There has been plenty of action
down at Pitchcroft recently, with 2 race meeting in just 4 days.
Despite Family Fun Sunday
clashing with the well supported Olly Murs on stage at nearby Worcestershire
County Cricket ground and Worcester University’s open day, over 4,000 people
enjoyed the afternoon of National Hunt racing, interspersed with pony rides,
mini quad bikes, inflatable fun and painted faces.
The local trainers didn’t
disappoint. Three of the 7 winners
included Murray Mount trained at Abberley by Henry Oliver, Sweeping Rock
trained by John Spearing at the Fred Rimell’s former yard in Kinnersley, and
the last race went the way of Included trained by David Dennis at Hanley Swan.
The big story of the afternoon
came in the £18,000 feature handicap hurdle. A very competitive affair, the strongly fancied Philip Hobbs / Diana
Whateley gelding, Wishfull Dreaming went off a clear favourite. However, in the end, the first three horses home
mirrored the exact same result of a similar contest earlier in the month on
Ladies Day.
Permit trainer, Rosemary Gasson
was delighted to see Mr McGuiness get the better of Richard Newland’s Slim
Pickens and Alan King’s Miss Crick for the second time at the course in just 3
weeks. Both Mr McGuiness and Slip
Pickens hold entries for tomorrow’s Worcester meeting.
Three days later, we welcomed
Britain’s Got Talent host, David Walliams to the racecourse for the first time,
as guest speaker in the Birmingham City Football Club hospitality marquee.
The local success story continued
at this meeting with new recruit to Richard Newland’s Claines yard, Theo
storming up the home straight to win the shakespearestone.co.uk Conditional
Jockeys Training Series Final Handicap Hurdle under Abberley jockey, Charlie
Hammond.
Theo was purchased out of Shane
Donohoe’s yard in Ireland recently, with only fair form and a bit of a ‘monkey’
reputation according to Newland’s assistant, Rod Trow. However, the 7-year old was on best behaviour,
winning comfortably and seemingly relishing the change of scene, as further
borne out by his Uttoxeter win on Sunday.
Roger Hart is very well known at
Worcester and on the wider racing circuit as a tipster, Corporate raceday host
and an organiser of ownership syndicates. He is less well known as an owner.
However, when Fort Worth trained by Jonjo O’Neill won on the bridle last
week under a cool Aidan Coleman ride, a very excited Hart whooped his way
across the parade ring to greet his winner.
Fort Worth was bought by O’Neill
from Coolmore originally, and has run for O’Neil under different ownership
until recently when Hart and 3 friends purchased the Presenting gelding, who
jumped and stayed on impressively.
Hart tells the story that the ownership
under which Fort Worth now runs, Sleeping Panther Racing, took its name from
the many sleeping panther statues that can be seen on the streets of ‘Panther
City’ as Fort Worth in Texas is nicknamed.
With Nicky Henderson on flying
form last week, posting a treble and a third from his 4 runners, we look
forward to the stories from tomorrow’s meeting, due off at 2.20pm.
