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Fontwell 30/04/09 |
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Whatever happened to human rights? You get away in the nick of time, get stuck in traffic due to an accident on the M23, then stuck behind caravans inexplicably using the narrowest roads they can find to take the long route from A to B, walk into the meeting as the runners go to the start for the first race, and what is the first voice you hear? Derek ******* Thompson. The evening was ruined already. Why do courses not issue an alert when he will be present so that normal people can avoid them? For some reason, Fontwell seemed to be expecting a bumper crowd tonight. But the course is just that little bit too far off the beaten track, and the start for an evening meeting just that little bit too early, and the weather forecast (which was hopelessly wrong) just that little bit too bleak to drag people out on a Friday night before a Bank Holiday weekend, and the crowd was small and a mostly for normal racing afternoon one - hence the exodus before the inevitable predictability of an Abba tribute band. They deserve to die - when Stephen Hawking's killer aliens finally turn up, perhaps the band and commentator will by then have a neat target tattooed on between the eyes. Perhaps there are other occasions where similar could be done to a bigger turnout. Bank Holiday Monday afternoon perhaps? And if Thompson and 7th rate tribute bands was not bad enough, the races were a modest novice hurdle and five handicaps mostly populated by horses whose limitations and foibles were many and exposed, so punters were left to decide which would be least successful in their attempts to lose. It does not bode well for an evening's entertainment. But read on. And on and on. What was pleasing to hear was the bookies having a sense of humour about decimal odds - not enough to offer 3.1 about an 11/4 shot - so it would seem we have heard the last of that for a long while. Whilst many sane people felt that there were other reasons, e.g. cost, keeping people away from race courses, there is no recollection that many predicted using decimals odds would scare off huge quantities of business. For those who did, a glass is raised in salute, but you all probably were too bemused by the form to make any predictions about this motley card. There was also news of interest to UK-Jumping readers - our reigning Trainer of the Year, Neil Mulholland is moving imminently to new premises as the existing ones have been sold. This could see a brief drop off in results as many trainers change scene and take a month or two before they get the hang of the new gallops and facilities. As the gallops and schooling grounds are the ones at the David Pipe establishment at Nicholashayne, we can safely assume that the facilities are up to the job. Going: Good (Good to Firm places) - the first race was officially on Good, and the swathe of subsequent withdrawals suggest that the professionals considered greater change was merited. In fairness, had the rain come as was widely forecast, the going may well have been fine. Race
1: Williams Roofing Contractors Ltd Handicap Chase [2m 2f] 1: Good Old Days 2: Maxwil 3: Post It Winner owned: Mr & Mrs KR Ellis, trained: Kim Bailey, ridden: Sean Quinlan Reading the form of this race was enough to make you fear looking in the mirror, as you would see your face melting and a bit of liquified brain dribbling out of the left nostril. As it turned out, the lunchtime burrito had become contaminated with LSD, and the "brain" was a bit of stray guacamole. Phew. On the positive side, and it is usually a big one at Fontwell, the majority of the runners were course winners. On the down side, most of them had done it a touch too long ago, and in really bad races, to get carried away with them. The exception was Majy D'Auteuil, who had a good 2009 and went up from 84 in the ratings to 104 in the process of going 2112 here. She lost her position and pulled up after a mile, which left a race that took very, very little winning. That meant Good Old Days (three chase wins all on good to firm, both point wins on firm) skipped through on the inner four out and had pretty much a clear run home. Maxwil, who was regressive in a short hurdling career after an OK start, was best of the rest. Race
2: www.chancelloroftheformexchequer.co.uk
Pepe Rufino Memorial Maiden Hurdle [2m 4f] 1: Calon Crwbin 2: Smooth Classic 3: Bon Spiel Winner owned: Hanford's Chemist Ltd, trained: Alison Thorpe, ridden: Johnny Farrelly A win so facile as to be the very definition of facility. Err, hold on... Calon Crwbin led at the third, was five clear entering the back straight and gradually opened the gap as his rivals began to toil. Easy stuff, and although he had a reminder or two after the last, he would have to have been pretty naughty to have let this one get away from him at that stage. Smooth Classic pursued far better than anyone else - after being solid in bumpers, this was his first sign of getting to grips with hurdles, but as he inherited second favouritism when the original jolly dropped out, the betting market does seem ready for him when his time is right. Down the field, UK-Jumping retains the belief that there is something to get out of Towmater, but everyone else may be losing faith, and their stance is acknowledged, now that fast ground has been added to the lengthening list of things that do not seem to be the answer. Race
3 1: Boardroom Dancer 2: Mighty Moose 3: Great Ocean Road Winner owned: Dr DL Meecham Jones & TA Fowler, trained: Suzy Smith, ridden: Jimmy Derham After two ordinary spectacles (is that a pair of monoculars?), this race had a far more exciting finish. Boardroom Dancer made much of the running, but looked to have done his bit when Mighty Moose cruised through to lead before the final bend, and had a nice five length cushion two from home. His rider was getting a bit urgent at the last, without the margin really reducing, but on the run-in, his legs turned to jelly and the rallying Boardroom Dancer got back up to win by a head. Cracking stuff from what had been a jaded 13 year old, who now has two wins and four pulled ups in his last nine runs - both wins on this course and distance. What next? Decimal odds flop predictors do your stuff!
Despite still claiming 7 pounds, Jimmy Derham has ridden enough winners to know better than to look so surprised after a win. Boardroom Shuffle has balance of joy and magnanimity down to a tee Race
4 1: Alldunnandusted 2: Play A Cord 3: Pete The Feat Winner owned: CR Dunning, trained: Seamus Mullins, ridden: Jimmy Derham Both Alldunandusted and Play A Cord played their cards late, and the latter was brushed aside by the winner, who had previously stuck mostly to easier ground and yet coped well with this in the most competitive race of the day. Play A Cord remains winless and her good days are scattered over a variety of tracks, trips and goings, so it could be naive to think she will follow this with that elusive win - and changes of home do not always suit suit volatile characters! The third through to the seventh all crossed the line within a length or two, so if they all meet again, there is a nice long head-scratcher trying to work out what will emerge from the porridge of history. There was some debate as to which of Jim Best's pair would run, but the jockey listed against Northern Lad was Tim Bailey, which is usually a very good indicator that it would be withdrawn, and that left Pearly Star to contest things, and he made a fair fist of scattering his enemies, only to find them gathered again on his heels when he hit the wall about a furlong out.
It is darker, and a much worse picture, but the post race body language has come on a lot in half an hour. Alldunandusted now realises that he has to go home in a horse box sporting a large picture of a strawberry. Play A Cord follows him in. Race
5: www.neilmullhollandracing.com Handicap Chase [2m 6f] 1: Double The Trouble 2: Marc Of Brilliance 3: Hereweareagain Winner owned: Mrs MR Taylor and LG Kimber, trained: Andy Turnell, ridden: Nick Scholfield This race produced the second magnificent finish of the night, as four were left in contention turning for home, and they were split by only two lengths coming to the last fence, and were all in the air together at it - although not in a line. Long time leader Double The Trouble had been headed by Hereweareagain, but that horse began to falter, and Marc Of Brilliance came through to perhaps nose ahead on the stands side - favourite Royal Kicks was plugging on at one pace, but only losing ground in inches. As they got going after the last, something clicked in Double The Trouble's brain to recognise that actually the other two did not really fancy a scrap, and a little extra effort would be enough. He gave it, and earned the rewards. Race
6: Hardings Catering Handicap Hurdle [2m 2.5f] 1: Forget It 2: Bolton Hall 3: Sonning Star Winner owned: The Cockpit Crew, trained: Gary Moore, ridden: Jamie Moore Of eleven declared, only six made it to the race, but blow me down with a feather if it did not turn out to be splendid finish number three. Bolton Hall had taken them along at a decent pace, at least as far as could be deciphered in the gathering darkness. Forget It and Sonning Star moved up alongside him at the third last and he responded. Forget It kicked on at the second last, and Bolton Hall responded again. At the final flight, Forget It had a couple of lengths in hand, and it ought to have been all over, but Bolton Hall had one last joule of energy to offer and he was reeling in Forget It at the line, failing to recover his lead by a nose. Classic stuff, for those who could see what was going on. Given that both his wins have come over further, it was no surprise that the runner-up saw out the race well, but he picked a brave and unusual way to go about showing it. Surprisingly, in fifteen hurdle runs, he has just two wins compared to six seconds now, but it is still a win more than Forget It, for whom fast going was a totally unknown quantity. After flopping as a chaser, switching back to hurdles did not immediately enliven Rock Me, but it may need another race or two. Plus
Points Maxwil (race 1): It was only a sliver of hope, but Colin Bolger did get him running on after the last, and nobody should believe for one moment that there will not be some equally poor two mile chases lurking over the horizon. Bon Spiel (race 2): Is only a tiddler, and was well beaten this time. He showed more at Ascot on his last run, and the future is in the handicapper's gift, as the choice is to rate on the one decent or two modest runs, and Bon Spiel is built to be carrying only light weights. Western Palm (race 2): Was hanging in with the main three in the betting, until he faded coming off of the final turn. He was given a couple of reminders and then nursed home when they had no effect. As he had shown absolutely zero in a couple of bumpers, a hurdle and a point in Ireland, and also on his UK debut, this 64 length fourth was actually progress, at least in the way he went about it. Alldunandusted (race 4): Now 2 from 11 hurdling, he looks as if there is a chance he will fare better in chases. Double The Trouble (race 5): Won just over a year ago, ran six absolute shockers as an extended follow up and then hinted at a return to form last time. Even after being rehandicapped, he should still be below his previous winning mark and a 100% right-handed track will suit better. Down
Arrows Post It (race 1): Ended up third, but was never travelling with any conviction and made the places because rider Matt Griffiths seemed to have sussed that simply stopping slower than the others might suffice. If that was his idea, he was spot on. Maggie Mathias (race 1): Looked a fair hurdler in 2007, but after two years off, she has not recovered any hint of ability, despite a rapid descent in the ratings. Mighty Moose (race 3): Appeared to have had the race unfold to plan, and instead was in the frame for the ninth time since he last won in late 2007. It may be a physical thing, rather than a mental one, that is stopping him, but he is hard to have much faith in at the moment. Great Ocean Road (race 3): Making his chase debut after three stuffings over hurdles, his jumping was fine, and he cruised from last to the heels of leaders effortlessly (to the naked eye) and then found nothing when he had made a chance for himself. Free To Air (race 4): Once wore a tongue tie to no obvious effect. Once wore cheekpieces to no obvious benefit. Today tried a visor. Guess what? Marc Of Brilliance (race 5): Has not always appeared the bravest thing on four legs, but as a chaser often got himself beaten too far out to blame tame finishing. That was not the case today, where he gave away a golden opportunity. Hereweareagain (race 5): Lightly raced but placed at a modest level, the first time blinkers suggested that he needed a little revving up, and they worked, until he threw in the towel when the race became very hard work. Sonning Star (race 6): Impressed with his attitude when winning at Fakenham, but neither loss since has looked entirely zestful. Defeats would have been acceptable, but the margins have ended up a little too great. |
