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JUST SMUDGE: Gave Ollie Pimlott his first win between the flags
photo: Mark Fettes

Dontupsettherhythm's Restricted victory at North Carlton brought up a career century for Richard Armson, number 99 having been achieved earlier in the afternoon on Menchikov in the Club Members' race. Both horses were carrying the colours of Milson Robinson.

Richard's initial success came in 1987 on his own Tenby's Treasure in the Hunt race at the Atherstone. ‘Fortuitous' is an understatement, as having been unseated he remounted (allowable at that time) to finish second, only for the first past the post to be disqualified for failing to draw the weight!

After missing several seasons riding due to family circumstances, he had to wait another eight years before scoring again, since when he has made up for lost time and has been Midlands area champion on four occasions.

He has a reputation for being able to cope with difficult horses, and his tally, which includes 12 victories under Rules, would surely have been much higher had he been offered more of the better quality mounts which his talent has deserved. He places Jaffa, True Friday and Menchikov among those who fall into the latter category and of whom he will always have fond memories.

His 11-year-old son Philip, already a successful pony racer, has been schooling alongside him, and he is considering riding against him at least once before hanging up his boots, but "He's two stone better than I am already," he laughed, "so I may call it a day before he gets started!"

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North Carlton was also the venue for a first victory for 23-year-old Ollie Pimlott, who took the Men's Open on Just Smudge, trained by his father Chris, formerly a very successful jockey under National Hunt rules.

Ollie has a degree in Law from Northumbria University, but has elected to focus on a less cerebral way of life. He rides out in the mornings for John Quinn before heading to Leeds to work for William Hill radio as a sports and racing commentator.

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Tom Ward, 21, in his second year studying Real Estate at Reading University, opened his account in the Intermediate at Larkhill on Saturday on his lightly-raced Tricky Tangler, who was purchased at Ascot in 2010.

As Tom's home is near Newbury he is able to ride the ten-year-old most days, and when time allows he helps Hollington Stud's Mary Low with breakers. With his sights set on working in the racing industry, he already has some experience under his belt, having spent some time previously with both Alain de Royer-Dupre and Mark Johnston, while he currently also rides out in Newmarket for John Ferguson, whose son James is a fellow Reading student.

Tom, who weighs a mere nine stone so has to carry plenty of lead, is hoping to get his Category ‘A' licence next month, while Tricky Tangler could possibly next be seen out at Tweseldown.

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Conor Smith enjoyed little luck with his ‘20 or 30' Point-to-Point rides in Ireland, but it took just two outings to get him off the mark in Britain. The 20-year-old, who works for Richard Barber, won the Novice Riders' contest at Chipley Park on Barneys Mate, on whom he had finished runner-up at Barbury in December.

Conor, who rode hardly at all until he was 15, worked for Alfred Buller at Scarvagh House Stud and then trainer George Stewart near Down Royal before coming to Britain to join Brian Meehan for a couple of months. Through a mutual acquaintance he got in touch with Barber's assistant Harry Fry, and has now been at Seaborough since September.

The Irishman is hoping that his partnership with the chestnut will continue to prosper, and would no doubt be happy if he could enjoy the same success as Barneys Mate's previous rider, the now Conditional Harry Derham.

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The youngest rider to open his account over the weekend was 16-year-old James Martin, who now needs just another 61 victories to equal the tally between the flags of his father Andy. His winning Maiden mount Trifollet, who scored at Dunthrop, was originally purchased as a showjumper before her blossoming talent as a racehorse brought about a change of direction.

James, who enjoyed success in the pony racing sphere, left school in the summer to become an apprentice to his farrier father.

Andy has yet to take out his licence this year but the pair will be hoping to take one another on at some stage later in the season.

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The second of the Dunthrop first-time winners was Lewis Gordon, 17, who won the Restricted on Gypsy Mark, trained by his employer Peter Mason. Although the grey had undergone a wind operation since his previous outing he was not expected to win - "To finish in the first four or five would have been good," Lewis admitted.

Lewis's interest in racing stemmed from his visits to nearby Newbury, and at the age of 14 he rang round local yards with a view to helping out. It was Sylvester Kirk who invited him for a day's trial, with the result that he started going to the stable at weekends and in the holidays.

It was while on a course at the British Racing School that he met Jennifer Mason, and he joined her husband's Point-to-Point yard in August. He had his first taste of action at Cottenham last month, he and Gypsy Mark completing the course well in arrears.

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