point to point
Scrapper watches another masterclass from champion rider Gina Andrews
Scrapper watches Gina Andrews put on another class act
Boxing Day at Kempton proved to be a very emotional afternoon for the wife. Back in 2015 she was invited down to Paul Nicholls’ yard for a visit. Despite there being an equine superstar looking out from about one box in four, she lost her heart to a recently purchased French three-year-old. I think I recall her having to be dragged away from cuddling, petting and stroking the Gallic gelding.
She returned home telling everybody she had seen a “future Gold Cup winner”. People listened, respecting her judgment. Over the next three seasons the others, one by one, lost the faith. But not her, she still believed. So when Clan Des Obeaux strode clear in the King George, finally fulfilling the promise she had spotted in him, the wife couldn’t stop herself. The chin began to tremble and the tears began to flow. She had no need to feel embarrassed, friends and colleagues fully understood; they all knew he still remained the apple of her eye. Love stories should always have a happy ending.
Cottenham December 30
The form book will tell you Hawkhurst ran out an easy winner of the Conditions race. What it probably won’t mention was that he was given a sublime ride by champion rider Gina Andrews. It was simply beautiful because it was so beautifully simple. She made it look like riding Point win- ners is ridiculously easy. Instinctively always perfectly positioned, never out of rhythm with her horse, bestowing the lead to her mount.
There will have been riders watching convinced they’d have won on the horse, most will be deluding themselves if they think they’d have matched Gina’s style and grace. Despite being undoubtedly the most talented in the field, Hawkhurst is far from straightforward. The joy of this ride was that many in the crowd will have driven away believing they too could have steered him home.
Gina later went on to win the Ladies Open aboard the odds-on Sharp Suit. She received help from the second last, which cruelly tripped up the clear leader Red Spinner. Would the favourite have overhauled his rival? Friends say yes, I say maybe.
The fence was in a mischievous mood all day, claiming unsuspecting victims throughout the card. Josh The Plod in the 4,5 and 6yos maiden was another horse to have a victory snatched from him by the bothersome birch. This deprived the riding publican Charlie Buckle his double; he had earlier given Zeroeshadesofgrey a magnificently bold front-running ride when landing the Novice Riders.
Make a note of Bellenos, who was pulled up down the back in the Ladies contest after travelling well for two miles. This was his first run since failing to finish at Ascot three years ago. The gelding walked back having a good blow, he could be a useful recruit to
Pointing. Now a veteran, he received understandably tender handling. If keeping sound he promises to repay the kindness in silverware.
Luke Scott’s horrendous fall at the first marred the Men’s Open. It was an incident that shocked the spectators packed on the overlooking mound. The young rider sustained head injuries and the doctors quickly called for an air ambulance. Thankfully, after a long delay Luke was able to stand and was ferried to hospital by road. Fingers crossed he will be back in the saddle soon.
The finish, an irrelevance to many, was one of a number of thrillers with Just Cause pipping Mr Mix. The pair came clear of useful opponents Broken Eagle and Bear’s Affair. It’s likely both will now concentrate on Hunter Chases. Speaking to owner/rider Stuart Robinson afterwards he indicated that’s the route he was favouring with the runner-up.
The handsome Drakes Well threw away the Restricted by nearly running off the track around the home bend on both circuits. I don’t know why, but over the years I’ve seen other horses do exactly the same at this corner. There is nothing remotely unique about it nor anything obvious that needs to be corrected but for some reason every couple of seasons or so it appears to freak out a certain horse. Don’t let today put you off this progressive gelding, he’ll win again soon. Promise. Although it’s best if we leave him alone should he return here.
I found myself behind jockey Harry Skelton in the queue for the sausage rolls during the afternoon. “If you put up overweight at Uttoxeter tomorrow I’ll know why,” I told him.
“It’s alright! I’m only eating one!” he shot back with a wink.
Larkhill, January 6
It has been an encouraging ten days for the sport. The three meetings since Christmas have seen Chaddesley Corbett packed with runners, Cottenham packed with spectators and today’s racecard packed with 163 horses. I expected it to be printed in volumes.
Nobody in attendance could complain about the entertainment. The two Opens were right out of the top drawer. After the departure of the early leader Sonneofpresenting (3/1), the Ladies race settled into a compelling duel between Monsieur Gibraltar (2/1) and Southfield Theatre (3/1). Their relentless gallop and prodigious leaps saw them steadily pull clear of the remaining eight runners. Monsieur Gibraltar was always travelling just that little bit better and he inched clear of his persistent rival on the run-in.
Bistouri D’Honore kept on to finish a never dangerous third, meaning the first three home were all ex Paul Nicholls’ horses.
Stellar Notion (4/1) and Abricot de L’Oasis (6/1) both arrived here determined to make all in the Men’s Open. After setting off at a ferocious pace, they came to a gentlemen’s agreement that they’d take it in turns at leading. This led to both having about 24 goes in front. When the music stopped the former was declared the winner, giving trainer Thomas Frost a success with his very first runner.
Approaching the penultimate fence the frantic frontrunners were being shadowed by the heavily backed Shotavodka, still swinging heavily on the steel. The motionless Tommie O’Brien tall in the saddle sat with his finger poised over the booster button. He waited until they landed over the last before pressing, he expected GO he got an emphatic NO!!!
I must admit to being deceived by the gelding when he won on his Pointing debut at Barbury last month, believing the drop in grade would suit him. How wrong I was, this was a performance worthy of a squiggle. Shotavodka doesn’t look to be the type to be highly offended by one.
After the drama we got the comedy. Fifteen set out for the second division of the maiden, only four reached the judge still wearing a jockey.
The mayhem began right from the beginning; Jimmy Tew refused to start, there swiftly followed a faller and a run out at the second. Regular departures ensued. After the race, the loose horses dispersed to all corners of Salisbury Plain playing hide and seek with the people sent out to round them up. Kinginthenorth won the prize for being the last of the elusive equines to be caught, returning with a huge grin. Racing was delayed for twenty minutes because the riders in the next couldn’t weigh out; they were waiting for their saddles.
The one to take out of the maidens was Hon The DJ from the first division. The debutant looked green when held up early, he then made his way through the pack as his jumping became bolder, having every chance three out before getting tired at the last. There is a race in him for sure.
Marcle Ridge (2/1f) landed a gamble in the opening Conditions race. Just be careful, he was one of very few in the field that could be called progressive, the early favourite Portrait King is a 14yo. The bay also looked like he’d be a lot happier racing left handed.
I spoke to young Charlie Marshall walking the course. I asked how many rides he’d got. “Just the one in the Restricted,” he said, after wishing me a happy new year “it’s s**t or bust!”
“That’s a funny name for a horse!,” I joked. “He either wins or falls at the first!” He did neither; Charlie and Wick Green got round, but not without the odd scare or two.
Ampton, January 13
At Sandown recently, a jockey entered the paddock wearing a set of pale blue and yellow silks that immediately set my memory banks whirring. Suddenly my mind and body were 30 years apart.
Dickie and Sandy were a couple of businessmen who made their fortunes in the eighties property boom that swept London. Long before betting shops, Dickie’s father could be found in my granddad’s kitchen putting his bets on. Sandy used to buy his stock and supplies from my brother’s shop.
As their wealth grew so did their racing interests. The pair would go whenever work would allow, their accounts were coveted by all the rails firms and they acquired a hurdler with Toby Balding.
At that time I was getting a lot of good information from many of the leading flat yards, so Dickie and Sandy used to come and find me whenever they were on course. No wonder, I worked out I must have given them twenty consecutive winners one summer. I might have well backed fifty-seven losers in between but I was obviously lucky to them. It could, of course, have been the other way around.
One busy Saturday at Goodwood I was leaning on the rail of the preparade ring before the first when from over my shoulder came “what have you heard?”
I didn’t need to turn around: “Hello Sandy”.
I told him that “the Harwood horse had been laid out for the big handicap here and the Cumani stable really fancied theirs in the main race at Doncaster”. They had both been backed during the morning but were still decent prices in very competitive contests.
“Which way did you come?” asked the slightly perspiring Sandy.
He didn’t wait for a reply. Continuing, without taking a breath “we came the Midhurst way. Took us three quarters of an hour to get through the poxy village! Didn’t you say you knew a way past the polo grounds? You’ll have to tell me. We’re well late. Dick and me have been invited up to a box. I’ll be just in time for pudding. I’ll try and see you later”.
With that he shook my hand, wished me luck and was off up the terracing.
Four days later was our bin day. I was up and out early. As I was putting my bag and raincoat in the boot I heard an “oi-oi!”
It came from Vic Rouse standing across the road. Vic’s brother Brian was at the time a leading jockey. Vic himself rode out at Epsom, mostly for Terry Mills, at the weekends. He’d worked for the council for years, he
used to start really early, well before the dustcart left the yard, getting the rubbish down the steps and up out of the areas of the houses on the round.
The rest of the gang used to come along with the lorry a couple of hours later and sweep through. Vic used to be done by nine o’clock and the others were spared from climbing up and down the ‘apples’ all morning.
He came over and asked if I was going racing. “I’ll do a bit in town and then go off to Lingfield. I think the favourite in the first could be Listed class. If none of the newcomers are strongly fancied he should be a good thing. Although he’ll be odds-on,” I told him.
“I’ll pop in Hills’ and have a look later,” he said.
Vic began to go when he spun and pulled a face: “Did you hear about Dick on Saturday?”
“No!” I wondered if he had had accident driving through the polo grounds. Vic went on: “Toby Balding invited him and Sandy up to his brother’s box at Goodwood. Probably trying to sell them another horse!
“When they got there someone tipped them a couple of horses, then Toby gave them one he’d got from another trainer at an away meeting and Ian Balding said his would win the maiden.
“You know how those two bet. They had big yankees with all the bookie’s reps. The first three won at good prices, none of them were favourites, one was 8/1! All the box were cheering the last one home on the telly, a Cumani horse called Frax. It sluiced up. The place went mad. It was champagne all around.
“An hour or so later one of the bookmakers came up and spoke to Sandy. Apparently Sandy went white. Willie Carson, on the last one, had interfered with another horse on the home bend, nobody saw it not even the experts on the box. It took them ten minutes before they called a Stewards. They threw it out about 40 minutes after the race. Cost them an absolute packet!”
Back to the present, the quick ground meant small fields. The two best riders to bring their saddles, Richie Collison and Jack Andrews, both rode doubles.
Richie had an exhilarating spin on Chapelier in the Maiden. The gelding was very keen early but settled down after his bold jumping had taken him to the front.
All his form under rules in Ireland had been over much shorter distances so in theory this staying course shouldn’t have suited. He’ll take some catching around tight tracks like Higham and Cottenham and looks destined to give his new connections a lot of fun.
Collinson went on to take the Intermediate, making all on the odds-on Chosen Rose.
Jack rode a canny race aboard Tullys Touch in the Restricted. I am not sure the form is worth much: the favourite Angelsea Lace ran with the choke out and emptied turning in. The other four runners don’t appeal as horses to follow.
Jack replaced his sister Gina on Broken Eagle in the Mixed Open. The 2/7 chance ran out a comfortable winner in the end but must have frightened the bejeebers out of those who had backed him when he shied away from the tapes conceding the others a healthy start.
The other two races went to a pair of fledglings. George Chatterton rode his first ever winner Minella Friend (16/1). He was clever enough to ignore the rest as they set off pell-mell in the Novice Riders, later finding his rivals easy to pick off as they weakened on the climb to the line.
William Humphrey steered his mother’s Local Show home to a smooth victory in the Veteran’s Conditions.
He’s promising; he rides very neatly, doesn’t try anything too lairy, allowing that he’s far from being the finished article. I am confident he’ll mature into a decent jockey and can see him kicking home winners for the next 25 years.
On reflection, I probably won’t see him kick home winners in 25 years time but younger followers of this wonderful sport may do.