06 April 2010 Report: North Staffordshire - Sandon
by Arthur Shone
Thankfully the adverse weather forecast did not materialise at the North Staffs at Sandon, but the rain had got into the ground making for testing conditions on the day. As a result only twenty five runners went to post to contest seven races, eight of those went in the Open Maiden, which was the largest field of the day.
The card was dominated by Shropshire horses with Hadnall trainer Sheila Crow taking the trainers honours with a double, while Richard Burton completed a treble.
Mad Victor recorded his fourth success of the season with another impressive performance under Claire Allen to win the Ladies Open easily by seven lengths from Sue Sharratt aboard Scotmail Too. The winner is trained at Wolverhampton by Sue Taylor and under Rules by her partner Paul Jones. Speaking after the race Jones said," He did it well today as he would not have liked the tacky ground, on good ground he is a much better horse than this. The Bangor Final is a strong possibility for him this season".
The winner is owned by a syndicate headed by David Hughes from Albrighton, while the trainer also has a share in the horse.
Asking Jones about his 2008 Liverpool Fox Hunter winner Christy Beamish, who will be attempting to win the race for the second time this week at Liverpool, he said, "He schooled brilliantly this morning under Claire Allen, she had a job to pull him up. It is a case of all systems go, there might be a few younger horses in the race this year with form, but I would not swop Christy Beamish's chance with any other horse in the race".
Owner Richard French has been trying to have a winner at his local course for years and he finally he achieved his ambition after the bloodless success of Enter Paradise in the Open Maiden under Richard Burton. The Moscow Society gelding galloped his rivals into the ground, winning by 10 lengths from Claire Allen aboard Young Brave. Maddy Lewis, from the Gordy Edwards yard, ran on well in third. French, who has moved to Scholar Green, near Congelton, recently from Eccleshall, has had many winners over the years with Sheila Crow. "It is a bit special for me as I have been trying to have a winner at my local course for years; he did not just win he blew them away. He is obviously much better than I thought and Richard (Burton) was impressed with him".
Crow also thinks very highly of the winner, speaking afterwards she said, "I went over to see him in Ireland and liked him as soon as I saw him and he had a pedigree that I liked. He has always looked to have plenty of ability in his work at home. He will improve a lot from this race and on better ground. He should win a couple more Point-to-Points and hopefully he will run in the John Corbet Cup at Stratford".
Crow and Burton completed a double with My Flora in the Resticted, in the well known colours of Don Edwards, where he was never extended to beat the only other finisher Another Late Night by 12 lengths. Sheila Crow said afterwards that the mare was a decent sort from the same family as Clever Folly.
The opening Members race was turned into a procession by Malmo Boy, who provided 24 year Anna Adams with her first ever winner between the flags. The Roselier gelding never broke sweat in defeating the odds on favourite Redskin Raider by 20 lengths. The winner is trained by the rider's mother Nikki Adams at Stoke on Tern.
Only three runners went to post for the 2m5f Maiden race, which went to the David Mansell ridden Blinding Lights. The combination made every yard to win by 8 lengths from Fairymount. The son of Snurge is trained by Zoey Hammond, who bought the horse in Ireland for Market Drayton owner Don Constable.
In the two-runner Mens Open Ballyvoge, under Richard Burton, made all to win by a length and a half from Noble Persian. There was yet another match for the novice riders' race, between Camilla Churton on Flashy Boy and Joe Proctor on Tinarana Lord. The race ceased to be a contest when Camilla Churton pulled up Flashy Boy after the seventh fence after the saddle slipped, leaving Tinarana Lord to finish alone.
