History was made at Larkhill when Will Biddick rode his 600th career point to point victory aboard Five Bar Gate in the second division of the Bumper. He was warmly welcomed back into the winners enclosure by the large crowd who had hoped to be present to celebrate this fantastic achievement. Will then showed the ups and downs of the sport by unseating from Sienna Earth at the second last fence when leading and after returning in the ambulance he did not ride again due to a badly bruised left arm.
The meeting had begun with two well supported charity races which raised the excellent sum of 10K for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance and all participants should be congratulated for their sterling effort to raise this sum.
Other highlights from an excellent day’s racing were riding doubles for champion jockey James King and Fred Philipson-Stow (his first) , another victory for the course specialist Grace A Vous Enki, an early birthday present and a winner for veteran owner Angela Yeoman after previously attending the first day at the reopened Windsor National Hunt course. An initiative to provide hospitality to winning owners and trainers in the Queen’s Building was well received and is likely to be repeated at the remaining meetings at Larkhill.
The Mixed Open race provided to be a real spectacle with the three principals Grace A Vous Enki, Time Leader and Il Pino all in contention at the third last. Grace A Vous Enki and Time Leader then duelled from the next fence until James King obtained more effort from his willing mount and drew away to record a six lengths victory. Recording his seventh consecutive win at Larkhill, he clearly relishes the wide-open spaces of the course and is a real credit to his owner Joan Hitchings who sadly was not in attendance and his trainer Nicky Sheppard. He will be returning to the course in 2025, and the question is who will be able to lower his colours.
The two divisions of the Bumper were both won by horses who had already had an outing last season. Firstly, Perseo ridden by Anna Johnston and trained by Caroline Keevil outstayed his main rival Green Bonnet ridden by Will Biddick. Home bred by her owner Lady Fiamma Sutton the gelding had been working well at home and Caroline was hopeful of a good run. The gelding’s future is over fences and he is reported to have already schooled well.
Five Bar Gate trained by Matt and Fliss Hampton had shown some form in his outing at Garthorpe last season and was backed as if defeat was out of the question for Will. He stayed on well to beat South Sands ridden by Daniel Kyne, Bought as a 3 year old in Ireland he had been sent to Matt for breaking and then left with him to train for the Osbornes. Will reported that this was only his second ever ride for Matt and that had also been a winner. Having ridden against Matt over many years Will reported that ‘ I am delighted to have ridden this nice big horse and given Matt a winner as a trainer’
Sienna Earth still looked to have every chance when unseating Will in the 2 and a half Maiden race but this left the race between Good Boy Eric, Ted The Thief ridden by Josh Newman and Wait At The Gate ridden by Charlie Sprake, Fred Philipson-Stow riding Good Boy Eric for his boss Will Biddick stayed on well to record a two
lengths victory at the post. He is a home bred gelding owned by Steve Bowditch out of a mare named Hallingdal who won four flat races in her career. Fred, 19, is now in his second season at Will’s stable and said that’ I am relishing the opportunities I am being given and am grateful for the knowledge Will is passing on to me’
The most impressive winner of the day was Snap Fish successful under Robbie David in the Restricted race. It looked a competitive race on paper but once Robbie had passed long time leader Calidad after the final ditch the race was over and the winning margin was judged to be a distance. The winner of a weak Maiden at Badbury last month he looks exceptional value for the 15K Harry Ryall spent on him last May for his syndicate of owners. Harry joked in the winner’s enclosure that ‘ it is Robbie’s 30th birthday tomorrow and this winner will mean that I do not have to get him a birthday present’ It was a fast run race and the winner looks one to follow for the rest of the season .
The biggest field of the day, 16 runners, took part in the Conditions race which was won by Givega trained by Luca Morgan and provided James King with his second winner of the day. Always prominent the ex-Gary Moore trained gelding held off the challenges of Douglas Longbottom and My Drogo to record a length and half victory. Trained by Luca at his base near Warwick for a group of his father’s friends and other family friends, Luca explained that the gelding was recommended to him by Jamie Moore as a prospective pointer. He had raced over minimum trips under Rules but proved that he stayed three miles under a good ride by James who was quick to give credit to Luca’s training and identified him as an up-and-coming trainer to follow.
The first division of the Maiden race was won by Crawter ridden by Josh Newman. One of only two horses trained close by to Larkhill by Harriet Waight he stayed on to beat Far Out West ridden by Charlie Sprake. Previously trained by Fran Poste he had been noticed by joint owner Stan Rawlins when he ran at Upcott Cross in May 2023 and through Josh Newman a deal was struck to acquire him from Fran’s yard. A full brother to the five-time winning mare Only By Night trained by Gavin Cromwell, he should be able to progress this season.
Southfield Scope provided Fred Philipson-Stow with his ever double when winning the final race. Given the opportunity to take over from his sidelined boss he grasped the chance and recorded an easy success for the home bred gelding who is a half-brother to the prolific Southfield Theatre. Watched by his proud owner fresh from attending Windsor she was delighted to see him in the winner’s enclosure and pleased with the ride Fred had given him.
