200th winner for Andrews
Five-time ladies’ champion Gina Andrews scores 200th win aboard Sharp Suit
THE sport’s leading lady, Gina Andrews, scored her 200th pointto-point winner at the same track she rode her first, 10 years ago.
The five-time ladies’ champion rode to victory aboard Sharp Suit, trained by Alan Hill, to top the ladies’ open. “All I think about is winning, so I hadn’t really thought about the number until I crossed the line and I heard Alan’s wife, Lawney, shouting ‘200!’ — then it hit me,” said Gina.
The 26-year-old rode her first winner (Moving Earth) at the Cambridgeshire course in February 2008 — a week after her 16th birthday — and she also had her 200th career winner (pointing and under Rules wins) at this meeting in 2016.
Alan added that it was “a great honour” to have given Gina her milestone winner.
“It was as good a race as I’ve seen that horse run — he loves going round bends, which was a great advantage [over secondplaced Net D’Ecosse],” he added.
Reigning men’s champion
Alex Edwards took his second win from his second ride this season aboard the Philip Rowley-trained Now Ben, who has won here three times previously.
Just Cause and Jack Andrews, winners here last season, put up a strong fight in a nail-biting finish, but Now Ben edged ahead to claim victory by 1½ lengths.
“His jumping was electric,” said Alex. “On a track like this where he can roll on and it comes down to speed, Now Ben takes a bit of beating.”
Jack’s success came in the open maiden for four-, five- and six-year-olds on Captiva Island, securing the second winner of the day for Alan Hill. The horse’s full-brother, Black Jewel, won the other open maiden with Londonbased lawyer Gordon Hopkinson in the saddle.
Meanwhile, Laura Thomas’ ever-consistent Karinga Dancer, fit from hunting with the VWH, won first time out for the third consecutive season.