10 February 2010 Scene & Heard: Old Raby - Witton Castle
by Carolyn Tanner
BEAU DANDY (left): kick-started a treble for the Dawson siblings
photo: Jon Hodd
To see two sets of three siblings all in the winner's enclosure at the same meeting must surely be a unique occurrence, and it was the Dawsons and the Greenalls who achieved this unlikely feat.
John Dawson kicked off proceedings by taking the Maiden Conditions contest on Beau Dandy, whose owner John Hellens, a former permit holder, was having his first runner for 12 years. Beau Dandy was bought in Ireland by John's near neighbour John Wade, whose gallops the five-year-old has been using, and he has also been to Brian Ellison's at Malton.
John Dawson was able to take the ride as the ban which he incurred under Rules - "I got a bit too enthusiastic with my stick," he admitted - was in force only on days which included amateur races on professional tracks.
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John's sister Anna is one of the rising stars of the sport, and she gave Lutin du Moulin, whose regular partner last year, Lucy Horner, has retired due to an eye problem, a fine ride to win the Ladies' Open for owner Nigel Jones and trainer Susan Grant. Lutin du Moulin was purchased as a possible ride for Nigel's 17-year-old daughter Charlotte, who does a lot with the French-bred at home.
He is qualified by his owner, for whom he has not proved an armchair conveyance. "Since I broke my pelvis last year I've had to ride short," explained Nigel. "He had me off several times out hunting, and after the fourth time of trying to find him in the dark, that was that - it was time for him to go back to Susan!"
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Runner-up to Loutin du Moulin was Andre Chenier, who showed much improved form for both the acquisition of Charlotte Cundall in the saddle and the lower ladies' weight he was asked to carry. "That's the first time I've turned in on something with a chance," laughed a delighted Charlotte.
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John and Anna's elder brother Chris got in on the act by winning the Restricted on vet Graham Russ's Oaklands Bobby, a grandson of the former John Corbet Cup heroine Lady Buttons. Oaklands Bobby, whose breeder Steve Jones was present to watch the victory, was left clear by the penultimate fence departure of King Among Queens, who, according to rider Jake Greenall "didn't have a lot left to give."
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Jake himself won the Men's Open on the Cherry Coward-trained Sonevafushi, who was landing the trophy for the third successive year. "It's a privilege to ride him," said the teenager, an ‘A' level student at Shrewsbury, who had flanked the victory with two under Rules on Friday and Tuesday respectively.
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Sonevafushi's owner Tom Bannister had earlier seen his colours carried to victory in the Connolly's Red Mills Intermediate by Thomas Greenall on My Old Piano, trained by Cherry's brother David Easterby. My Old Piano had finished first in an Intermediate last season but was disqualified for failing to carry a penalty, hence his eligibility for this race. His target is the Red Mills final at Cheltenham on May 5.
My Old Piano was sent to the sales with a £25,000 reserve on his head, but when the bidding fell £3,000 short he returned to his Sheriff Hutton yard.
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£25,000 was also the figure mentioned after the Maiden Division One victory of Dark Moon, partnered by Toby Greenall who got the better of brother Ollie in a tight finish. Ironically it was Ollie who had actually bought Dark Moon, although when it came to paying it needed a phone call to his father Lord Daresbury. "The good news is I've bought you a nice horse," Ollie told him. "The bad news is that I need 25 grand to pay for it."
Toby is in his third year of a six year course training to be a doctor, and is currently dividing his time among "Jimmy's" (St James's University Hospital in Leeds), Airedale NHS Trust near Skipton, and Leeds General Infirmary.
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"He's looking up peoples' willies." Toby's mother Clare Daresbury puts her son's urology studies into layman's language.
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Ollie was the one Greenall brother to miss out, having to settle for two second places, but he is looking at a different target. Already well on the way to retaining the amateur jumps title which he won last season, Ollie has his eye on both the all-time and post-war British records in that sphere, although the weather is doing its best to thwart his aspirations.
The latter total is 56 set by Richard Smith in 1972-3, while the all-time amateur record is believed to be the 60 achieved by Jack Anthony when he was the overall champion jump jockey in 1914.
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The man to spoil the party for the Dawson and Greenall clans was Mark Walford, who won the Maiden Division Two on William and Liddy Bethell's Boxbury, who was bought out of Sue Smith's yard in May. "He's been quite tricky - he decked mum out hunting one day," confided Harriet Bethell, who finished fourth in the same race on O'Gara.
Her parents were away on a beach holiday in Kenya, "but they've been on the telephone all day," said their daughter, whose brother Fred had gone to North Carlton, where he was fourth on Jabo.
Mark, assistant to his trainer father Tim, had been going to the Bethells to ride work, but admitted with a smile "I don't think I'll be getting back on that one."
