19 December 2008 Ten Horses To Follow From The North Western Area
CHRISTY BEAMISH: one of the top rated Hunter Chasers in the country
Each horse selected for the new 2008/09 season comes with comments from each individual trainer with the exception of the two horses from Sue Taylor's yard, as the comments are as usual by her partner Paul Jones, who trains under rules. Sadly, Edward Crow the dark horse specialist in the North Western area died in the summer this year - his record of fifteen winners from just eighteen horses selected over twelve seasons is unlikely to ever be beaten.
This season his son Alistair, the former dual champion national Point-to-Point rider has agreed to take over the dark horse selections. His mother Sheila has trained very successfully at Hadnall over the last twenty-five years and Alistair has included two dark horses from her yard to follow for the season.
Christy Beamish 12-year-old gelding
I have always felt that Christy Beamish has not got the credit that he deserves in the past. That is why I was so pleased that all the cards fell into place when he won the Liverpool Foxhunters' last season. It is very tempting to go to Cheltenham next March for the Cheltenham Foxhunters' when you have one of the top rated hunter chasers in the country in the yard, we will see how the season goes before deciding about the Cheltenham Festival. I would like to go back to Punchestown with him again, as he ran well there last season. We will bring him along quietly like last year, obviously we will target the top hunter chases with him.
(Trainer Sue Taylor - comments by Paul Jones)
Mad Victor 8-year-old gelding
I would like to recommend Mad Victor as one of the horses to follow from the yard as he was a revelation last season. I thought he was impressive when he beat the area champion horse Beautiful Dawn at Eyton in the Ladies Open, Clare Allen gets on very well with him and I am confident there is more improvement to come.
(Trainer Sue Taylor - comments Paul Jones)
Beautiful Dawn 8-year-old gelding
He was a model of consistency last season and it was really pleasing when he ended up as the leading horse in the area. I was thrilled for his owners Elaine Fearnell and Nev Jones. I will start him off in a Point-to-Point and then go hunter chasing with him. He is much better jumping bigger fences. The Bangor Final would have to be a possibility but we will have to see as it has not been his luckiest course. I am very happy with the way he is working at home and hopefully we will have another good season with him. (Trainer Heidi Brookshaw)
Cappa Blue 7-year-old gelding
William and Angela Rucker who are great supporters of the yard own him. He has won both his races between the flags in Ireland well and he is a very exciting horse to have in the yard for the new season. My mother feels he will turn out to be a serious horse. I would go further than that on his Irish form and the quality of horses that he has beaten over there, would tempt me to stick my neck out and say that he is better than Lord Harry who we used to train. He has strong claims for the champion horse in the area.
(Trainer Sheila Crow - comments by Alistair Crow)
Little Big Horse 13-year-old gelding
He is a nice Open horse to have in the yard, he was sent to me two months ago by Paul Dixon. He was rated 121 over fences when trained by Sue Smith and was a model of consistency over fences. He will be an ideal horse for my granddaughter Alice Walker to ride in races. I am hoping she will follow in the family tradition, as I rode my first winner aged sixteen on a horse called Venlus, my daughter Lucy also rode her first winner at sixteen on Adulation and hopefully Alice will do the same. She comes down three times-a-week to ride the horse in his work on the gallops and he is working very well.
(Trainer by Sheila Crow)
Philasonic 6-year-old gelding
He was disappointing on his first run but ran much better on his next time at Atherstone. That run was very promising and I feel he will improve a lot this season. He is ever such a tidy jumper and should definitely win races this season. He will act on any ground bar heavy and is the second of my dark horse selections.
(Trainer Sheila Crow - comments by Alistair Crow)
Shales Ay Jay 6-year-old gelding
He is one of our home-breds by Alflora. I was delighted with his races last season because from two starts he was runner up at Sandon and third at Bangor. He has strengthened-up well from five to six and he should improve on last year and go on to win his Maiden and then progress through further in his races.
(Trainer Caroline Robinson)
White Park Legend 6-year-old gelding
I have always thought a lot of him, he is a big horse by Reprimand who is pushing seventeen hands. He has been placed in both his races at four and five and I like the way he has settled down this year and he has been pleasing me with his work at home. I am confident that he will win a Maiden this season, and he is definitely one of the horses to follow from the yard for the coming season.
(Trainer Gary Hanmer)
Magnetic Pole 8-year-old gelding
I did not get to the bottom of him last season and it was pleasing when he won two races at Eyton-on-Severn. He just about gets three miles and no further, we ran him at Bangor over three miles and a furlong and he did not stay, so we will keep him to tracks with an easy three miles and he should win his fair share of races in the coming season.
(Trainer Gordie Edwards)
Willie Wong 7-year-old gelding
He picked up an injury after he won his Maiden at Eyton on Severn, my father Richard took out a permit to train him under rules this year, he was just touched-off by a nostril at Worcester in a bumper, and he has run well in his other races at Market Rasen and Southwell. He will start off Point-to-Pointing and is definitely the horse to follow from the yard.
(Trainer Will Kinsey)
