31 March 2009 Report: Ledbury - Maisemore Park
OLIVIER: and Adrian Wintle were a popular winning combination of the Confined race
Conditions were on the firm side of good for Sunday's meeting at Maisemore Park but the large crowd was keep entertained throughout the afternoon by some exciting racing and close finishes.
North Nibley based Dave Mansell and Julie Houldey followed up their success at Brampton Bryan the previous day with a double which helped Mansell maintain his position at the top of the rider's championship.
Five runners lined up for the Members with Helen Grundy determined to make it a strong gallop from the start. As they raced along the river side for the final time Mighty Strong was still a length clear of the improving Maranach while Adrian Wintle was starting to cajole Saint Reverien into action.
As they straightened up for the final two fences Maranach was breathing down Mighty Strong's neck and the leaders rose as one at the penultimate but Mighty Strong's fall left Maranach to claim victory.
Just Talking won his fourth race of the season following a facile win in the Intermediate. This proved a popular victory with the locals because the horse runs in the colours of the Talking Friends syndicate headed by the trainer's father Phillip who farms at Hasfield in the heart of the Ledbury country.
Just Talking moved up into a challenging position at the end of the back straight and had the race safely in his pocket as the runners turned back to face the judge.
Malvern trainer Andy Hobbs and his owners always support this meeting and that policy bore fruit after Olivier's success in the Confined.
The winner's stablemate Another Chat started favourite for this contest and still held a useful lead when hitting the top of the fourteenth and ejecting Nick Oliver from the saddle.
There was little between Olivier and Salinas rounding the final bend but Adrian Wintle's mount asserted over the final two fences to provide a popular win for Twyning based owners Stan Warner and Kate Forster Smith.
The three mile Maiden provided first time successes for Oddington based owner/trainer Andrew Campbell who qualified the horse with the North Cotswold and winning jockey Tom Murray.
19-year-old Murray did well to stay with Curradoon who made a bad mistake at the fourteenth but the writing looked on the wall when Sam Drinkwater's mount Chicago Alley gained a three length advantage in the air at the sixteenth.
Battling on like a lion, Murray's mount held a slim advantage at the penultimate, which allowed them to claim victory despite another slight mistake at the final obstacle.
