clifton-on-teme
upper sapey Saturday
21st May 2005
by Jeremy Grayson
As alternatives to sitting at
home watching the Cup Final go, this year’s renewal of the
Clifton-upon-Teme point-to-point meeting will not have rated that
attractively to less hardy souls – mostly modest fare, as can
be the case just a few weeks away from the end of the season; a
number of very small fields of dubious quality; a feeble tannoy
relaying some decidedly half-hearted racecourse commentary; and
fearsome, persistent heavy rain which had this writer filling his
notepad whilst training his binoculars through a gap in the
driver’s seat window for three races (and still getting wet
through)! A shame, as the efforts of the new management team at
Upper Sapey deserved better for efforts which had included good use
of an agrivator on the turf (resulting in a decent, safe,
predominately good to firm surface, at least until the rain got
into it, anyway), rebuilding of the fences and some entertainments
for the kids.
This Hereford and Worcestershire
course, situated six miles north of Bromyard, has characteristics
resembling a right-handed Sedgefield, with a stiff climb in the
back straight giving way to an equally pronounced downhill home
run, and a couple of fairly sharp bends. All eight fences
(including the ditch) are jumped twice bar the first and second
(thrice), and races – at the shorter end of the definition of
“three miles”, if optimum times are anything by which
to go – consist of two and a quarter circuits.
Race One;
MEMBER’S RACE
A match between WYLE POST and GUARD A DREAM was quickly ended as a
contest when Wyle Post ran out at the seventh fence; and although
that one retraced his steps and did eventually finish, he never got
back to within a fence of a rival officially 23 points his inferior
according to The Pointer’s ratings. Clearly the form
is of little consequence, and the winner, who has proved
increasingly one paced in his other recent outings, won’t
have things anywhere near as easy as this again for a long
time.
Race Two;
RESTRICTED
This looked a useful opportunity for one of a motley bunch of
serial non-stayers (with an alarming collection of “p”s
against their names this season) to pick up a prize, and it was
ultimately Steve Wynne’s HIGHLANDS II who came out on top in
a tight four-way finish (one of three such finishes on which,
rather disappointingly, caller Edward Dingle refused to commentate
any further from halfway up the run-in – are they allowed to
do that nowadays?) from SHUIL MONTY, FENCE THE GAP and LOST IN THE
SNOW. Highlands II declined to accompany Shuil Monty when that one
went on with fully a circuit to go, and he simply had more to spare
than that rival at the sharp end of the race. Previously a maiden
winner at Sandon two years ago, Highlands II came into this race
with the second-lowest rating of any competitor (64) and a stack of
non-completions from having repeatedly run out of gas around 2m 4f,
so he is far from an obvious choice to follow up.
Andrew Hanley’s assertive
ride on Shuil Monty didn’t fail by much, and this was by far
the horse’s best effort since his arrival from Ireland. With
proven form on a firm surface over there, he might be able to steal
a similarly poor Restricted before the season’s end. Fence
the Gap didn’t beat much when winning the Golden Valley
members’ race at Bredwardine seven days earlier, but this
slow-maturing animal probably took enough out of himself that day
to be found just wanting in the scramble for the line today. As
with Shuil Monty, he remains of a little interest in bad
fast-ground Restricteds. Julian Pritchard got the exaggerated
waiting tactics wrong on Lost in The Snow on this occasion,
dropping the horse way off the pace for the first circuit and a
half and giving him too much to do late on. Still, as the youngest
horse in this heat (7yo), and with a mostly consistent first
British season behind him, he is almost certainly the one with the
biggest future ahead of him here.
Race
Three; PPORA Novice Riders
AIRCON earned a hard-fought win under a good ride from Simon
Moreton in this race, the horse’s second win this season and
third in total. Having cut out the early pace alongside the
increasingly decrepit CHADSWELL (who ran very moodily and put in a
succession of slow leaps before fading completely three out), he
was given an easy time up the hill on the final occasion before
throwing down a renewed effort from the penultimate obstacle to
wear down the teenage duo WILD EDRIC and STANMORE. Aircon seems to
appreciate sharp, undulating tracks and fast ground best, having
just held on to land another PPORA race with Moreton at Hackwood
Park five weeks earlier. Even granted those conditions, he might
still need to find a bit more improvement if his attentions are
turned to Opens hereafter.
A six-times winner in his
career, Wild Edric can tend to keep a bit to himself nowadays, but
he was on a going day today and was certainly not leading under
sufferance two out. His safe jumping should ensure he continues to
be a good schoolmaster for young riders, if not actually one whom
they can believe will always put it all in near the finish.
Formerly a 120+ rated chaser for
Charlie Mann before going on to become a fairly useful hunter
chaser / summer jumping horse for Tick Saunders, Stanmore has
always been at his best on fast ground around sharp tracks (was
especially proficient at Southwell and Fakenham under Rules). He
has clearly regressed a little further since his return to the
amateur ranks, but is every bit as safe a conveyance as Wild Edric
and stayed on gamely at the one pace after being relieved of the
lead by that rival part-way down the final hill. Bang there four
out after racing prominently, GAY BARATINEUR faded quite
disappointingly thereafter; a good second for Sally Wallace in a
similar race at Larkhill three weeks ago, he looks difficult to
catch right.
Race
Four; MIXED OPEN
The biggest field of the day – thirteen – lined up for
the Hugh Corbett Challenge Cup, in which the services of Julian
Pritchard brought about a return to form for MACY. A winner of his
Members’ race at Andoversford in mid-April, Macy had been
turned out four times since (including two hunters’ chases),
showing little enthusiasm for a fight in pulling up from a
prominent early position every time. Pritchard kept him to his task
all the way round here, however, sitting him just off the lead set
by the erratic-jumping BROOK BEE until five out and then repelling
all challengers from the front thereafter for a
three-quarter-length victory. This was by no means a cosy victory
and the horse could probably use a break after such a busy time of
it recently, but is not guaranteed to get it.
FARNANDO still only had one or
two behind him with a circuit to go but was given a great
reintroduction to the racecourse after a year off by Geoff
Barfoot-Saunt. Thrown into the race coming down the hill the final
time, it was possibly just his lack of race fitness, which saw him
lose the argument to Macy. Evidently hard to train,
Farnando’s connections won’t have many chances left
this season to build on this very good reappearance, but a modest
Open could be within his grasp if they can find him one.
SNOWTRE was also waited with and
attempted to follow Farnando on his acceleration through the field
late on. He proved far too one-paced to join the duel for victory
late on, however, and his 2l third was as close as he got. With
three placed finishes and four non-completions he has had a
hit-and-miss season to say the least, and whilst this represented
his second sound effort in a row (his 8l third in the Men’s
Open at Bredwardine last week was fair enough form), he is still a
little way off adding to his career tally of four wins at the
moment. Still only eight, however, he has a good few years left to
do something about that.
DO IT ONCE provided the nearest
thing to a hard-luck story on a day of few fallers, unseating three
from home when creeping up on the leaders. A little short of gears
nowadays and better suited to a stiffer test than this, it would
have been debatable as to whether he could have kept tabs on the
front pair’s sprint to the line in any case. DANTE’S
BATTLE was sent to join the eventual winner four out but his effort
proved short-lived, and it appeared his exertions in chasing home
The Wee Bishop in a Ladies’ Open seven days previously (over
a trip which he still hasn’t conclusively proved he stays)
had left their mark.
Race
Five; INTERMEDIATE
This looked a penalty kick for JOLLY JAKE with a recent Restricted
win at Ashorne under his belt and generally consistent efforts in
that and Intermediate spheres of late. Coupled with this, MAGICIEN
had looked very ordinary when drubbed by 40l in the Ladies’
Open at Bredwardine last week. However, the hot favourite always
looked the least happy of the two (neither of whom had winning form
on what by now had certainly become rain-softened ground), and had
to be rousted back into contention following a mistake at the 8 th
and another two from home. Magicien simply kept finding more
whenever Jolly Jake loomed, and won this with contemptuous ease in
the end. His jumping was faultless and, not being a world-beater by
any means, he might serve purpose better helping out novice riders
in PPORA races rather than struggle any longer in Opens. Jolly Jake
can only improve on this disappointing effort and will be seen to
better light once more on genuinely fast ground.
Neither of the other two runners
ever got competitive, BORDERLINE BREEZE always in the last couple
and VALMAN fading rapidly – under a particularly tardy ride
from Patrick Millington – having been sent to join the winner
briefly six from home.
Race Six;
5-7yo MAIDEN
Just two completions from six career starts before the race partly
disguised that SEIZE THE MOMENT is an improving young horse, and he
built on his encouraging second place over 2m 4f at Eyton-on-Severn
earlier in the month with a most authoritative victory here. Booted
6l clear at the top of the hill by Adam Wadlow, he left his two
remaining rivals for dead to shed his maiden tag as he pleased. The
occasional jumping lapses which have seen him on the floor twice in
his last three races were completely absent today, and how quickly
he progresses up the pointing ladder from now on will probably
depend on them staying away.
Already with a reputation
established for jumping right, and needing leading down early and
mounting at the start, THORNTON BRIDGE is clearly not the most
straightforward racehorse you’ll ever see. He pulled himself
into the lead straight away and was still going well enough –
despite again shifting right repeatedly - when coming down five
out. The basic material for a maiden win is there, but just two
finishes from eight starts now indicates that it won’t come
easily.
LORD MUSGRAVE was the only other
finisher, despite having made at lest three significant errors (the
nod at the eighth being the most serious). He registered his first
completion in four attempts either side of the Irish Sea here, but
was beaten too far to suggest he is about to convert completions
into wins any time soon.
Race
Seven; 8yo+ MAIDEN
Having shown fair placed form round the sharp turns of Garnons in
March, EVANLY MISS enjoyed spinning off the same here in breaking
her maiden tag at the twelfth attempt. Putting some muddling jumps
behind her early on, she got the better of a protracted three-way
sprint with ARTIC SUMMER and BARON KISS, which lasted from four out
to the finish. However, as all three protagonists have struggled to
see out the three mile trip more often than not in their races to
date, the fact they pulled clear of the remainder should not
necessarily be taken to mean the form has a solid look to it.
Further, the second and third homes have now accumulated 36 defeats
between them, and it will be a bad maiden either of them does
finally manage to win.
Race
Eight; CHALLENGE EVENT
A curious event to finish, in which three horses completed one lap
of the track (minus the ditch) with the aim not necessarily of
winning, but rather to finish the lap closer to “a sensible
hunting pace time” known only to the judges (3 minutes 50
seconds, it transpired) than his or her rivals. Andrew Shaw on
OPTIMISTIC THINKER, latterly a most disappointing performer for Tom
George under Rules, passed the post ahead of Harold Franklin on AD
LIB and Dr Sarah Myhill on CON, but it was Ad Lib – planted
at the start and only set off slowly by Franklin 30l behind his
rivals before building up momentum – who got closest to the
magic mark and collected first prize. All three horses jumped
superbly.
WINNING
TRAINERS
Mrs R E Walker
Steve Wynne
Miss R Huts Mr M Jones
Mr S Isaac
Mr R Hirons
Mr G C Evans
(Farmers Bloodhounds)
WINNING
JOCKEYS
Mr Ed Walker
Mr S Ross
Mr Simon Moreton
Mr Julian Pritchard
Miss L Brooke
Mr Adam Wadlow
Mr Mark Jackson
Mr Harold Franklin
COMMENTATOR
Edward Dingle
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