Caristo delivers the goods
Tracy Priest shows her mettle in a competitive jump-off, while some skilful course design makes its mark
TRACY PRIEST and the superconsistent Caristo VDL took their third area trial win of the season, snatching the lead from last draw in a highly competitive jump off.
Seven combinations had produced clear rounds and the line-up for the second phase was packed with on-form combinations.
Helen Tredwell and her current Stairway league leader Sebastian VII were first to go, laying down a brilliant opener that left the rest of the field in a predominantly fruitless pursuit.
Fourteen-year-old Oliver Fletcher and Hello Disckoboy DN — one of three horses he is earmarked to jump on the children-on-horses team in Samorin (8-12 August) — produced a lovely clear but 0.98 of
a second off the pace.
With a 1.35m and 1.40m open win already on their card at this show, Mennell Watson and his star stallion Whisper In The Wind must have been odds-on to collect another victory. But while the nine-year-old son of Cobretti looked super-fresh and delivered a competitive clear, they too were left trailing by 0.31 of a second.
With the benefit of last draw, Tracy and 10-year-old “Silva” — who she has produced from a four-year-old — knew exactly what they had to deliver. The Silverstone X Quickstar gelding ably delivered to axe 0.82 of a second from Helen’s lead.
“I’d seen Helen’s round and I knew I could beat her between fences one and two,” said Tracy. “I was a bit slow to number
one but faster to two and the [penultimate] triple bar. I knew if we kept coming off every turn, we’d be there.
“He’s a horse that loves his job. He was jogging all the way to the ring for the jump-off,” she added.
Although they have had a relatively light season, the combination are currently second in the Stairway league and sixth in the gold league.
“We didn’t get to Great Yorks or Royal Highland, so that put us behind some of the others, but he’s really fresh,” said Tracy. “He won’t go out now until New Forest and I hope he jumps like that there!”
A PROPER TRIER
THE newcomers second round was contested by 115 pairs, but some skillful course designing from Bob Ellis and his team saw the hefty startlist whittled down to just the two treble clears.
The first jump-off had been exacting, reducing the field from 23 to five, with every fence on the course falling at some point.
It was Max Routledge and the Old Lodge’s hugely careful seven-year-old Centos Girl — recent winners of Hickstead’s annual grade C championship — who eventually came out on top, producing the fastest treble clear by 1.04 seconds over Nicole Pavitt and Newtonhill Monaco.
Both combinations had already shown their form with triple clears at Pyecombe, going one better to clinch Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) tickets this time.
“I was early in the draw at Pyecombe and didn’t go fast enough, so today I thought I’d have a go as I didn’t want to be too slow again,” said Max.
“They were quite long second and third rounds and you had to really be careful. She’s a proper trier though, and a lot greener than her results show.”
Nicole, who had three horses through to the second round, hadn’t been expecting to collect a ticket on the six-year-old by Arko.
“He’s quite slow and would never make a speed horse but I was really pleased with him,” said Nicole, who previously rode the gelding’s mother, Valentine.
FIRST RIDE FOR JESS
THE Foxhunter second round didn’t jump quite as tough as the newcomers, with 13 combinations from 77 starters surviving into the third round.
Four retained clean sheets, with Joe Clayton making the most of a late draw on Michael Whitaker’s El Wee Widge to snatch the win from early leaders Jess Dimmock and the Billy Stud’s Billy In Fashion.
“He’s quick in between the fences, careful and doesn’t spend a lot of time in the air,” said Joe.
Michael bought the eight-yearold from Castle Stud three months ago and started him off in Spain before Joe took over the ride.
“He’s improving all the time so we’ll keep going with him at 1.40m level,” Joe said.
Jess’ second-placed performance was particularly strong considering it was the first time she had ever ridden the seven-year-old mare in the ring.
“I tried to do a quick clear without putting the pressure on. She’s naturally fast and is so careful,” she said.