25 February 2011 Report: pointtopoint.co.uk Hunters' Chase - Huntingdon
by Carolyn Tanner
There could have been no more appropriate winner of this contest than Mount Benger, who is owned by the Chairman of the Point-to-Point Owners' & Riders' Association, Richard Fuller, and his wife Charlotte.
After Mount Benger had fallen on the road and cut his knees, one so badly that the sinews were visible, his owner asked trainer Dai Williams to find him a home and he joined the Fullers 14 months ago with the idea that, should he stand racing again, he could be a schoolmaster next season for their daughter Page, who will be 16 in August.
The chestnut stood in his box for five months, but the patience and care has already paid off handsomely, this being his fifth outing of the campaign and his fifth in the frame.
"It was a toss-up between Huntingdon and Fontwell on Sunday, and it's obviously disappointing not to go to Fontwell [the race is sponsored by Fuller's Brewery, of which Richard is a Director] but with more rain forecast we thought this was the better option," explained Charlotte, whose husband was at work and unable to be present.
Mount Benger, who was reported to have hated the ground, has both Cheltenham and the Aintree Fox Hunters' as his target. "He's a great doer and he recovers so well from his races that there's no reason why he can't do both, as there's three weeks between them," said trainer Harry Whittington, for whom it was a first success.
He was given a tremendous ride by Sean Keating, 26, a former conditional who had ridden one flat winner in Ireland before coming to Britain and riding for Martin Pipe in 2004. He reverted to amateur status two years ago and has worked since then for Harry.
Sean is hoping the victory will enable him to pick up some outside rides, as Mount Benger is the only Pointer which Harry trains. The latter's pedigree for the job, though, cannot be faulted, as his grandfather is the late Colin Nash, who saddled countless Point-to-Point and Hunter Chase winners and who is commemorated by the Cheltenham Hunter Chase which bears his name. "Now I can see why he loved it so much," Harry admitted.
Harry, who is a distant relative of the Fullers, worked for well-known sales consignor and pinhooker Malcolm Bastard for four years prior to starting his own business pre-training for Nicky Henderson. Since November he has run a satellite yard for the Lambourn handler, and considers that his commitments in that respect make it unlikely that he will take on any more horses to train himself.
