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TEETON BOLLINGER: given a tremendous ride by Nick Pearce
photo: Jackie Oliver

Carolyn Tanner was on hand at Folkestone last Thursday to catch all of the pre- and post-race gossip.

The Shepherd Neame United Hunts Open Champion HC

Those who backed Teeton Bollinger to go one better than in the corresponding contest 12 months earlier have Nick Pearce to thank for the vindication of their judgement. Having been on and off the bridle throughout, and failing to jump with much fluency, Teeton Bollinger still looked booked for second jumping the penultimate, but was galvanised by Nick to get upsides at the last and gain the initiative on the flat.

"He's always a hard ride," was Nick's understated comment. "They just go a shade quicker than in Points so he finds it more difficult. Luckily Adam [Wedge, on the runner-up The Camerengo] just moved out a bit at the last and I got the chance to switch, otherwise I wouldn't have made it." "We've all been riding it with Nick and we're all shattered," smiled the winner's breeder/owner/trainer Joan Tice.

Teeton Bollinger is not without his quirks at home - "He runs off with the boys but not the girls," laughed Lizzie Harris, who herself has ridden winners for Joan this season. "We like to make it fun for him and he goes jumping round the farm."

The Camerengo is also not the easiest of rides and his defeat was in no way a reflection of the ability of his rider, who had got the very best out of his mount.

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The stewards were less impressed than the majority of the large crowd with Nick's strength in the saddle and gave him a one-day ban for excessive use of the whip. Nick's main concern was that this might fall on May 29, when he is due to partner Simonsberg in the Champion Hunters' Chase (Horse & Hound Cup), but much to his relief he has been given the date of May 27, thus freeing him to ride at Stratford on both days.

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The Grant's Cherry Brandy South East Novices' HC

Polly Gundry was in two minds as to whether her charge Fort View, who has had a strained hamstring, should take his chance, and she gave the credit for his success to therapists Miranda Aldridge and Jenny Birt. "They've done a fantastic job on him," she said, "and they assured me he was all right to run, which gave me the confidence to go ahead. He's just a shell and he won't mature till he's eight," she added, indicating the size of the six-year-old. "He's very kind and intelligent, but when the sun comes out he whips round and he has dropped me on the road," she admitted.

Polly trains Fort View for Guy and Sophie Henderson, who sent him to her Devon yard when their jockey son Robbie was intending to go to Exeter University. Robbie, though, had a change of direction. He is now amateur to Colin Tizzard and is likely to turn conditional at some stage. Robbie is no stranger to success at Folkestone, for although this was his initial ride at the track he had previously led up hurdles scorer She's No Muppet - "my first winner!" he smiled - for trainer Nick Mitchell.

"I swore I'd never buy an unraced four-year-old," laughed Guy of his Irish purchase. Fort View will now go out in the field, and may possibly be campaigned under Rules next season.

"We came up last night and stayed in the lads' canteen," Polly explained. "It took four and a half hours, but Ross Oliver, who picked us up, had already been travelling for two hours."

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The edenbridge@nfumutual.co.uk Centenary Open HC (United Hunts Cup)

Ross's journey from Newquay proved worthwhile when Oscatello, ridden by Polly herself, scored easily to provide a West country double. Oscatello was given to Ross in November and had not encountered ground as fast as this in his outings between the flags. He had been partnered in his previous races by Ed Barrett and this was the first time Polly had been in the saddle. "I'd never sat on him before. He's a lovely horse," enthused Polly. "I didn't think I'd get the chance to win a Hunter Chase like this again."

"He's perfect to ride but he's not so good in the stable," said Ross, who stands Oscatello in the river for an hour each day to help his fragile legs. The original plan had been for the ten-year-old to have a season off, but as Polly explained, "He's not trained so hard now and of course the opposition isn't as strong as he'd been used to. Besides," she laughed, "you know what a Cornishman's like when he gets the bit between his teeth!" Polly has managed to dissuade Ross from running Oscatello in the Ladies' Hunter Chase at Stratford, and he may now go to the rearranged Cherrybrook meeting in June.

It was around 5am before Ross arrived home, and a few hours later he was travelling east again, this time to Windsor to visit his former regiment, the Royal Horse Guards.

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The Hamlet Oak Framed Buildings Maiden HC (Cuckoo Maiden Challenge Cup)

Christmas was the time of year when Alan Hill and Rodney Mann hatched the plan for More Trouble to contest this race, and he duly obliged under a good ride from James Tudor. "We were confident tonight because of the ground," said Alan, adding "You have to cajole him but he'll just keep finding enough." Alan bought More Trouble on spec at Doncaster from out of Paul Webber's yard. "Rodney came to look at him and within two minutes asked how much he owed me," smiled the trainer.

"I can ride him myself at home," said Rodney, who admitted, with some prompting from his wife Gilly, that More Trouble had spun round one day in the yard and dumped him in the snow. "All it meant was that I got off faster than I intended," he remarked.

Alan's remark that "I'd love to summer race him but it might be a job to persuade the owner," was met by Rodney with a non-committal "We'll see."

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"Isn't that cup nice and clean?" Alan proudly pointed out. Last year his own Mysaynoway had won the trophy which Alan confessed had "looked like brass rather than silver" and had required a good clean before being returned.

It seems that the Hills' relationship with silver polish is fairly fleeting. "More Trouble won our Hunt race last year but Lawney had forgotten to take the cup back so Rodney came to pick it up," Alan said. "It was filthy so he spent 20 minutes telling Gilly how to clean it!"

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The Nigel Collinson Fuels Ltd Novices' HC (Guy Peate Memorial Challenge Trophy)

"I thought he was as well today as he had been all season," said trainer Simon Andrews after Penny Rogers's Delightful Cliché had held on by a diminishing margin from the fast-finishing He's On His Way. Delightful Cliché, who stands barely 15.2, was bought privately from Pam Sly, who was the first person on the phone to offer congratulations at the success.

The only poor race that Delightful Cliché had run this season was at Higham but, explained Simon, he had pulled off a shoe on the way to the start. "He was struck into behind when he won at Ampton so I thought he might be feeling it, but luckily it was nothing to do with that."

"His jumping won it for him," opined the winning rider, Simon's daughter Gina. "He idles in front and in the last 50 yards he started to hang away from the whip. I could hear the other one coming, but he pulled out a bit extra for me."

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Will Hickman, rider of Master Brew, was given a one-day ban for hitting his mount when out of contention, while birthday boy Phil York was also called before the stewards. "I forgot to tell them it was my birthday so they couldn't do me, but it didn't matter as I was just cautioned" he grinned.

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The Guillaine Ovenden 95th Birthday Open HC (Stuart Adamson Memorial Trophy)

"It must be the easiest winner I've ever ridden," commented James Owen after Kadount had sauntered home on a tight rein. "He's a lovely horse," smiled Rose Turner, whose father-in-law, Kadount's owner Joe, was at home watching on television. "We may keep him going in case Edward needs him but he'll probably be put away until next year." The reference was to her son who is in the running for the Harley Racing novice championship.

Due to the setting sun only ten fences instead of the scheduled 18 were jumped, the three in the back straight being omitted. Unfortunately, by the time the bypass arrangements had been put in place the sun had disappeared, leaving both commentator and spectators somewhat baffled as to the reasoning, although James pointed out that it had been a problem when the horses arrived at the start.

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