Vincomte sets an untouchable target
Anthony Condon lands the feature class, Team Botham are on fire and Robert Whitaker has a smart new horse
A SEARINGLY close jump-off in the big tour grand prix fell to an Irish one-two, led by Anthony Condon and his experienced big-track partner SFS Vincomte, who set an untouchable target from midfield.
Course-designer Colm Quinn’s jump-off track offered limited options, leaning on the skill of the rider to judge the turn-backs, while concluding with a dare on an open gallop to the final oxer. Riders all tracing the same route produced a nail-biter, with just 0.5sec dividing the top four combinations.
Adrian Speight had established an early lead with a butter-smooth round on Millfield Baloney, which remained 0.08sec ahead of a challenge from Kerry Brennan and the great Wellington M.
But Anthony used all of Pat Hales’ 12-year-old gelding’s scope to find the extra inches, distancing himself by 0.4sec.
His countryman Richard Howley (Consulent De Prelet Z), jumping ninth of 11 riders, then stole into the runner-up spot, just 0.13sec astray.
“It was a good course, there weren’t a lot of options and the only risk you could take was at the red oxer back across the middle, where I went as tight as I could,” Anthony said. “Vincomte has plenty of experience and loads of scope, so I could take a bit more of a risk there and that’s probably where I found the extra hundredths of a second.”
Anthony was using the show as a warm-up date for the Global Champions Tour, where he will be jumping on the Global Champions League as a member of the Miami Celtics.
“We’ve come to Chepstow for the past couple of years; there are great facilities, two big arenas and lovely people – and with Colm course-building as well, it ticked all of our boxes,” he said.
“Our first Global will be at Madrid and then we’ll head to Hamburg two weeks after. We haven’t planned too much after that, but Vincomte will be jumping most of our Global dates.”
BRITS ON FORM
THE final day had been a resurgent one for the Irish, who’d failed to take a win until Trevor Breen broke the jinx with a victory in the one-star, followed by David Simpson, who headed the two-star small tour with Balloon Cruise.
The rest of the week had been dominated by the Brits, with Friday’s two-star schedule opening with wins from speed queens Nicole Pavitt (Gemmarco) and Jessica Hewitt (Hot
Bluebird), who took the small and medium tours respectively.
The first day’s big tour was headed by Adam Botham, who was claiming his first of two wins at the show, this time riding 10-year-old Harvey.
He followed up with a victory in Sunday’s medium tour with the eight-year-old stallion Ebanking, one of the breakthrough talents of last season.
Both horses are owned by Barbara Hester – who has recently bought two new top horses, Dublon and Arge, for Adam’s string – and were recently returned from a winning run in Vejer de la Frontera.
“Harvey was placed in a 1.45m in Spain and won a 1.40m, but then he hurt his back and didn’t jump the last three weeks out there,” Adam said.
“When we came home, we got our back man out to him. He had a bit of a rest and then he came to Chepstow where he was on unbelievable form. He won the first day, but he should have won the middle day as well as he was one second quicker, but we had the second-last down and it was my fault.
“I get really annoyed with myself if I don’t get it right with Harvey because he tries so hard, but on the first day it all came off for him.
“Last year, Harvey was placed in every two-star grand prix he jumped but never won one, so it was lovely for him to be in the limelight in front of the stallion!”
Jude Burgess was another rider continuing on form after a successful show in Spain. He
claimed Saturday’s medium tour with his “trusty, reliable” grey Comeback De Fremis.
The 14-year-old gelding, whom Jude has produced from a fouryear-old, finished in the top two in his last four classes in Spain, which had followed on from strong performances in Vilamoura.
“We’ve had him the longest of any horse we’ve owned I think,” said Jude, who had six of his own horses plus three students at the show. “He wins a lot now and is handy to have on the truck with the younger ones. We pick and choose his shows and don’t over-jump him, but he’s come into his best form in the second half of his career and feels in the best shape of his life.”
NEW RIDE IMPRESSES
ROBERT WHITAKER was also fresh off the back of good foreign form with his new ride Evert, who picked up a four-star 1.50m win in Hagen last week, before coming here to claim Saturday’s big tour.
The 13-year-old gelding competed internationally with Belgian Karel Cox for the past four years, before being sold to owner Caroline Blatchford for Robert to ride.
“We got him just before the Sunshine Tour as we needed an older, more experienced horse to go in with our younger ones,” Robert said. “Spain was good for us getting to know him and by the end, we were producing double clears at 1.50m. Then he won in Hagen and was also fourth in the 1.60m there.
“Ideally he’s to jump the bigger tracks and I’m hoping we can do five-star grands prix with him.”
Angie Thompson crowned a fantastic show with a win in Sunday’s big tour with
Fremont VDL, adding to three top-three placings in the small and medium tour classes with Steyburn and Kokonut Van De Nethe Z, as well as strong performances in the five- and six-year-old line-ups.
“They all jump so well off that main arena surface and they were good courses,” she said. “They were pinging and loving it.”
Fremont, aka “Monty”, who is owned by Eleri Perry, was making a return to his usual form after a setback in the winter when he had a flare-up of gastric ulcers.
“He gets them quite badly and we checked him last year and they’d gone. He had a holiday and then when we brought him back, we ran him in some basic 1.40ms and he was always having a pole. We scoped him and the ulcers were really bad again, so he’s been back on the injections and now he’s feeling great,” Angie said.
Saturday’s small tour went to James Whitaker and the eightyear-old Harthill Magician, while the final day’s medium tour was won by Mark Edwards and Flying Tinker II.
“He’s come into his best form in the
second half of his career”
JUDE BURGESS ON 14-YEAR-OLD COMEBACK DE FREMIS