News

Thomas Greenall made a successful return to race-riding on Sunday when taking the Mixed Open on Sea Senor for owner Brian Dunn, who is not enjoying the best of health but who was present to accompany his horse into the winner's enclosure.

"I'm a bit rusty," confessed Thomas, who had been out of action with a fractured shoulder, an injury which had occurred in mid-April but had not immediately come to light.

"He's been a naughty boy all his life," commented trainer David Easterby of his charge, who had disgraced himself earlier in the season when giving Max Johnson, successful on the nine-year-old at Easingwold last year, a hard time by proving very unruly in the preliminaries. "We wanted to give Max a chance on him but we had to turn to Thomas," David went on. "There's no substitute for experience."

**************

35 minutes earlier David's sister Susan Mason had seen her Impact Zone, trained by husband Ian and ridden by daughter Becky, land the Novice Riders' contest and at the same time clinch the Young Horse award for the Yorkshire area.

The assertion from Susan's father Mick Easterby that "I bought it for the twins [Becky and Laura] to ride," brought forth an indigant "No he didn't!" from their elder sister Jo, who has scored twice on Impact Zone this season, while Susan pointed out "It's for all of them, but they all fight over him. He's very cold-backed," she continued, "and you have to put him on the walker, with a saddle on, before you dare get on him."

Becky, 20, is a second-year physiotherapy student at Birmingham University and this was her third success.

**************

Trainer Gary Hanmer, having scored with Amongst Friends at Bangor, completed an across-the-card double when Quantum Theory, who had ducked out through the wing of the last when looking set to triumph at Tabley, won the Open Maiden in the hands of Miles Seston. "He's a bit sharp and quirky when he goes racing but even I ride him at home," smiled Gary, who is considering a run at Trecoed for his charge.

Quantum Theory is owned by a syndicate headed by Steve Evason, a Master of the Cheshire Farmers' Draghounds, but of the other six members, only fellow Master Damian Williams and his wife Jo were at the meeting to witness the victory. Mark and Cheryl Appleton and Mike and Pauline Barry were in Spain, the latter couple opting not to fly over for the race as they had done for Tabley.

**************

"He's standing over there grinning, and thinking about his ten per cent." Gary points out Quantum Theory's purchaser, bloodstock agent Aiden Murphy.

**************

Hannah Watson is enjoying a purple patch, and she recorded her third success in less than a week when taking the Restricted on the Fred Hutsby-trained Golden Tangle. "She likes a bit of sun on her back," smiled Fred's wife Caroline, niece of the mare's owner-breeders Peter and Muff Corbett.

Caroline had been unable to contact Peter and Muff who were holidaying at St Kilda in the Western Isles, where mobile phone reception is obviously not a priority.

Hannah's two previous winners had both been under Rules, Gentleman Anshan at Southwell and Mad Victor at Worcester.

**************

Matching Hannah's achievement was James Banks, who won the 2m4f Maiden on Steve Allen's Son Of Karinga. James, who is due to start at Emma Lavelle's yard in July, had booted home a Wolverhampton flat winner six days earlier and had followed up with a victory in France when representing Britain in the Fegentri Championship.

"I've had three horses in this season and they've all won - I've never had more than one a year before," said Steve, a former polo player. Steve described Son Of Karinga as "A stressful horse, and grumpy at home. He's a hard horse to train, and he's whipped round and had me off twice this year." The chestnut had broken a blood vessel, for no apparent reason, on his previous outing.

Originally sold as a three-year-old for 38,000gns, Son Of Karinga was picked up by Steve at Ascot last year for just 600.

**************

Tom Bellamy continues to impress, and he gave The Noble Roman a positive ride to win the Intermediate. Having crossed the line, The Noble Roman jinked towards the entrance gate, as have so many before him, and Tom hit the deck, but he was soon back on his feet, none the worse.

It was a first visit to Garthorpe for owners Paul and Lucy King, who have The Noble Roman on loan for the season from David Line. "We've been in Cardiff all weekend watching the rugby [the Heineken Cup Final]," explained Lucy, adding "None of the family are here, as most of them are lambing."

Tom's final GCSE exam is on June 10th, after which he will be leaving school and joining a racing yard, although plans have yet to be finalised.

***************

Gaby Hill gave her father Alan's Ocean du Moulin a well-timed ride to win the opening Club Members' race, although not in the fashion which Alan had in mind. "The plan was to make all, so I wasn't too happy when she was out the back for two and a half miles," he laughed. "They went off so fast in front, and he had plenty of weight, that I thought I'd just nurse him along," was Gaby's reasoning.

After running on the season's opening day Ocean du Moulin did not appear again until mid-April, partly due to the fact that Gaby was away in South Africa over Christmas and also because he bruised a foot in the lorry when taken to Horseheath as a travelling companion for Mid Div And Creep.

***************

The number of runners at the meeting bore testimony to the work of Clerk of the Course Brian Crawford and his team who had produced going which riders pronounced to be good to firm, good in places, and which had an excellent covering of grass, while the bends were all fresh ground.

***************

Southwell Racecourse sponsored the course championships, which went to George Henderson (jockey) and Susan Hutchinson with Zilcash (owner).

Back to Top