sir ww wynns
eaton hall 6th March 2005
by Arthur Shone
The Wynnstay Hunt meeting
between the flags at Eaton Hall, near Chester, was a great advert
for the sport of point-to-pointing. There was a half hour delay to
the start of racing to allow a patch of frost to go out of the
ground, but the eight race card produced a really good competitive
days racing. Despite it being Mothers Day, there was a good crowd
of around 6,000 at the Cheshire course.
For the third consecutive
Sunday, Atcham rider Richard Burton took the riding honours on the
day by riding a treble in the plate. The first leg came aboard
Rebel Army in (Div 1) of the Open. The Mister Lord gelding found an
impressive turn of foot to beat Sarah’s Party by eight
lengths at the line. The winner is trained at Sherriffhales by
Caroline Robinson for a syndicate of three owners, which include
her father Jeremy and Mrs Mary Reiaghan and George Hibbert; the
latter two owners hail from Clitherhoe. The runner up is trained at
Nantwich by Gary Hanmer for joint owners; Eric Pennington from
Longville and Pam Thompson from Cressage, whose partner is former
Longville trainer Pete Anderson. He bought his partner a half share
in the horse for a Christmas present. Thompsons’ uncle was
the late great jump jockey A.P.Thompsom, who rode two Aintree Grand
National winners, which were Sheilas’ Cottage (1948) and Teal
in 1952.
Thirty-five minutes later Burton
was back in the winners’ enclosure when taking the second
division of the Maiden on Uncle Neil who galloped the opposition
into the ground to win going away by 10 lengths from Precious Bane.
The winner is trained by Sheila Crow at Hadnall for Nantwich
businessman Nick Morgan. Crow said afterwards that the winner would
be suited by a longer trip, and added that this victory would have
given him a confidence booster.
Burton completed a good day in
the plate when Heavy Weather won the Intermediate race a shade
cosily by six lengths from High Fields. The Peter Morris trained
Tribal Tract was a further three parts of a length back in third.
Winning trainer Jo Priest from Chaddesley Corbett got off the mark
for the season last week at Eyton with Stretching. Priest said
afterwards that she knew how good the winner was because there was
not much between Heavy Weather and Stretching at home on the
gallops. Winning owner Patrick Kennedy, who also lives in
Chaddesley Corbett said afterwards that the winner was bought for
him in Ireland last February by former Ross on Wye trainer John
Edwards.
No Retreat got rider William
Hill off the mark for the season when getting the better of the
“jolly” Curly Spencer by a length and a quarter in the
Men’s Open. The 12yr son of Exattic was a decent sort when
trained under rules with a variety of trainers, the latest of which
was Richard Phillips until May last year. Owners Mark and his wife
Dean from Berrington have always owned the horse under rules, they
decided to send their horse to Much Wenlock trainer John Groucott
last May, which has proved a wise move on yesterdays evidence.
Tarporley trainer Carrie Ford,
who will be riding the 12-1 co favourite Forest Gunner in the John
Smith’s Aintree Grand National, trained the winner of the
Ladies Open with Mytime. It was a very close affair with Tania
Harrison getting back up in the shadow of the post to win a
thriller by a neck from the Donald McCain Junior trained Another
Club Royal with Tessa Clark in the plate. It was very much a family
celebration as the winner is owned by her father David from
Alsager.
However, McCain Junior did not
leave the Cheshire course empty handed following the success of The
Eens who won the Michael Worthington Memorial P.P.O.R.A. Members
Race for Novice Riders. The winner provided Market Drayton born 22
year old Edward Bourne with his first ever winner between the
flags. In four previous rides this was the first time that he has
completed the course. Bourne has worked for the last three years
for Ginger McCain, who also bred the winner. The Eens is owned by
the flamboyant entrepreneur Derek Malam, who owned the champion
novice horse in the area last year Master Club Royal, who was also
trained by McCain Jnr
Another family celebration
ensued following the success of the Gary Hamner trained and ridden
Tinarana Lord in the Restricted race. It might have been a
different story had the runner up The Young Purty from the Crow
yard not made a bad mistake at the second last under Joe
O’Brien when travelling well. The winner is co-owned by the
trainers mother Gwyneth Hamner from Wilcotte, near Nescliffe and by
Tony and Brenda Shaw from Bridgnorth, who together make up the
crazy gang syndicate.
The best finish of the day was
reserved for the opening Members race. Of the five runners that
went to post, only four consented to run as Mandalias Boy refused
to race. Jumping the last fence William Lloyd on Hijacked and
Oliver Greenall aboard Double Rich touched down as one, they were
still locked together at the post but the latter held on to win a
thriller by a neck. The winner is trained at Malpas by Steve Wynne
for his landlord Lord Daresbury.
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