Tedworth Review
The curtain fell on the Larkhill point to point season when the Tedworth held their annual meeting last Saturday. In the absence of any significant rain during March the going was firm which resulted in small fields but racegoers were still able to enjoy a full card of six races plus two pony races and a charity race run in favour of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance. The highlights of the meeting was a training treble for Welsh trainer Luke Price and a riding treble for his usual jockey James King plus a first winner for a trainer based in Birmingham
The opening event the Kimpton Down sponsored Restricted race provided a turn up for favourite backers. The Michael Felton trained Boys Will Be Boys ridden by Will Biddick was a short price to beat his sole rival Inchidaly Robin ridden by James King. Despite setting off in front Will was unable to shake off the attentions of the Luke Price trained gelding who took up the running after the fifteen fence and despite idling in front maintained a length and half advantage at the winning post. Luke explained that ‘ he has only been with me for about three weeks having raced in Ireland at the beginning of the month and we really did not know much about him’ His former Irish connections had told Luke that ‘ he needs quicker ground which he had not had in Ireland’ and he did seem to relish this. It was added that he is for sale and it should be noted that his half brother Yes Day has won two chases in March for trainer Jonjo O’Neill.
The PPORA Club Members race sponsored by Webbs Builders Merchants was a tactical event between Footloose ridden by Arron Butterfield and Ask Nile partnered by Heidi Palin. Arron tried to make all but Heidi sat in behind until taking it up at the second last and maintained a two lengths winning margin. Supplementing his previous victory for owner Tim Underwood at the last meeting he is another who appreciates the faster going. Heidi who is maintaining a good strike record in her few pointing rides is looking forward to her first ever ride in the Aintree Foxhunters on Frere d’Armes for her employer Dan Skelton.
The Jockey Club and Butterworth Family sponsored Maiden race was building up to be a close finish between Fifty Shadesof Bay ridden by James King and Lady Lussa partnered by Sam Lee. Fifty Shadesof Bay had been jumping out to her left allowing her rival to take the inside course and approaching the last there was only a length between them. Unfortunately Lady Lussa fell leaving James’s ride to coast home for an easy victory. Bought for £1200 from the Thoroughbid October online sale from John Mathias’s stable Luke advised that ‘ she ran in the colours of Graham Garland who has been an owner with me and bought into the mare this week’ James added that ‘ she needs to go left handed in the future and ought to do well on this faster surface’
The feature race, The Tedworth Gold Cup sponsored by Richard Hannon Racing, was another match but after Gran Paradiso pulled up after the sixteenth fence Will Biddick aboard Norton Hill was able to coast home alone. Already the winner of a longer distance race at Cothelstone he is certainly relishing the extra distance and as one of his owners Jeremy Barber said ‘ he will probably be aimed at the 4 miler at Flete Park and then possibly a tilt at the John Corbet Hunter Chase at Stratford’ Will commented that ‘ fences are making him think about his jumping which he did not really do over Hurdles and he did jump well’
There was another turn up in the Conditions race sponsored by Hadlow Stone when First Preference ridden by Will Badland defeated his rival Shanroe Smooch with Molly Legg on board. Molly had set off in front but had not beaten off the attention of her rival and once Will had swept to the front after the second last he drew clear to record a comfortable victory. Now owned and trained by Jade Tuckley from her base in Birmingham he was completing the course for the first time in five races. Jade explained that ‘ I was part of the partnership who owned him when he was trained by Luke Price and when the other partners wanted to come out I decided to train him myself’. Aided by Will who is her farrier and does come to ride when he has time available. Originally bought by Luke for 20K from Ireland he won his first three races in England but has had his health problems and not been easy to train. Jade recording her first ever training victory with her only horse was delighted with him and hopes that with the going remaining fast he will be able to record more victories.
The easiest winner on the day was Elle Est Beau who beat her sole rival comfortably in the Draintech sponsored Maiden race. Providing Luke and James with their respective trebles she drew clear from Myneighbour ridden by Sam Lee after the fourth last. Bought privately by Luke from Dan Skelton’s stable having been placed over Hurdles for him at Sandown and Warwick Luke expressed the comment that ‘ this was the one I thought would win today whatever turned up for the race’ A daughter of Walk In The Park she looks a promising sort and it would be no surprise for her to run up a sequence during the rest of the season.
