05 May 2009 Report: North Shropshire - Eyton-on-Severn
by Arthur Shone
FRESH FRUIT: provided rider Richard Burton with a significant landmark
photo: Sweet Photography
Somerwood trainer Gordy Edwards took centre stage with a double at his local course, but the Shropshire handler also experienced the highs and lows of the sport after his promising charge Shady Begonia had to be put down in the two and a half mile Maiden.
The opening Members race provided the first leg with Magnetic Pole under Richard Burton; the combination were eight lengths too good for the runner up Lord Louis. The winner ran in the well known colours of his wife Sarah. Edwards plans to run his charge next in a novice Hunters' Chase at Uttoxeter in two weeks time.The second leg came with the useful mare Shady Anne, who followed up her recent win at Whittington with an emphatic eight length victory in the Mens Open over Home Made. The daughter of Derrylin was given a very confident ride by Mathew Sollitt, who joined Edwards at the start of the season after working previously at Sue Smith's and Donald McCain's yards.
There was a forty minute delay to the start of this race as riders voiced concerns about the turn into the cross fence being slippy. As a result the riders in the remaining five races bypassed the cross fence.
Gordy Edwards sister Sheila Crow was also in the winners enclosure after Fresh Fruit finally got her head in front in the two and a half mile Maiden, beating the only other finisher Nodanawink. The winner is owned by David Rogers who used to have the dual area championship horse Darnil in training with Sheila Crow. As for the former national champion rider Richard Burton, he achieved a notable landmark by riding his 350th winner.
Rich Nomad, trained and ridden by Sally Randell, followed up their victory in the two and a half mile Maiden at this course on Easter Monday, with an equally smooth victory winning by a very easy two lengths from Another Late Night under Stuart Ross, with the jolly Quick Bay a further 15 lengths back in third. As for the winning owner Paul Rich, he was the former master of the Pentrych Hunt for 12 years and he missed his horse's win at the course last month as he was ill in hospital in Spain. The rider is a class act and we will be hearing a lot more of her in the future.
Sue Sharratt took the riding honours with a treble at a track that she listed as her bogey course, until last year she had never had a winner at Eyton in 19 years of riding.
Her first leg came aboard the quirky Von Originy in the Ladies Open. The Blushing Flame gelding ran in snatches but did enough to hold the fast finishing Artic Reason under Sally Randall by a length. Scotmail Too ran out a very easy 10 length winner for Sharratt in the Confined winning by ten lengths from Shraden Edition, and she completed the treble in style on Trocadeno in the Open Maiden, the combination winning going away by ten lengths from Brookview Lad.
