Aldington 25/04/11

Only 21 runners turned out for this, which was a touch disappointing from a solid enough level of entries. With even fewer at Charing two days earlier, it seemed plenty of people entered for this weekend, got exactly the conditions expected and promised (unless using some sort of bizarre ethnic magic weather forecast, produced by a con man in Deptford), yet still gave racing a miss. The small parts of the course walked seemed in quite decent nick, there was a nice covering of grass and there was not that worrying fast ground rattle as the horses went by. The fact that the stream in the middle of the track was almost totally dried up showed how much effort had been put into getting the racing surface in that condition, and it deserved a bit better support. 

Race 1: McCabe Ford Williams Open Maiden

1: Roskeen Boy     2: Gentle Jim     3: Mr Maybe

Winner owned: Robert Clifton-Brown, trained: Chris Lawson, ridden: Jody Sole

Roskeen Boy: Ran/steered out when leading a maiden at Penshurst, and although that was a bad race, this was no better and he was favourite, although an uneasy one. He was always near the front, and when he tried to assert, the oppo refused to roll over and concede. The finish looked very, very close, and after a delay, just as thoughts of a dead heat were rising, the judge announced that he had got home by a short head. Gentle Jim: Made it seven completions from seven runs this season, some misses being nearer than others, and he will surely never go as close as this again without winning. The racecard comment was "should win a maiden at least" but after failing again, we are beginning to wonder. Mr Maybe: In contrast to the runner-up, he had only got round in two of five this year, and after being waited with at the rear, charged round the field to lead approaching the fourth last. It was too much effort too soon and he was swallowed up two from home. His two places this year have come in very weak races. San Siro: Had one educational last season, and was making a belated debut for 2011. He does look the part, but when the pace picked out at the third last, he did seem a bit slow, but there is scope for a little further improvement. Grumpy Bee: Lives up to his name, and went to post very early. After leading for a couple of miles or so, he dropped back to last, and ended up with a fall two out. It was a gentle one as he was going really rather slowly at the time, but it will not do his mood any good.

The final fence, and Gentle Jim (right) has an edge on Mr Maybe (left) and Roskeen Boy, but it is a fractional one, and the middle horse was that tiny bit speedier on the run-in.

Race 2: Hallett & Co Restricted

1: Gemini Jim     2: Arvakur     3: Wouldificould

Winner owned: TKP Family, trained: David Phelan, ridden: Richard McCarthy

Gemini Jim: Having won a dreadful maiden at Godstone, he seemed to have his limitations exposed, especially stamina ones, at Catsfield in an iffy race. However, it does seem that most years this meeting has a particularly poor restricted, at the mercy of an in-form non-stayer. With the pace below average, he hung in behind Arvakur, kicked into the lead round the far turn, and stayed comfortably in front despite not being able to extend his lead. Options are now even fewer and further between. Arvakur: Was not totally awful a couple of years ago, but missed 2010 and has shown next to nothing this year. One argument was that he may have set a stronger pace to challenge the winner's shortcomings, but the form that Arvakur has been in, that policy might have done him just as much harm, if not more. Wouldificould: Set out in rear, was ridden solely to complete, and as the first passed the post, he was popping over three out. His rider got a good cheer for achieving what she set out to do.

Race 3: Felix Racing Ladies' Open

1: Alrafid     2: In The System     3: Fantastic Champion

Winner owned: ms G Howell, trained: Rose Grissell, ridden: Tabitha Worsley

Alrafid: Can be a bit of a sulky old hector, but was up for it today, and after being asked to make the running, he showed plenty of his good side to fight back once In The System nosed ahead. The margin was a short head, and it was the rider's first win over jumps, but she clearly got lots out of pony racing, as it is a fair while since any of the lady riders got the better of Cynthia Haydon in a close finish. In The System: He has not really gone on as expected from his early season success at Charing, but this was one of the easier chances he has had, and he did everything right except for not having a long enough neck just when it was needed. Fantastic Champion: You have to go back to 2009 to find a win in his tally, and he has had some distinct off days along the way. However, he was also subject to an excellent ride, this time in vain, as he was outpaced from the second fence, and consequently misjudged a few fences along the way. Despite this, his jockey made him cling on in contention to the end, and only lost by three lengths, which is a bit more heroic than he now prefers. The Jolly Spoofer: Lost his way under rules, and has not fared better for the switch to pointing, being tailed off when he pulled up at the fourth last.

Race 4: Paddy Hughes Memorial PPORA Members, Veteran and Novice Riders

1: Flowersoftherarest     2: Supa Tramp

Winner owned: The Huntin, Shootin, Fishin Partnership, trained: David Phelan, ridden: Freddie Mitchell

Flowersoftherarest: With only one opponent, he was able to track the leader from a sensible distance, move to the front rounding the furthest part of the course, and soon put the race beyond doubt. This was the third win this season, all in this sort of race, and by far the least stressful one. Supa Tramp: Representing the veteran arm of the riding duo (a well briefed commentator observed that Peter Bull had his first ride a good fifteen years before Freddie Mitchell was born), the problem with Supa Tramp is that he is only ever good for one win a year, and that had already been ticked off for 2011. He probably is not a dodger, but is completely devoid of any turn of foot when it is needed.

Race 5: Peter Adams Men's Open

1: Man From Moscow     2: Honourable Spider     3: Bannister Lane

Winner owned: Mrs H Norman, trained: Alison Hickman, ridden: Will Hickman

Man From Moscow: A regular finisher, but rare winner, he landed an intermediate on his last run, and is suddenly making a point of trying to prolific. Having gone to the front at fence thirteen, he appeared to have the oppo in all sorts of trouble, but after the second last he was joined, and maybe briefly headed. When the run-in came, he was just that little bit too quick for his veteran and/or mud loving rivals. Honourable Spider: Boasts a very decent record here, and after struggling to reel in the winner, looked as if he might out stay him in the last furlong or so. Alas, younger legs won the day. Bannister Lane: On the whole, he has had a disappointing season, but even when he found wet and miserable weather in the early season, the ground was never that bordering on waterlogged state that he needs. He went down fighting here, and maybe the conditions will match his requirements at some point in 2012. Aughlea Bridge: Based on market support in the winter, decent things were expected of him this season, and at times there was betting interest for him today, although it did not seem to be a sustained plunge. Those hopes would have been for a more decent record than 4F42P524. Perhaps he needed more time to settle in after coming from Ireland, but he has become one to oppose for now. See The View: Set quite a strong pace early in the race, but the effort told, and he was well in the rear when he pulled up, not having completed in any of his five runs this season.  

Honourable Spider (far side) is close, but just not close enough, to Man From Moscow, with a frustrated Bannister Lane about to close down a couple of lengths but no more.

Race 6: Sophie Bell & Associates Members

1: Hatsnall     2: Particular Man

Winner owned, trained & ridden: Chris Lawson

Hatsnall: This race usually has a couple more runners than turned out today, as the clerk of the course tends to enter his entire stable. With numbers down, he only had two entries, and put all his eggs in a Hatsnall basket. The pair went round together for about two miles, and then Hatsnall gradually went clear. His rider having a 1-0 edge in career victories made all the difference... Particular Man: Was the outsider of the two, but was certainly not without a chance, and had started the season well at Charing. He is another who has failed to sustain winter promise, as a semblance of his winning effort would have been enough here.

Hatsnall just edges Particular Man at high speed round the first turn