News

CHANGE OF SCENE: Richard Burton scores in the Mens Open aboard Current Exchange during his first trip up North
photo: Grace Beresford

It was a case of doubles all round as jockeys Richard Burton and Catherine Walton, as well as trainers Sheila Crow and Jimmy Walton, all scored twice during Saturday's well supported Cumberland meeting at Heathfield near Aspatria.

The efforts of Tim Brockbank and his team in watering the course for a week, combined with overnight rain, were rewarded with near perfect jumping ground and 58 runners on a seven race card.

It was a privilege for racegoers to see Burton in action in the Northern Area for the first time in his career and he did not disappoint his followers as victories on Current Exchange and My Dads Horse, his only rides on the day, strengthened his position at the head of this year's national Men's Championship.

The odds-on favourite Current Exchange made virtually all the running in the Mens Open race but, after being joined at the last by Commercial Express, Burton had to pull out all the stops to get his mount home by a neck. Alastair Crow's progressive six-year-old has now won all four starts this term and Burton said of him: "He stays well but ideally would have preferred coming off a much stronger pace."

Crow's exciting five-year-old prospect My Dads Horse, named in memory of his late father, Edward, was always going well in the second division of the Open Maiden race and quickly settled the issue after taking it up five out. He only had to be pushed out in the closing stages to score by five lengths from Cloud Buster. However, it might have been a different story as Burton explained: "I was lucky to miss the carnage after the seventh fence when the leader, The Other Bar slipped up on the bend and badly hampered a couple of other runners."

Catherine Walton, 23, virtually clinched the Northern Area Ladies Championship for the first time with a double on Sacred Mountain and Merry Eric. The former gave her an armchair ride in the Club Members race and, always in command on the final circuit, stayed on strongly to beat Noir Et Vert by five lengths. The 10-year-old's trainer, Jimmy Walton said: "He's very well at present and could run next in a Kelso Hunter Chase on Sunday 22nd May."

Merry Eric fulfilled the promise shown when third at Tranwell last time by getting off the mark in the first division of the Open Maiden race, but the youngster had to dig deep on the run-in to keep Link House Appeal and Rashartic at bay in second and third respectively. Catherine said of the home-bred five-year-old: "He lost momentum with a slow jump at the last otherwise he would have won with more to spare."

Badger Foot became the first horse in the Northern Area to score five times this season as he provided 19-year-old Rachael McDonald with a winning debut ride in the Ladies Open race. He disputed the lead with Itzacliche from the outset before sealing a 2 length victory after a great jump at the last. Mcdonald, who has worked at Lucinda Russell's Milnathort yard since leaving school at 16, remarked: "He's brilliant and I am very grateful to Lucinda to get such a great horse for my first ride."

Salmon Rising was the first of five favourites to oblige in the Hunt Members race. On his first ride back since dislocating a shoulder at Crossford six weeks ago, William Brockbank didn't have an anxious moment on the seven-year-old. His mount jumped and travelled well and, after taking it up five out, forged clear down the home straight to beat Seafire Lad by a distance. The home-bred winner, owned by Elizabeth Brockbank and trained by her husband, John, might go for the hat-trick at next Sunday's Haydon meeting at Hexham Racecourse.

Irish Maiden winner Dodgey Dream returned from a five and a half month break to land the 16 runner Restricted race in the best time of the day. Always close up, Jonathan Creswell's mount went on a mile from home and kept finding extra when the chips were down to beat Riverside Bay by three lengths. The nine-year-old is owned and trained by Ian Duncan, who sold his County Antrim farm late last year and moved to another one at Coylton near Ayr in December.

As well as numerous Point-to-Point successes in Ireland, he has trained 34 winners under Rules since 1994 on both sides of the Irish Sea, with the biggest one being Another Rum's victory in the 2005 National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. This latest win with the first runner from his new Scottish base almost didn't happen, as Duncan explained: " My horsebox suffered a blow-out on the M74 and, had it not been for some very helpful lorry drivers at the motorway services, we wouldn't have been able to get the tyre changed. Thankfully, we just made it here in the nick of time and it has all worked out perfectly even though Jonathan didn't have a chance to walk the track."

Back to Top