07 April 2008 Middleton - Whitwell-on-the-Hill
Duchess Account: 2008 Grimthorpe Gold Cup victor
The Middleton Point-to-Point at Whitwell on the Hill on Sunday managed to miss all the bad weather around, despite the last race being run in a blizzard with only the second last fence and last fence visible, and close and exciting finishes were the order of the day.
The highlight of the meeting was the Grimthorpe Gold Cup Mixed Open race, run over 4 miles and 1 furlong, which produced one of the closest finishes ever with only a short head and a neck separating the first three home.
The 2-1 favourite, Duchess Account, made much of the running but was challenged at the second last by Ask Bobby and Pikachu Blue. Duchess Account was not fluent and lost two lengths, whilst the other pair flew the last fence upsides, but Emma Brader had Duchess Account in overdrive and the pair managed to get up in the shadows of the post to beat Ask Bobby by a short head with Pikachu Blue a neck back in 3rd. This was a popular local winner, and the applause that greeted her on her way to the winner’s enclosure was tremendous.
Guy Brewer who rode Ask Bobby had earlier ridden a double aboard Madison de Vonnas, who easily won the Members race, and then he took the Restricted on last week’s Mordon winner The Artful Fox, who responded gamely to his hard driving and resisted the fast finish of Quinta de Lobo, and jockey Richard Smith, to win by half a length.
Jacqueline Coward extended her lead in the Area Ladies’ Riders Championship by a riding a double, both trained by her mother Cherry. Narciso won the Club Members race with authority, taking up the running with two to jump the pair sprinted clear to win by 12 lengths; whilst she had to work much harder on Southern Classic who won the first division of the Maiden, to give new owners Mark and Stephanie Spencer there first ever winner.
Oliver Greenall was another jockey to ride a double. He won the Intermediate on Network Oscar, who has now scored three times this season, and then won the concluding Maiden race on Lord Gee, who made much of the running to beat Nectar de Guye by 1 length to give owner Eric Brooke and trainer David Easterby doubles as well.
The most impressive winner of the day was the 5 year old Flaco, a full brother to the useful chaser Character Building. Making his racecourse debut he was held up in the rear by jockey Mark Walford in the early stages, cruised up to lead at the second last, then quickened up in the style of a very useful horse to win easing down by 3 lengths, much to the delight of owner Richard Burridge who indicated that he will pursue a career under national hunt rules next season.
Next Saturday sees the Bedale meeting at Hornby Castle with a 1st race time of 1.30pm.
