REVIEW |
The Albrighton Hunt fixture at Weston Park last Saturday was
one for the die-hard point-to-point enthusiasts. It was a cold day with
blustery showers throughout, no wonder the crowd was down on recent years.
Racing is a funny old game, last week the clerk of the course Martin Kemp
had been the watering the course to produce Good ground, the rain the
course took last week did not even change the going, it was still Good on
the day. All in all it was good afternoons racing but a few more
runners in the Open races would not have come amiss. There was all the
usual thrills and spills that one associates with our sport, but the
afternoon finished on a very controversial ending, which will probably be
the subject of debate in many of the local watering holes for the rest of
the season. The Getting Out Stakes, the Manby & Steward Open Maiden
race went off with a field of 8 runners. The Caroline Robinson trained
Uncle Ada with Richard Burton in the plate went off the well backed 6-4
jolly, with Sharlom and Willie Hill next best in the market at 2-1.Coming
to the last, Sharlom had a slender lead but stumbled on landing which gave
the initiative to young Burton on Uncle Ada, who appeared to have got up
by half a length on the line. I was not on the line by my pressroom
colleague Rory Alkin was and he was adamant that the jolly had prevailed
by half a length. There was a look of astonishment around the ring when
the judges Mr R Mercer and Mrs J Bishop gave the verdict to Sharlom by a
short head. Nobody was more surprised at the verdict than Burton who was
fuming, he said, ”I won the race by half a length and I was even
congratulated by the other rider (Willie Hill) on winning the race .I am
going to see the judge.” Despite asking the judges to change their mind, the result
stood. Anthony Perry, chairman of the stewards and a very experienced
official with many years standing, took a very different view, he said,
”I am very happy with the result, it was very close. I was with my
colleagues and I turned around to one of them and said the horse in the
maroon colours (Sharlom) looks to have just got it. The judges conversed
for some time before they reached their decision and as far as I am
concerned the decision was the right one.” At the end of the day I know the judges decision is final,
but surely if the call is so close in a point to point race, where there
is no photo finish, the fairest decision is a dead heat. However, take
nothing away from the winner Sharlom who was providing owner Mark Harris
from Berrington, nr Shrewsbury with his first winner at the course, which
is trained for him by Charlotte Jones in the West Midlands. Change Agent,
trained by Paul Jones at Wolverhampton, was a prolific winner for Mark
last season. However it was not all doom and gloom for Shrewbury rider
Richard Burton and trainer Caroline Robinson after the combination landed
the spoils in the Mens’ Open with Jemaro who beat the only other
finisher Whatafellow by a distance. This was Burtons 28th
winner of the season and cements his lead at the top of the national
riders championship. As for the Sheriffhales handler this was her 6th
winner of the season and the plan is run Jemaro in the Bangor Final in a
fortnight. The Tidaro gelding is owned jointly by Carolines’ father
Jeremy Beasley and Richard Mapp from Bridgenorth. Just under an hour later Richard Burton’s uncle Steve
Brookshaw was in the winners enclosure after his charge Home Made made
every yard from flag fall under Sammie Beddoes to win easily by 3 lengths
from the only other finisher Jimmy Jumbo under Sarah Johnson, who
unfortunately lost a weight cloth on the second circuit, which resulted in
her weighing in 5lbs less and getting disqualified in the process. This
was a brilliant training performance from Brookshaw who stepped the
gelding up from Maiden to Open class. As a reward the winner goes to the
Doncaster Sales in a fortnight and on this evidence he will probably be
snapped up before, but I expect his price has now gone up. As for Sammie
Beddoes, the daughter of the clerk of the course at Eyton on Severn, John
Beddoes, this was her 5th win of the season which should be
enough to secure the ladies area championship. The Restricted race was won by Sapega with Jane Williams in
the plate. They benefited from a last fence blunder by Joe O’Brien on
Killcarroll Lady to prevail by three parts of the length. This was the
riders 6th winner of the season on horses trained by her mother
Diane at Enville, nr Kidderminster. Mister Moss made every yard in the Morgan Homes Confined to
win unchallenged by a distance from Borderline Breeze. The winner was
ridden and trained by Gary Hanmer from Worleston, nr Nantwich for owner
Derek Malam, who as well as this winner will also have Hanakham in the
Bangor Final in a fortnight. Roy Swinburne, who lives at Pattingham, nr Wolverhampton won the Members race last year with the mare Dunnellie, who he sold last year. This time around he won the race again with Fullopep, a handsome son of Dunbeath who he purchased privately from Mary Reveley’s yard. As with last year the winner was trained and ridden by Paul Morris from Wolverhampton. |