West Street Tickham
Detling
Sunday 7th February 2010
by Simon
McInnes
This was a lovely winter's day, as long as
you ignored the freeing fog and occasional sleet. It certainly was
not nearly as windy as can be the case on top of the hill in East
Kent, and there was far less risk of suffering ill health as a
result of attending. Unfortunately, the crowd was decent but not as
good as it can be, which suggests that some lily-livered souls felt
that they were too sensible to be here. Shame on them, but not
those who went to the eleven race all-dayer at Whitfield.
In fairness, for some of the meeting it was
not that dismal, showing off this corner of the country at it's
marvellously bleak winter best. But when the hill on the other side
of the road quickly disappeared into a shroud of fog, it was time
to reach for an extra jumper or four.
Going: Good
Race 1: Giles Hopper
Memorial Open Maiden, Div I
1: Scholar George 2: Fealeside Lord 3: Heynewboy
Winner owned: Simon Tindall, trained & ridden: Nick
Pearce
Fealeside Lord appeared to be taking the field
along at a decent clip in this, but my not 100% legible notes
suggest that the winning time was unexceptional in the end and that
the appearance was deceptive. That timing oddity should not detract
from the impression created by Scholar George, which was
favourable, and his jumping was good as well, apart from one which
he seemed to get a bit nonplussed at. Fealeside Lord can probably
get away with his front-running tactics at a course without the
long uphill run to the line. Heynewboy found the rising ground a
bit too much, but he did also look as if the race would bring him
on. Fourth was And Your Point Is, who lost his way under Rules very
badly, until enlivened by either a thirty pound drop in the weights
or the first use of a visor. He did enough here to think putting
the headgear back on might do the trick.
Race 2: Giles Hopper
Memorial Open Maiden, Div II
1: Commander Kev 2: Badgers Cove 3: Tarbrook
Winner owned: KP & Nuts Racing Club, trained: Karen Hobbs,
ridden: James Banks
This was a very easy victory for
Commander Kev, who was eased having been miles clear two out and
still knocked spots off of the time from the previous race.
Unfortunately a couple of runners pulled up lame, but everything
else not in the first three threw in the towel well before the
temptation of the paddock exit. Badgers Cove strove manfully (or
perhaps badgerly, if that is a compliment) and will come on for the
run. Tarbrook was held up and never managed to get in the race
competitively, so although he was a long way behind the winner, he
cannot be dismissed until he is ridden, and fails, more
prominently.
Race 3: South East
Bookmakers SE Hunts Club Members
1: Master Alf 2: Unleash 3: Pass Me Winner owned: Mr & Mrs P
Bull, trained: Suzy Bull, ridden: Peter Bull
Thirteen
lined up, and there were plenty who could entertain thoughts of
victory. One of the more likely was Master Alf, who either led or
stayed within a whisker of it (see below) all the way, and just
about clung on as what looked a winning lead at the last was
rapidly whittled away by Unleash (one Rules win and one pointing
one since 2003) and Pass Me By (a useful staying chaser in 06/07
who lost his way quite badly). Connections of Master Alf have been
a little shy of upping him grade from this, apart from a stab at
getting him qualified for handicap chases, and the narrow margin by
which he prevailed does nothing to invalidate that approach.
Perhaps an intermediate is in his range. Better might have been
expected of fourth placed He's On His Way and Man From Moscow
behind him, but they were close behind the first trio and will no
doubt find less difficult challenges, plus could have been fine
tuned for fitness by the run. Forget The Ref, who had a couple of
runs this season under his belt that others did not, had a
forgettable day.
Race 4: South East
Bookmakers Restricted
1: One Cool Knight 2: Maglinn River 3: Keel Road
Winner owned: KP & Nuts Racing Club, trained: Karen Hobbs,
ridden: James Banks
The same owner, trainer and rider as
Commander Kev, and the same outcome derived from pretty much the
same tactics. It was a good double from James Banks as some riders
unfamiliar with the track have in the past underestimated the rise
to the finish and found their horse unable see the race out, but he
had it spot on both times. Maglinn River, on the other hand,
initially looked to be given a lot to do, but after he got himself
in contention for second, which was eventually nabbed, his effort
became rather laboured, and an earlier forward move would not
necessarily have made any difference to the result. The Humbel Monk
was running a good race until he unseated at fence thirteen - too
far out to predict where he would have finished, but Star Gift, who
looked to be on the up when the 2009 season ended, had a low key
start to this year, being well beaten when pulling up after the
second last.
Race 5: Classic
Security (UK) Ltd Ladies' Open
1: Which Pocket 2: Top Ram 3: Badger
Winner owned: Brendan Laverty, trained: Derek Laverty, ridden: Sue
Sherwood
The smallest field of the day and the oddest
race, as third placed Badger and Roaringwater in fourth were tailed
off and surely destined to pull up going down the far side.
Instead, Xila Fontenailles' effort ground to a rapid halt, and the
race to the line was such that as they crossed it, the first pair
were nearer the ambling Badger than they had been at any point in
the last mile. The first two were both migrating from Rules and
given that Top Ram stuck to hurdles there and Which Pocket proved
his stamina more clearly in chases, it was no surprise that Which
Pocket had the tools to come out on top, but it was not by very far
at all. And Top Ram probably has more scope for improving for the
experience.
Race 6: South East
Bookmakers Men's Open
1: Reach For The Top 2: Penny Doc 3: Honourable Spider
Winner owned & trained: MJ Tuckey, trained: Ben
Tuckey
This was a strong Men's Open for the area,
perhaps with some people scared away from Whitfield by the sheer
volume of entries. My entire notes for the race on Reach For The
Top are, "Led, jumped well." With a proven track record in open
company, what more was needed? Just a little forgiveness that he
did refuse in a race last season, but there was nothing but total
enthusiasm on offer here and an eye-catching win. Penny Doc won
four points in Ireland and was runner-up at Cork in a hunter chase.
Having got this under his belt, there should be races to be won,
but the history that he boasts suggested he ought to have not lost
this by as far as the ten lengths he did. On the topic of history,
deposed area star Honourable Spider was not back to his best
(unless Reach For The Top is poised to do just that) but it was
better than most of his 2009 runs, and his fans, e.g. me, will be
thinking that he could be on the way back. Save your money for
Aldington. With promising horses such as Go North and Highland
Chief out of the frame, there will probably be quite a few people
with their fingers crossed that Reach For The Top endorses the form
dramatically.
Race 7: South East
Bookmakers PPORA Club Members, Novice Riders
1: Myson 2: New Team 3: Theatre Knight
Winner owned: Random Optimists Partnership, trained & ridden:
Rose Grissell
It was getting both chilly and foggy (and
thus dark) by the time the final race came around, and getting
things over and done with was clearly of the essence, as only one
runner could be dismissed as an aged schoolmaster. Trusting
entirely what the commentator* called, Myson and New Team led into
the home straight, with It's Showtime giving chase. The first pair
kept on in that order, with Myson asserting before the last, and
favourite Theatre Knight plugged on for the minor place. Bunratty's
Sole was disappointingly non-competitive, but perhaps he has an
unreasonable expectation of being able to see what he is doing.
* It must be noted that after making an
uncharacteristic fluff in the first race, when suddenly switching
identities late in the race of the first two horses with a couple
that were out with the washing, the commentator's handling of the
near impossible conditions that this was run in was spot on.
Although had he said that Napoleon Bonaparte was in the lead on a
purple llama, hardly anyone could see enough to have disputed
it.
