Gloucester Races proved once again how safe it is to run a point-to-point during these Covid affected times. The sport made a welcome return with three meetings on Monday afternoon, but the large number of runners and hot conditions at this fixture presented a major challenge for all concerned.
A number of races were split at declaration, which resulted in 10 races and a 12-noon start. There were doubles for owner David Brace and rider Bradley Gibbs, a winner from Yorkshire and three first-time winners in Beau Morgan, Ellie Jefferson and Josh Barber, as well as a “Members” race of open race standard, which proved the sport is back on the path to “normality”.
Temperatures reached 22 degrees by mid-afternoon which tested the skills of the vets and their large team of helpers, who constantly had to replenish the water supplies down at the finish and by the unsaddling enclosure to enable “cooling down procedures” to be carried out to maximum affect.
If the paying public had been allowed access, they would certainly have got their monies worth in the first, a Joint Members race between four corroborating hunts (Ledbury, Cotswold Vale, Heythrop and Monmouthshire).
This proved the best race of the meeting with Ballyboker Breeze and Zac Baker relishing the conditions and proving far too good for their rivals. The Joanne Priest trained 13-year-old went to the front from flag fall and established a five-length advantage which they maintained until Robin Why Not, Trio for Rio and Chase Me moved into challenging positions with half-a-mile to run, while Miss Seagreen began to improve her position.
The leader’s advantage was whittled away approaching the third from home and after his earlier exertions Ballyboker Breeze looked vulnerable as Trio for Rio challenged around the final bend. His effort petered out as Baker asked his mount for one final effort and he got an instant response as they established a race-winning lead between the final two fences. Miss Seagreen, who had been outpaced into the home straight, was putting in her best work at the finish but the winner kept up his furious gallop to win by just over three lengths.
Now 13 years old, Ballyboker Breeze looks back to the form he showed a couple of years ago and it’s a testament to the training skills of Priest and the constitution of the horse, who had to overcome a career-threatening injury last summer.
Baker recalled afterwards his rivals had queried his tactics at the start, to which he replied, “Don’t worry, I’ll be making it.
“I thought we went quick enough, and he went on again when challenged in the home straight. He has been off the course for a long time, but I thought we would try and repeat the tactics from two years ago and, if they caught me, fair enough.
“This course suits him and you can be brave on him, and he sorts himself out. I thought it was a very good run.”
This win provided Jo with her first success since moving to the Caradoc stables, once frequented by John Edwards, where she is based alongside Ryan Potter. Like many others during the Covid pandemic her numbers have reduced, and she now retains just two pointers as the others have been rerouted to race under Rules.
The only other West Midland success was provided by Vivaldi Collonges in the Men’s Open, for which there was a disappointing turnout of just three runners.
The order remained unchanged for most of the race as Coningsby dictated the pace with Vivaldi Collonges in close attendance, while Phoenix Rock kept a watching brief. It proved a classic case of cat and mouse, with Coningsby jumping well in the lead, while Bromley’s mount was waiting to pounce and, approaching four out, they moved into the leader’s slipstream, while Phoenix Rock’s effort petered out.
There was little to separate the leaders over the next two fences but coming round the bend Vivaldi Collonges assumed command and sauntered home for an easy win, which provided Phil Rowley with his first winner since he re-assumed command of the pointers at their Morville base.
With Alex Edwards now a professional, Zac Baker, Tommie O’Brien and James King all have the opportunity to land their first Area Riders Championship. The latter did not have a winner, but three second places considerably enhanced his current score.
The market is always the best guide in Four- and Five-Year-Old Maidens, so it would have been interesting to see how this race was priced up with runners based with Fran Nimmo, Tom Lacey plus Chris Barbers ‘Irish imports’.
King teamed up with the Nimmo-trained Adjournment and, after some early skirmishes, they secured their position at the head of affairs, but both Flaming Ambition (Barber) and Algesiras (Lacey) were in close attendance until the latter cracked half way down the back straight. Turning back towards home, Flaming Ambition had got his remaining rivals measure and proved far too good over the final two fences.
The winner is one of a group of horses that switched to pointing this side of the Irish Sea when the rules were relaxed, and it became obvious the UK was going to restart much quicker than their Irish counterparts.
The winner was guided to victory by 23-year-old Tiernan Roche, who has recorded 22 victories in his home country. He described the experience by saying, “He won as he liked on the ground, and was not doing a whole lot in front. He jumped well and quickened, although he is still a bit green and was having a look at things.”
Officially trained by Chris Barber, Flaming Ambition came into his current trainer’s care after Barber had made an enquiry about sending some horses over to Ireland during the pandemic, but he eventually ended up with 10 horses joining his Dorset yard instead.
Two races later and King racked up more points when Largy Mountain had to give best to Twig in Division Two of the three-mile Maiden.
Shamilan blotted his copybook by ducking out at the sixth, and a circuit later Post No Bills held a narrow advantage over Riding Shotgun and Twig, while King was exuding confidence and moving Largy Mountain up onto the leader’s heels.
Post No Bills maintained a narrow lead around the bend but just as King was poised to pounce on Largy Mountain, Beau Morgan and Twig opened up a race winning lead between the final two fences.
This provided the 16-ear-old Bath Schoolboy with a first winner on his very first ride. When questioned later, he recalled, “I could hardly sleep last night and would have been content to get round, but coming around the final bend I thought, wait a minute, I could win this”.
His daily schedule involves getting up at 5-30 am, riding out two lots for Neil Mulholland, changing in the car on the way to school and then home to rest after lessons have been completed.
In Division Three of the older Maiden, King recorded his third placing of the afternoon on the Jake Slatter-trained Rose Iland.
Brother Byrne was an additional runner in this race and, as he had done at Barbury earlier in the season, set a strong pace from the start. Only two of his rivals were able to maintain contact as they raced along the riverside, but those efforts took their toll on Rose Iland whose effort petered out with three to jump.
Danny Archer and Ellie Jefferson managed to reduce the leader’s advantage turning for home but Gibbs had kept something in reserve as his mount lined up for the judge with an unassailable lead.
Brother Byrne had tipped up at Barbury with the race in his pocket and unfortunately history repeated itself when Gibb’s mount hit the top of the penultimate fence and paid the penalty, which allowed Jefferson to record her first win. The 20-year-old rider was recording her first success on just her third ride and is currently based with South Wales trainer Christian Williams.
Earlier in the afternoon Gibbs teamed up with David Brace’s Gats And Co to take Division One of the Six-Year-Old Maiden. The winner had been pulled up on heavy ground at Hereford in February but seemed more at home on this surface and was given a confident ride before catching the long-time leader Wilcox And Co at the 16th fence.
Later, Brace and Gibbs teamed up to take Division One of the Veterans race with Robin des People. A prolific winner between the flags earlier in his career, the 11-year-old seemed to benefit from a return to pointing and was one of three horses in with a chance on the final bend.
Ballykan and Model Cloud were vying for the lead at this point, but Gibbs timed his run to perfection on Robin des People and the partnership swept clear of their rivals over the final two obstacles.
The Skinner’s-sponsored Ladies Open went the way of Dubai Quest and Gina Andrews, but it was by no means the cake walk it looked on paper. Aqua Dude and Eleonor Williams led for much of the contest but were hampered by a loose horse and lost significant ground at halfway.
The combination was back in front going out onto the final circuit but were being shadowed by Shometheway and Dubai Quest. Gina Andrews’s mount looked in trouble at the fourth from home but she galvanised her mount around the final bend and quickly opened up a significant advantage.
What looked like a comfortable success suddenly became less likely as a mistake at the penultimate fence put the leader on the back foot and, with Aqua Dude’s departure, Shometheway was able to reduce the leader’s advantage in the final furlong.
Jack Teal brought Daly An Sceil down from Yorkshire for the Intermediate and the long journey paid dividends when Teal’s mount hit the front at the end of the back straight, and this progressive mare ran out an impressive winner. The runner-up, Minella Wizard, would have been a lot closer if he had not made a major mistake halfway down the back straight.
To crown a fine day for Welsh stables, the Mikey Bowen-trained and Josh Barber-ridden More Bucks took Division Two of the Veterans race. This partnership led from the start and jumped impeccably throughout, and had sufficient reserves to hold the challenges of Oscar Lantern and Minella Friend to provide 16-year-old Barber with his first success on only his fourth ride.