It has been another week where the weather has dominated the headlines! With freak storms and flash floods responsible for the very near abandonment of Newcastle’s three day Northumberland Plate meeting and Leicester suffered its third cancelled meeting in a row, Worcester was yet again fortunate to have a warm, sunny day for racing.
Emotions ran high at Pitchcroft on Wednesday as the troops of Worcester paraded through the town. The sight of so many soldiers in uniform relaxing with family and friends, the sound of the Heavy Cavalry and Cambrai band, pipes and drums and war horses parading on the track all contributed to the truly memorable atmosphere.
On a more sombre note, National Hunt racing lost one of its own this week when jockey Campbell Gillies tragically died in a swimming pool accident in Corfu. His weighing room colleagues sporting black arm bands stood in the parade ring alongside racegoers for a minute’s silence before the first race. The sadness is all the more poignant because Brindisi Breeze, the Lucinda Russell trained horse who provided Gillies with his first Cheltenham Festival winner in March was also recently killed in a freak road accident.
Through the season we have a number of Irish runners, former Grand National winning trainer Gordon Elliot brought two to the meeting last week. Raajih won the handicap hurdle at Newton Abbot the previous evening under Katy Walsh, who had come from Ireland specially to take the ride. With an additional 7lb penalty for that win and Jason Maguire in the saddle, Raajih did well to give Elliot second place in our novice handicap hurdle behind shock winner of the day, Commanche Dream, who came in at 50/1, ending an 8 year losing spell for trainer Liam Grassick. The horse’s only previous success was at Uttoxeter in 2004.
On top form again was Richard Phillips who has now overtaken Paul Nicholls at the head of the Worcester trainer’s table. Saticon followed up his Ladies Day triumph with a win by just a head from Marju King in a driving finish under Tony McCoy. It was McCoy’s first ever victory for Phillips and brightened what had been a frustrating day of results for the champion jockey.
David Pipe’s Battlegroup was sent off 11/8 favourite for the opener. However the horse who is 0 from 7 over fences is inappropriately named as he certainly does not relish a battle and prefers to remain firmly with the group.
Dead heats are rare and we can only recall a couple at the course. However, the mares’ bumper produced a very exciting finish between Donald McCain’s Blue Article and David Pipe’s Too Generous and the judge was unable to split the two.
Following our local trainers, Richard Newland’s recent Ffos Las winner Smalib Monterg managed a second on much quicker ground at Worcester under the welter weight of 12 stone 5lb.
Ian Williams who trains at Alvechurch had his first winner of the season at the course when Fearless Leader took the first division of the novice handicap hurdle. Williams has more runners on the flat in the summer months.
Racing tomorrow afternoon starts and 2.10pm with the gates opening at 12.10pm.
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