REVIEW |
26-year-old Julie Houldey rode her first winner after
Sunburnt had fought off the attentions of the Mounthenry Star to land the
Ladies Open during Mondays North Cotswold meeting at Paxford. The North Nibley based rider had her mount in contention from
the start before they came through to take the lead at the 14th. They
went 4 lengths clear of their rivals at the next, but Polly Gundry
conjured another effort from the favourite and they were back on level
terms turning for home but Garry Salter's 10-year-old gelding was not
going to be denied and stayed on strongly to repel the challenge by 3
lengths. Ballyalbert's scored a runaway win in the 8-year-old and
upward Maiden for Anna De Lisle Wells and her mother Alison. The horse's
previous trainer Harry Wheeler was the first to congratulate the new
owners who acquired the horse during the summer. With Miss De Lisle Wells
studying at Reading University most of the stable duties have fallen to
her mother at their home at Ford. Sent to the front from the start,
Ballyalbert soon had his rivals at full stretch and favourite backers
never had any cause for concern. Hedzamarley and Jon Trice Rolph were popular winners of the
Restricted in the colours of Feckenham based owner Jane Bird. The
10-year-old looked beaten when challenged by Rockwelda between the final
two fences but the Todenham based trainer/rider's mount fought back
gallantly to draw level at the last before securing victory on the run to
the line. Adrian Wintle had to settle for second place in this contest,
but the Cheltenham jockey had scored a double earlier in the afternoon
courtesy of True Chimes and Philtre. The former had been presented with
the Intermediate when his solitary rival Semliki pulled up lame at the
penultimate in the Intermediate, but the horse does not like being alone
which probably accounted for his behaviour at the last when the horse
followed the rider over the fence. . Owner Jim Callow reported that Philtre was coming back to his
best after an impressive win under Wintle in the Mens Open. Julian
Pritchard and Teme Willow attempted to make every post a winning one but
they had nothing left in reserve as Philtre swept by on the run to the
final two fences. Tom Gretton and Shekels were worthy winners of the Members. They led from the start and had little difficulty holding the challenge of Triple Crown during the final half mile to land the spoils for the horses Inkberrow based owner Phillip Gretton. |