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jennywales

THROUGH THE BINS

THE HUNTER CHASERS’ LAST HURRAH! STRATFORD 22-23 MAY

Having had an entire meeting devoted to them at Cheltenham, and then another one at Towcester, it really can’t be said that the hunter chasers are left without opportunities at the back end of the season. I find it quite difficult to keep up at this time of year, so Lord knows how the professional pundits manage it – there don’t seem to be enough hours in the day to devote sufficient time to studying the form, although fair play I don’t pretend to be a professional, either journalist or punter, so maybe if I did put in the statutory eight hour day I might find it easier – but then the vegetable garden would get neglected, the house remain untidied, the horses, pigs and geese unfed, the cows unmilked and the books would not get read. So I am afraid you will have to put up with the amateur’s view; and no harm in that, as long as one is honest about what it is!

Despite a feast (overdose?) of recent hunter chasing, the Stratford May meeting traditionally winds up the hunter chase season (though there are a few hunter races remaining in the calendar, like leaves sticking to the trees long after the first frost). The reason is that two Championship races are run (and two other hunter chases as well); The John Corbet Cup (Novices’ Championship) and the Horse and Hound Cup (Open Championship).

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m certainly not complaining about the proliferation of hunter chases at this time of year. It is, after all, the end of their season (a proper season, too, since hunter chasing does not begin again until at the earliest November in Ireland and December in UK – how I wish that racing under Rules could do the same, or something similar, instead of keeping going throughout the summer. I except Worcester and to an extent Stratford from that, because they find it difficult to put on jumping in the winter for reasons of flooding). But at the same time, I do wish Stratford had put these meetings on for at least one afternoon – two evening meetings on successive days doesn’t seem to me to be the most sensible bit of planning in the world; unless, as alleged in the RP recently, they were trying to exploit the “Friday night racing and on to the clubs” market – which I rather fear to be true, because it was the first time I have seen those chaps with backpacks of dreadful beer circulating among the crowds at a smaller course, and I do hope this isn’t a trend. There is far too much drinking done at race meetings anyway (the latest, presumably drink-fuelled, bit of nastiness being at Thirsk, where the management felt it had to apologise to legitimate customers for the distress caused by what sounds like a mini-riot. And on another note, the RP also carried an article about how stewarding should be stepped up at this time of year because the football season is over, and, well, you can guess the rest…….)

But evening meetings are great for locals, particularly during the week or to make an exciting start to the weekend; not quite so great on a Saturday or Sunday, and certainly not for those like me who come from further away. Evening meetings limit your catchment (even staying relatively locally I didn’t manage to get back to the B&B, never mind home, until after 2230, and all the local pubs had finished serving food by that time!) So they also limit the amount of money visitors from distant lands inject into the local economy more generally.

Oh whinge whinge moan moan! Back to the racing……

I was really only at Stratford for the hunter chasing, so I hope I will be forgiven if I skate fairly quickly over the other races. My placepot went down in the first, when neither Bantry Bere nor Malakiya could manage even a third between them! Won by the never-headed Gleann an Sagart with The Apprentice second (I backed the latter as it was trained Dartnall ridden Guerriero!)

The next was of greater interest, being a Class 5 Hunter Chase. I had my eye on Whizzaar and Dancing Credit, both of whose point form indicated at least competence, and in Dancing Credit’s case, potential, and at best a winning chance. However, like an idiot I said to myself that Overlut looked pretty good in the paddock, but didn’t back him. Duly won, of course. A Novices’ Hurdle followed, in which I backed Persian Warrior for a place, only to see him beat the favourite, a hotpot of Nicholls’s called Classic Swain at long odds on. Doesn’t that make you spit, when it happens?! I backed a Twiston-Davies horse in the next (Night Safe) and needn’t have bothered. I’m afraid Crozan, once highly thought of, is a spent force these days. Freeze the Flame dumped McCoy. To be honest I can’t remember offhand what won (oh yes, just looked it up, it was Gallik Dawn, the favourite, ridden by Nick Schofield, who was announced as having landed a prime new job – as he is (or apparently was) currently with Nicholls, I can’t imagine what that job is, and the racing press haven’t told me. I’d be surprised if he is replacing Ruby, even if the latter is injured.)

The fifth race was the most important in hunter chase terms, since it was the John Corbet Cup (a handsome piece of silverware) for the novice championship. A very decent field went out, but the bookies were confounded when the hot favourite, Simonsberg, over from Ireland, fell; my pick, Rockwithacaveman stuck himself out the back and progressed nowhere from there, and the race was won by, yes you’ve guessed it, Ollie Greenall on Dennis the Legend, a 14/1 shot, who he drove home in an exciting finish. Whether Rockwithacaveman was not on a going day, whether Gundry was not on a going day, as she occasionally is, or something other, she never put the horse (or the horse never put himself) into the race except for about ten seconds going down the back.

After which, I left, not because I was fed up with not winning money (if I were, I would never go racing again!) but because the last race at 2040, if I had stayed for it, would have meant arriving back at about 2300 – which is uncivilised and unfair to the elderly.

So on to Saturday 23 May, another evening meeting (see above, I won’t repeat myself!)

I shall concentrate on the hunters here. A 7-race card on a Saturday evening is just a teensy bit too much, after a 6-race card on the previous evening. My placepots got dished by Dishdasha and Souwester both coming nowhere in the third. Then it was the Horse and Hound Cup. Unfortunately Agus a Vic did not make it over from Ireland (or if he did, had a poor voyage and was withdrawn late). This left Baby Run as favourite, with Burntoakboy, Mr Ed, Amicelli, Take the Stand, Robbers Glen and Southwestern in with a good chance. Border Fusion decided to get sticky at the start, but then consented to race and in fact put on a good show. Brer Bear unshipped Rachel King – there was nothing anyone could have done about it – at the fence before the straight when things were getting serious, otherwise everyone stood up, and I was actually yelling and screaming because Robbers Glen, having jumped the last three behind, looked for one very exciting moment as if he were going to get up. However, although he pinched a lead of about a neck, he could only hold on to it for a stride or two when he was swallowed up by Southwestern, with Baby Run, Border Fusion and Take the Stand all challenging. Robbers Glen was fourth, beating Border Fusion and being headed by the three placed horses, Southwestern, Baby Run and Take the Stand; on that performance and his fifth at Cheltenham he can now deservedly rest on his laurels for the summer. Mr Ed, Burntoakboy, Amicelli and Juveigneur were “also ran”. Which was disappointing. I did think Mr Ed could have made a better fist of it – he looked good in the paddock but lifeless on the course. Amicelli is probably a one-hit wonder. Burntoakboy has had his problems and probably needs another season, if possible, to show his best – but Dr Newland may yet work the oracle with him, we shall see. It was a very good performance indeed by Southwestern, and you can’t say he beat nothing! He’s a Roselier, and 10, so maybe they’ll consider the NH Chase at the next Festival…..

On reflection and reviewing the replay, I think Robbers Glen would have won had he kept up his effort in the last 100 yards. He seemed to stop to nothing when he hit the front, and this may simply have been tiredness (he had been up with the pace and well-positioned throughout) or he doesn’t need to get there too soon when in a battle – most of his victories have come by a decent margin. Judging a finish at the end of 3m4 on a tired horse with top-class rivals is difficult at the best of times, and although one of the reasons I like Robbers Glen so much is that Val Jackson is nearly as old as me and still doing the business, this may be sentiment rather than realistic assessment. The partnership has, however, won a hatful of hunter chases and points, has got round Cheltenham (5th), won the John Corbet Cup last year, and came 4th in the Championship this year. So not a bad record to take home to Northumberland! Maybe Mrs Jackson will stick to Kelso in future….

A quick note about the Ladies’ Hunter Chase. I was hoping to see Chesnut Annie reproduce her point form, blaze off, make all, and win hard held (“easily”). No such luck – she looked out of sorts, was being scrubbed along after about a mile, and never showed. Lady Myfanwy, another Welshie, won a storming finish and had improved no end from the listless performance she turned in at Ludlow last time out. Man from Highworth unseated Miss Barry (maybe he prefers a chap in the plate!) I was sorry about Chesnut Annie, who looked as though she had had a hard season, and maybe they will have learned not to make quite so much use of her. She may of course have been in season (it’s that time of year, after all), or she may simply have been bottomed.

In any case, it’s now time for all our hunter chasers to have a nice break in a green field, with lots of sunshine, green grass, relaxation and perhaps a gentle hack out just to keep from getting too bored.

I too am putting myself into a field, having a wander round and a sunbathe, digging the veg and generally pottering about in the greenhouse. Oh, and if anyone wants to take me out for a gentle hack to Newmarket, Ascot or York, I might just consider co-operating!

So best wishes to all, hope you enjoyed this season, and are looking forward, as I am, to the next!

© Jennywales May 2009