16 May 2011 Landmarks: May 14th and 15th
by Carolyn Tanner
@body.jpg)
CITY AFFAIR: One of four winners for the Barber family over the weekend
photo: Alun Sedgmore
Marc Barber, who rode his first winner on True Fortune at Lydstep in 2000, reached a career half-century at Bredwardine on Saturday when taking the Hunt race on the Sheila Lewis-trained Interpleader. He then set out in his pursuit of the next 50 with a Restricted victory on one from his own yard, Clover Rock.
Marc, who was national novice champion in 2002, was amateur to the Henry Daly yard for two seasons, and his tally includes eight successes under Rules.
He is riding less frequently than in earlier years due to concentrating more on the training side of his operation. He started the campaign with a string of 14, 11 of which are still in work, and he hopes at some stage to take out a public licence.
**************
It proved to be a great weekend for the Barber brothers, as Marc's younger sibling Mathew recorded his first double at Laleston the same day. Mathew has worked for Tim Vaughan since the end of last year, and it was the trainer's wife Abbi who saddled the rider's first winner, City Affair in the Confined. The double was completed in the young horse Maiden by Cloran Jack, trained by Marc.
Like his brother, Mathew's initial victory came at Lydstep, on Derring Dove in 2008, but he was forced to sit out the next season after being deemed to be ineligible for a licence due to a previous minor hearing problem.
**************
17-year-old James Corbett opened his account in the Club Members' race at Hexham on Sunday on his mother Susan's Definite Appeal, who had previously had just two Hunter Chase runs from the yard since coming from Ireland earlier in the season.
James, who only started riding at the age of 13, works at the family's Girsonfield Stud at Otterburn, which stands the stallions Bahri, Milkom and Ferrule. Susan is currently hoping to take out a permit and James would like to make racing his career. "Dieting" is a word not on his agenda, as he needed about two stone of lead in addition to his 14lb saddle to be able to ride at the requisite weight.
