NORTH-WEST
The well-travelled Belissimo Vita headed the PSG and the inter I at Beaver Hall — over 4,500 miles from where he last won at the level.
Dianne Breeze’s Belissimo x
Sir Chamberlain 12-year-old has more air miles than most people. He was bought in Germany through Christian Heinrich as a three-year-old by Dianne, then came to the UK for two years before travelling to Dubai, returning to the UK last November.
“We were in Dubai for seven years and I think ‘Hermi’ is
100% glad to be back here, just to be able to eat all that grass,” said Dianne, whose equestrian cartoons and animal portraits are well known in the horse world.
“For half the year in Dubai it’s so hot that if you haven’t finished riding by 5.30am you forget it.”
Since her return Dianne has been doing a lot of teaching.
“It’s been great getting back into it but I mustn’t forget to pick up my paintbrushes as well!” she added.
Nikki Graham and her exracehorse Fred Bojangles won the bronze section of the Retraining of Racehorses prelim qualifier at Crow Wood.
The 15-year-old Irish-bred gelding ran 70 times, winning on eight occasions, and Nikki has had him since last October.
“He was owned by a client of mine and I’d always liked the horse so when she decided to sell him I bought him,” said Nikki, who trains with Peter De Cosemo. “He had a couple of months in the field and I started doing dressage with him this spring.”