24 March 2010 Report: Wilton - Badbury Rings
by Brian & Gill Armstrong
Sure Future may retire on a winning note after his second consecutive win in the Wilton Hunt race at Badbury Rings on Saturday. The 14-year-old just got the better of Pastek (Charlotte Brown) after the pair had swept past favourite Yes My Lord (Ryan Bliss) entering the straight.
"I kept him in training after last year's win in the hope of a repeat, so maybe it's a good time for him to retire", said Ebbesborne Wake owner-trainer Lucy Snowden. "I almost gave up when we made a bad mistake at the 15th", added Brasenose College, Oxford chemistry student Will Brennan, 19, after maintaining his 100% - two from two - Point-to-Point record. "All thanks to Sure Future", he smiled.
Russian Rain provided an emotional win for the Cattistock-based Atkinson family in the Maiden. "He's a very special horse to us", said Robert and Nicky Atkinson, as their daughter Catherine, 23, had steered their homebred five-year-old debutant back into the winner's enclosure. Nicky explained: "His dam, Avril Showers, who won 13 races for us, died five minutes after foaling him. Catherine and I lay with him the first night, we hand-reared him for three days, and the National Foaling Bank found a thoroughbred foster mare "Gladys" for him for six months. Catherine broke him in and now he's our first horse ever to win first time out".
There were two first-time winners at the meeting. Harry Marriott, 48, opened his riding account on Rowdy Yeats in the Confined. "I've ridden in Charity races at Newbury and Aintree, started Pointing this season and this is my third ride", smiled Harry, an Andover property developer. "Aiden Murphy bought Rowdy Yeats at Doncaster for me. The horse used to be trained and ridden by Nigel and Sam Twiston-Davies, who won the Christie's Foxhunter yesterday. I thought that if the trainer was happy to put his son up, the horse must be ok". Owner Lt Col Peter Wright got off the Pointing mark - "I did lease the Royal Artillery Gold Cup winner one year though", he pointed out - with the Charlotte Tizzard trained and ridden Shannon Springs in the two-runner Ladies Open. Shannon Springs was left 40 lengths at the start, but was soon on terms with 1/3F Croix De Guerre and was always just holding his rival in the last half-mile.
Early leader Deloughtane (Alice Pearn) stayed on resolutely to regain the initiative from Quite A Splash (Polly Gundry) in the Restricted, and Thisthatandtother and Jack Barber took their winning tally to eight with a facile victory in the Mens Open.
