North Norfolk
Harriers
Higham
Sunday 27th January 2008
by Simon McInnes
The North Norfolk have their meeting in South
Suffolk, but after a clear run that meant getting there in plenty
of time for an 11.00am start, which is an infringement of all our
human rights, an accident on the A12 made the journey home seem
like travelling back from Timbuctoo. The day went smoothly over
seven races, then ended on an eventful note, like Detling 24 hours
earlier. And like that other meeting, almost all of the the runners
turned out fit and looking well. Some information may be lacking or
suspect, as the two announcers were a bit inclined to go on air at
the same time, and one, possibly a bit tired, was so lively, that
he made Marvin the Paranoid Android sound like Graham Norton.
Going: Good (Good to Firm places) -
probably!
Race 1: Grainfarmers
PLC 5-7 year olds Open Maiden
1: Rydal Park 2: Basiliko 3: Like To Go
Winner owned: The Oak Partnership (Mrs H Robson), trained &
ridden: David Kemp
With only one of the newcomers really
catching the eye, Rydal Park's respectable novice hurdle form
caught the eye, and he ran out a convincing and easy winner. It was
not all plain sailing as he tended to jump a little right at times,
and a lot right at most of the others. It was still enough to be
well clear of Basiliko, who is running adequately in maidens
without looking likely to win one. The appealing newcomer
Activator, who had not followed his stable and owner-mate Balau to
Detling, would have been third, but he was very tired in the
closing stages and in the course of nearly refusing the last, he
fell and was down for a while, winded. His immediate progress
depends on how much he deems racing as something best left alone.
Like To Go was with Rydal Park early and carried right in the air
as a result. He liked it so much, that he did it even when behind
later in the race.
Race 2: Dodson &
Horrell Club Members, Novice Riders
1: High Rank 2: El Viejo 3: Itsallupintheair
Winner owned & trained: HJ Franklin, ridden: Jack
Watson
A collection of novice riders and wily old
veteran horses combined to produce a thrilling finish, as both the
trainer and jockey of High Rank were recording their first wins.
They got home by a neck from El Viejo, whose rider, Tom Cannon,
made a very decent job of things on his first ride. After an
unbeaten 2006, Alittlemoreaction had rather less impressive form
last season of FP. His jumping was not especially fluent here, and
he seems a tough job for a novice rider. Full brothers Nokimover
and Major Blue failed to trouble the scorer, and for form
correlation purposes, it should be observed that the first two were
not amongst the group beaten by Supreme Sir at the last meeting
here, three weeks earlier.
Race 3: Smiths Gore 8
year olds and up Open Maiden, Div I
1: Spanchil Hill 2: Nomadic Blaze 3: Vulcan's Ash
Winner owned: Mr S Benson & Mrs L Dace, trained: Mrs L Dace,
ridden: Nick Pearce
The older horse maiden was one over
the safety limit at declaration time, so we ended up with two eight
runner races, which was nice as it gave two sets of connections the
chance of a win with horses that had really not shown much
inclination to do so in the past. Spanchil Hill had some moderately
encouraging numbers by his name, but they had been acquired off of
low weights in bottom drawer novice chases, and he had to work very
hard to beat Nomadic Blaze, who had a similar profile under Rules.
Not unlike his stablemates the day before, The Right People, making
his debut for Joe Turner's team on the back of some fair hurdle
form, ran a fairly lacklustre race, eventually pulling up.
Race 4: 8 year olds
and up Open Maiden, Div II
1: Very Presentable 2: Sealed Orders 3: On The Deck
Winner owned & trained: Derek Harding-Jones, ridden: Matt
Mackley
Someone did step in and sponsor the second
division, but I did not catch the announcement clearly, so
he/she/they will have to endure the warm glow of anonymous
munificence. The winner was probably the outstanding candidate from
the original entries, and Very Presentable delivered without
difficulty, although nobody was going to retire on the proceeds of
backing him. Triple runner up Magicastle had an off day, and that
left two horses without too much to recommend them fighting it out
for the minor honours. The only other finisher, Ridjit, did not
jump well enough to stay in touch with them.
Race 5: Barratt &
Cook Intermediate
1: Mr Tee Pee 2: Pro Am 3: Forget The Ref
Winner owned: The Teepee Club (A Barr), trained: Alan Hill, ridden:
James Tudor
Despite beginning to look a bit timid in
novice chases, The Teepee Club were obviously inspired enough by Mr
Tee Pee being a UK-Jumping selection to give him another chance in
points, and their conviction has been vindicated with this his
third win of the season. Some opponents were close enough to worry
him three out, but they could not and he was value for a bit more
than he won by. This may have been Pro Am's best run yet as he took
on better oppo than he is used to and was vanquished without being
embarrassed. After a couple of early errors, Forget The Ref had to
have a few reminders, but she at least responded, and stayed on
fairly well in the end, to suggest she could win an Intermediate.
The progressive, and extra large, Sovereign Quest unseated at the
ninth, before showing how he would handle this tougher task. With
his win here roundly insulted by his victims in the novice riders'
race, and having been soundly thrashed himself since, Supreme Sir
was, predictably, never in the race after it heated up.
Race 6: Grange Farm
Holidays Men's Open
1: Kjetil 2: Another Dude 3: Star Double
Winner owned: Mrs ME Moody, trained: Gerald Bailey, ridden: Richard
Barrett
This was an oddity of a race, although not a
space one. There were several whose stamina was less than that of
being out and out sloggers, so Higham was ideal for them. However,
they set off at a cracking rate, and some of the dour stayers were
taken off of their feet. Later on, one or two found their
durability fading, and in the end, Kjetil was left clear by default
to make his seasonal debut a winning one. As a hurdler, he put
plenty of effort into earning insults, and he is not one to trust
if he is under pressure late on - although his jumping seems sound
enough. Another Dude went flat out for as long as possible and then
struggled home, which is apparently his preferred tactics, despite
them working but rarely. Amongst other fancied horses, Gunther
McBride could not go the pace and Bel Ombre weakened quickly and
pulled up at the thirteenth. Small mare Half Inch got a hefty bump
at the first and either sulked or was intimidated* as a result,
never travelling afterwards.
* Depending on whether you think she is to blame or responding
perfectly reasonably.
Race 7: Birketts
Solicitors Ladies' Open
1: Dumadic 2: Va Vavoom 3: Who Cares Wins
Winner owned: Gregory Wright, trained: Susan Busby, ridden: Hannah
Watson
Like the Men's race, a frantic pace was set, and
it produced a win for Dumadic, fairly unreservedly tipped by the
commentator. His old pointing form was decent enough, and he had
done well under Rules, only to look a bit stale before this return
to his natural home gave him the taste for it again. Va Vavoom was
a) a surprise favourite having fallen or unseated on three of his
last four and b) likely to benefit confidence-wise from the clear
round. Tartar Sabre was set for third when he took a fatal fall at
the last. Following two good performances since switching from
Rules, Fullards ran a very flat race this time - the going might
have been a bit quicker for him.
Race 8: Stevensons of
Norwich Countryside Alliance Club Members Conditions
1: Cantarinho 2: Lord Atterbury 3: Polar Scout
Winner owned: Mr MA Kemp & Mr D Kemp, trained & ridden:
David Kemp
The betting caused a brief pause to consider
the transitory nature of form. Cantarinho, competitor at the top
level in points touched 6/4, Former elite pointer and Grand
National favourite Lord Atterbury was around 12/1. And loitering at
3/1 was Peppershot, who peaked at a couple of places in desperate
ground in juvenile hurdles at Plumpton, until he scaled the heights
of a restricted win in points. And Peppershot was all set for
victory when he blundered and unseated at the last. To the naked
eye, it appeared that the horse had a change of mind as to which
stride to take off on at the very last second. He put himself
right, but failed to allow for the jockey. This left Cantarinho a
lucky winner, but Lord Atterbury at least ran his best race in a
while. As he was produced looking very fit, there is probably no
improvement to come. Polar Scout and Resplendent Star were very far
behind.
Plus Points
Very Presentable (race 4): Did not have much to beat, but passed
the test convincingly, and can handle a certain amount of raising
in class.
Pro Am (race 5): Rose in class and did not look out of place.
Dumadic (race 7): Signs of being revitalised to a degree that
manufacturers of butter substitutes and active yoghurts can only
dream of.
Down Arrows
Activator (race 1): Was going through the process of a pleasing
debut when it ended in a fall at the last. He is probably worth a
watching brief until proving that he has put the negatives behind
him.
Alittlemoreaction (race 2): Is struggling a bit with the fluency of
is jumping, and he is probably one to be wary of unless he has the
benefit of a strong, experienced rider.
The Right People (race 4): Extremely disappointing and no obvious
excuses.
Kjetil (race 6): Did not disprove here that he is not a fiasco
waiting to happen, but it may take a decent opponent to stress
him.