Jockey Byron Moorcroft scores a first with four wins in a row
Former point-to-point rider Tom Faulkner saddled his first double as a trainer at the recent Curre & Llangibby Point-To-Point Steeplechases at Howick near Chepstow, where Leicester farmer Max Chenery, 37, rode his first winner in years when landing the members’ race on Mr Autar Singh’s ten-year-old bay gelding A Tail Of Intrigue who, prominent throughout, went on to win by three lengths from Union Jack D’Ycy.
Chenery, who was visiting the course for the first time, will ride this Irish-bred horse in one of the Grand Military races at Sandown Park next year. As for Faulkner, a plumber by trade, his Black Jack Rover took up the running at the end of the first circuit in the confined race and went on to win by one-and-a-half lengths from the favourite Kings Cross.
Then in the next race, the restricted open, Faulkner’s seven-year-old chesnut gelding Mister Robbo came home some 10 lengths clear of the odds-on Pancrace, partnered by the six times national champion Will Biddick. Faulkner said: “I backed the horse with the bookies today and the money I won on him was more than what I paid for him at the Doncaster Sales.”
Both winners were ridden by Cowbridge’s Byron Moorcroft, who later had a walkover on Jason Warner’s Beneficial Joe in the Roger Lewis Memorial Mixed Open Race. And when Luke Price’s well-backed French-bred Time And Again, with Byron in the saddle, took the closing open maiden race in fine style – scoring by some 25 lengths from Emma Moseley’s best turned-out grey gelding Pub Lunches – it resulted in Byron chalking up his first-ever four-timer.
Only three horses faced the starter in the Young Horse Maiden race, won by the youngest of the trio – five-yearold Irish-bred Robin of Sherwood, who under Welsh champion Bradley Gibbs had 15 lengths to spare over Seniergues, whose promising young rider Jack Tudor was taken to hospital after the loose horse Llanbeau struck into his mount after the race. Tudor sadly broke his tibia and fibia and Welsh hunt-racing enthusiasts will wish him well.
Robin of Sherwood is owned and trained by Haverfordwest’s Dai Rees, who has trained a number of winners under Rules of late. Dai said: “I bought him at the Doncaster Sales and jumping is his forte. He’s a nice horse to train and could run under National Hunt rules in time.”
One visitor to Howick I was delighted to see was James Isaac, who back in 1958, riding No Thoroughfare at the Pentyrch Hunt Steeplechases, beat Colin Davies, who was riding his Master Copper. Davies went on to train Persian War, three-times winner of the Champion Hurdle, and Master Copper also went on to better things, including winning the United Hunts Challenge Cup at the Cheltenham National Hunt Festival.
James’ daughter Katherine, who in 1992 had won the Welsh Ladies’ Riders’ Championship, also attended. I recall her riding her first winner at the Ystrad meeting in 1984 on her father’s Saddlers Queen. The mare was backed from 40-1 to 20-1 and James admitted to have backed her that day.
Meanwhile, Welsh trainers have been sending out winners thick and fast of late. At Exeter, Evan Williams’ Peterborough was a 14-1 winner on the Sunday and 24 hours later on the Monday at Ludlow he had a double with 9-1 chance Sutters Mill and Burn Baby Byrne 11-8. The latter was partnered by his daughter Isabel.
On the same day at Musselburgh, Tim Vaughan’s Cap St Vincent was a short-priced winner and 24 hours earlier at Uttoxeter Dai Burchell’s Fact Flow came in at odds of 16-1.
Then at Sedgefield on Tuesday, Tim Vaughan’s Bolton Boy also won at 16-1. And just for good measure, the opening race was won by Show’s Over, partnered by Wales’ Connor Brace.
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