, found his own rhythm, saved a bit when he hit the front and ran on again.” Toby, who also rode Yellow Car at Larkhill, explained how he came by the mount. “I ride out for Christy Woods and Graeme’s across the road. Last time, the penny only dropped for him halfway round, and winners have come out of that race, so I was confident today.”