10 March 2008 Sir W.W.Wynn's - Bangor-on-Dee
Iris's Prince: most impressive winner of the day
The Sir W.W. Wynn's Hunt staged a really good days racing at Bangor-on-Dee yesterday. The marathon 9 race card attracted a good number of runners and supporters.
It is not very often that the area, and former national, Point-to-Point champion rider Richard Burton has to wait until the third meeting of the season to ride a winner in the North Western area, but he managed to get off the mark at the third attempt on the Sheila Crow trained Gunner Be Quick in the second division of the Open Maiden.
The Gunner B gelding, owned by the trainers husband Edward, won by 12 lengths from the only other finisher Supreme Spoof. Sheila Crow thinks highly of the winner, speaking after the race, she said, "He is one our homebreds and we decided to fit him with blinkers because he keeps looking around in his races. It worked well and he will improve a lot from this race."
The first division, that was run in a time 6 seconds faster than the second division, went to the Jane Froggatt owned and trained Autumn Over who got up in the final strides under Jonathon Jarrett to win a thriller by half a length from Bonny Jago. Staffs Chance was a further 8 lengths away in third. The winner is trained at Hill Ridware, Nr Rugeley, and was bought at the Fairyhouse sales last November.
There was a cracking finish to the Men's Open, with three horses in line approaching the final fence, with victory going to the Steve Issac trained Magicien by a length and a quarter from Le Seychellois, with Go For Bust a further neck back in third. This was Magicien's 13th career success, under a confident ride by Adrian Wintle, which is credit to his trainer Steve Issac who trains at Shobdon. Issac said afterwards that his charge was a stronger horse this season and added that he would improve a lot from today's race.
Adrian Wintle went on to complete a double on the Andy Hobbs trained Olivier who was all out at the line to hold the sustained challenge of No Virtue, under David Mansell, by a diminishing half a length. Hobbs, who trains at Handley Swan, said that the winner had benefited from a back operation.
Shrewsbury trainer Heidi Brookshaw has her horses in good form at present. She notched up another winner after her charge Home Made won the Ladies Open after making every yard under Sammie Beddoes to beat the jolly Madge Carroll readily by 3 lengths. The winner is owned by Pip Harney who retired yesterday after 6 years as joint master of the North Shropshire Hunt. Brookshaw is planning to run Home Made next Sunday at the Meynell & South Staffs meeting at Weston Park.
Brookshaw's Beautiful Dawn was sent off the well backed favourite in the Intermediate race but a big groan went up from the crowd when the combination fell two fences from home. The race was won in good style by Will Kinsey on Adams Wine who quickened up well to pull 3 lengths clear from Belligerent, with Antonine a further 3 lengths back in third. The winner is trained at Chester by the rider's mother Julie who has around 10 horses in the yard for the season. Speaking after the race, she said, "Will said that he jumped a lot better today. I have been toying with the idea of putting blinkers on him because he has tended to lose concentration with his jumping. I will now step him up to race in Open's and ideally I would like to run him in a Hunter Chase."
The most impressive winner on the card was the Martine Flint trained Iris's Prince, in the first division of the Novice Riders race, who completed the four timer for the season very easily with her son Rhys in the plate. The winning distance of 25 lengths over Earl of Buckingham flattered the runner up. Jakari was a further 12 lengths back in third.
The winning rider, attached to the Phillip Hobbs yard, went on to land the second division of the race in equally emphatic style on Bobosh by a heavily eased by 7 lengths from Infrasonique. Once again the winner was trained by the rider's mother Martine who only has these two horses in training and plans to run one of the two in the Novice Riders Final at the North West Point-to-Point Club meeting at Tabley on May 18th.
The Club Members race was won in good style by Me Julie, under Ryan Mahon, who proved too strong for the Sheila Crow trained Gold Trigger by 10 lengths in a race where only two finished. The winner was bought privately from trainer John O'Shea as a 3-year-old.
