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KALMO BAY: remarkable winner for Lorna Brooke
photo: Sweet Photography

There was a remarkable riding performance by the under-rated Lorna Brooke, whose Ladies' Open participation nearly ended after the first fence.

The reins of her mount, the favourite Kalmo Bay, became entangled at the first with the second fence casualty Call Me Sam, with the result that the buckle gave way and left Lorna with only her nearside rein.

"The right-hand rein was hanging down, and he's got such a long neck that I couldn't reach it," she explained, "but luckily after we'd jumped the ditch [fence six] the rein swung back and I was able to get hold of it."

By this time Kalmo Bay was well adrift and Lorna was considering pulling up and saving him for another day, but her decision to persevere paid off as her mount finished strongly up the straight to collar Von Origny after the last.

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Another rider who excelled was Sam Painting, winner of the PPA/HSS 2m4f Maiden on the hard-pulling Bedrock Fred, who galloped his rivals into submission. The chestnut hung badly right throughout, but his only jumping error came at the last where he took off a stride too soon and hit the fence less than halfway up. Luckily, like the Red Sea, the birch parted, Sam sat tight and the partnership remained intact to give breeder-owner-trainer El Tanner her first success. Her only previous runner had been the able but unenthusiastic Hiyah some five years earlier.

El rides the five-year-old at home, but handed the credit for the ground work to former jockey Marcus Foley, for whom Sam rides out several days a week and who has played a large part in honing his jumping skills - "Apart from the last!" - she laughed.

Bedrock Fred, who is bred to be a sprinter, had been an intended runner at Cottenham the previous week, but a double blow-out with the lorry had prevented him from getting to the track.

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One man who was not overjoyed at Bedrock Fred's success was the bookmaker who accepted a bet of £100 at 10-1. "I saw you cheering," he said to the punter when she went to collect her winnings, "and I thought ‘Oh sh**!'" Having paid up, he was cleaned out so he packed up and went home!

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A young rider who looks likely to be going places is Leo Mahon, who opened his account in the Restricted on Jessica Scott's Golden Harvey. Leo is currently studying for a national diploma in Agriculture at Moreton Morrell College, but then hopes to follow in the footsteps of elder brother Ryan and join a racing yard.

"I can't go and ride out for people because I'm not old enough to drive yet," said the 16-year-old, but the situation was due to change the very next day, his 17th birthday! Luckily for Leo, he was not due back at college for a further 24 hours, so he would have extra recovery time after the celebrations which he hoped would be "Big!"

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Runner-up to Golden Harvey was Witness This, whose rider Ollie Garner was another to show his acrobatic ability. Witness This may well have won had not Ollie had to cope with a badly slipping saddle and then having to switch when Golden Harvey hung across him, but he managed to stay on board until gravity got the better of him 20 yards past the line.

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