REVIEW EXMOOR AT BRATTON DOWN - SATURDAY 29 MAY 2004 AND SOUTH TETCOTT AT LIFTON - MONDAY 31 MAY 2004 by Lee Glanville |
National
title chasing rider Ashley Farrant, who despite being winnerless on
Saturday, added three more to his tally at the South Tetcott on Monday. Farrant won on Squaddie, Polar Champ and Terino, taking his national total to 52, 34 of those ridden in the Devon and Cornwall area. To his dismay he found out that opponent Richard Burton, who was on 45 wins, had also ridden three bank holiday winners. Saturday’s
Exmoor meeting paid the penalty for coming at the end of a long dry spell,
the firm ground resulting in few runners. Farrant had looked home and hosed
in the Intermediate on Cimmaroon only to capsize at the last, along with
second placed Timpani (Richard Woollacott), leaving Sally Godfrey to take
the spoils on the only other finisher Romany Move. Woollacott and Farrant
both remounted to cross the line and take the placings prizemoney. Friar
Waddon (Colin Heard) had looked a picture in the paddock and Keith Cumings’
charge easily accounted for Farrant on Ballysicyos in the men’s open in
the fasted time of the day. Only
two went to post for the Ladies’ open. Sarah West made most of the running
on Normania but was collared by Lucy Gardner on Paul Tylor’s Guru Rinpoche
over the last. The
earlier races had seen Richard Woollacott take the opening
Countryside Alliance race on Jentar Equilibra and Charlotte Tizzard
won the Restricted on Mrs Peggoty - both those races had only two finishers.
Laura
Young trained first and second home in the closing maiden race. Albamart
Wood (Darren Edwards) easily accounted for his five rivals, stablemate Sup
of Tea coming home second. The
South Tetcott were saved by watering and weekend rain and had exciting
racing despite only 38 runners in total. As
well as Farrant’s treble, Mary McCarthy went to the head of the national
novices’ leaderboard with a double initiated on her own Sandy Duff
(recording a fifth win of the season) and completed with a last race
walkover on Smokey Joe. McCarthy
has eight wins but Lucy Gardner (seven wins) still leads the area ladies
title chase as the award is settled on points. Gardner has 55, McCarthy 42. Will
White won the Restricted on Emali at 16-1, Abseal having fallen and brought
down Winnie The Pooh. Richard
Woollacott notched up another win on State Medlar, getting home of previous
course winner Menantol in the Intermediate. Richard
Darke sportingly gave up his ride on Terino in the maiden for Farrant,
having been offered the ride on Mike Weir’s Waddon Hil, and finished
second. Results Exmoor Restricted:
1, Mrs Peggoty, Miss C Tizzard; 2, Askers Jack, J Snowden. Three ran, only
two finished. 25l, 6.55. Intermediate:
1, Romany Move, Mrs S Godfrey; 2, Timpani, R Woollacott; 3, Cimmaroon, A
Farrant. Four ran, dist, 20l, 6.38. Ladies’:
1, Guru Rinpoche, Miss L Gardner; 2, Normania, Miss S West., Two ran, 4l,
6.21. Men’s:
1, Friar Waddon, C Heard; 2, Ballysicyos, A Farrant. Five ran, only two
finished. 6l, 6.06. Open
Maiden: 1, Albamart Wood, D Edwards; 2, Sup of Tea, A Charles Jones; 3,
Rifton Bramble, M Sweetland. Five ran, 4l, 8l, 6.40 South Tetcott Men’s
open: 1, Polar Champ, A Farrant. Finished alone. Two ran, 6.03. Ladies
open: 1, Sandy Duff, Miss M McCarthy; 2, Let’s Fly, Mrs M Hand; 3, Hasten
Bak, Miss L Gardner. Four ran, 15l, 10l, 6.00. Restricted:
1, Emali, W White; 2, Indian Raider, A Glassonbury. 10 ran, only two
finished 12l, 6.12. Open
Maiden: 1, Terino, A Farrant; 2, Waddon Hill, R Darke; 3, Can You Talk, L
Rowe. Eight ran, dist, 1l, 6.33. Members:
Smokey Joe, Miss M McCarthy. Walked over. |