News

SOUTHWESTERN (pictured at Littlewindsor) - the 2009 Horse & Hound Cup hero
photo: Nick Jay

"Everything comes to he who waits" could have been coined for Southwestern, the most popular and deserving winner of the 51st running of the prestigious W & S Recycling Stratford Foxhunters Champion Hunters' Chase, the third most valuable of the season behind the two Foxhunters.

Southwestern put the disappointments of the last two well-documented runnings of the Champion Hunter Chase at Punchestown behind him when coming from a long way off the pace to lead at the final fence and quicken on the run-in under a perfectly-timed ride from Neil Harris.

"I needed that," admitted Neil, who had ridden earlier in the day at Treborough Hil and whose grass-stained breeches were the legacy of being put through the wing by Yes My Lord. Neil was wearing a brand new set of colours, the previous set having been stolen in Ireland, along with about £3,000 worth of tack. "Apparently some of it might have been recovered," said trainer Jeremy Scott, "but after this I don't think we want the old colours back!"

Prior to Punchestown, Southwestern was running from Jeremy's wife Camilla's yard, and he was transferred into Jeremy's name was to make life easier. "The Irish system is different to ours, and it's difficult at Punchestown if you're not a recognised trainer, so that's the only reason for doing it," explained Jeremy. "He'll go back into Camilla's name and probably start off Pointing again next season. I've never thought he was top class," added the trainer, who had voiced the same opinion about his previous star County Derry.

Southwestern, who is ridden every day by Jeremy and Camilla's daughter Laura, is owned by the ten-strong Exmoor Partners, most of whom, including the only female member Sue Ashburner, were present to cheer him home.

With loyalty between owners, trainers and riders sometimes being in short supply, the victory proved a triumph for longevity. Neil rode his first winner, Three And A Half, for Jeremy 12 years ago, and has ridden for the Scotts ever since. "And being the bloody difficult person that he is, it's amazing that we've managed to remain friends," grinned Jeremy.

Southwestern reversed the Foxhunters' form with both Baby Run (second) and Robbers Glen (fourth), who had finished in front of him at Cheltenham. The latter, who would have preferred more cut in the ground, ran a cracking race for Val Jackson, holding every chance at the last until hanging badly left on the run-in.

Baby Run and Sam Twiston-Davies have enjoyed an outstanding season, winning at Punchestown and finishing second both here and at Cheltenham. Sam is staying on at school to do ‘A' levels, but there seems little doubt that he will make the grade on the professional circuit in due course.

Take The Stand, runner-up last year, was third this time under Donal Devereux, who has applied for his conditional licence and who hopes to join the paid ranks by the end of the week. Donal, who will still be based with Peter Bowen, reported that both Take The Stand and the unplaced Mr Ed had come out of the race in good shape.

Back in fifth, ten lengths behind the winner but a long way clear of the remainder, was Border Fusion, who had given Richard Burton the usual hard time with his antics at the start. "He's been a bit flat this week so we could have done with another ten days," said trainer Gary Hanmer, whose charge had suffered from both ulcers and a hydration problem earlier in the season. Border Fusion was off to Brian Baugh's yard the next day with a view to running in Uttoxeter's Summer National.

pointotpoint.co.uk Champion Novices' Hunters' Chase (John Corbet Cup)

Dennis The Legend's last-gasp victory owed everything to Ollie Greenall. A dreadful second fence blunder, when a rival jumped across him and he had nowhere to go, would have unshipped the majority of professionals, let alone the amateurs, but Ollie made light of the incident and gave his error-prone partner a fine ride to lead at the last and take advantage of Bob Bites Back's final fence mistake to get home by less than a length.

Dennis The Legend, home-bred by owner Pam Pengelly, has not been seen in hunter company since pulling up in a Newbury Hunter Chase in February. Between then and this race he has been Handicap Chasing, winning twice, the second time as recently as May 13. His trainer Grant Cann won this race on Otter Way in 1975 and also owned Friendly Lady, who won the 1993 running under Polly Curling, while Ollie's father Lord Daresbury triumphed in 1977 on his own Timmie's Battle.

Ollie, who was booked for the ride two days previously, was partnering Dennis The Legend for the first time, although he had won on the horse's full brother Big Daves Legend at Bratton Down in 2008. He is likely to remain in the amateur ranks, although he admitted he might think about going conditional if a really good offer came along, "But I wouldn't do it just for the sake of it," he said.

There was no disgrace in defeat for Bob Bites Back, who narrowly failed to complete the pointtopoint.co.uk double, having won the sponsor's Young Horse Championship for his exploits between the flags. He has been a real credit to his connections, owner Edna Hussey, trainer Robert Scrine and rider Rhys Hughes, while Chloe Roddick enjoyed one Ladies' Open victory on him.

Third-placed Hemington, who was given an excellent ride by Tom Weston, has been on the go since December, so it has been no mean feat on the part of handler Maz Scudamore to keep him in good heart. He won the Young Horse award for the Welsh Border area.

Bob Bites Back's last fence error may have been crucial, and the other hard luck story belonged to the favourite Simonsberg, who was travelling sweetly on the bridle when coming to grief four from home. In contrast, the well-fancied Worship The Stars failed to jump fluently and never got near the leaders.

The Helping Hands Homecare Hunters' Chase

Steve Whistance's three-month-old twin daughters, Evie and Lola, may be too young to know about racing, but their bank balance has been growing this year, thanks to the exploits of their father's Overlut, whose earnings have been earmarked for the pair's savings.

The Robert Scrine-trained Overlut, who had already run up a May hat-trick between the flags, made all the running in this 2m1½f contest under another fine ride from Rhys Hughes.

Overlut was a late replacement for the horse which Steve intended to run in Points, and it was just by chance that he was on the lorry at the end of October when John Moore - "Call me Robert's gopher" he grinned - returned the lame horse to Steve. "He'd come from Evan Williams and was for sale," explained Steve. "I had a look at him and liked him, so I said I'd have him as long as John's nephew Stephen had a sit on him and said he was okay."

"All he wants to do is please you," reported John of Overlut, who had a wind operation in November, and who has to go left-handed. "I think all the stable's owners are here," smiled Steve as the seven-year-old, whose five Pointing successes were enough to win the West Wales area Young Horse award for his owner, returned to a tremendous reception.

Rhys, the reigning Welsh champion, who was formerly head lad at Evan's yard, is now assistant trainer to Tim Vaughan, and is currently lying in fourth place in the national Point-to-Point men's championship.

Runner-up in this race was Tom Weston on Cheeky Lad, who trainer Tim Stephenson said may now go summer jumping under Rules, where he has been plying his trade in recent seasons.

The Interbrands (Europe) Ladies' Hunters' Chase

It was a Welsh one-two in this predictably fast-run race, although not the result which the betting market indicated. The favourite Chesnut Annie "wasn't quick enough - she was flat out all the way," reported Isabel Tompsett, and it was another mare, Lady Myfanwy, who landed the spoils.

"Paul said she's a psychotic thing so he named her after me," laughed trainer Myfanwy Miles, whose husband purchased the mare as an unbroken three-year-old at Leominster Market for £500. To date, Lady Myfanwy, who thrives on racing, has won 18 races, including three Hunter Chases.

Lady Myfanwy looked to have matters sewn up until hanging left close home - "She was looking at the water jump," said rider Alex Smith-Maxwell - and she was nearly caught by the running-on Cannon Bridge. Alex, an assistant trainer with Henry Daly, was the mare's sixth different rider this season. She works with Myfanwy Miles's daughter Becca Williams, and admitted, prior to being given the ride at Cothelstone, that she had been trying for the past year to get Becca to put in a good word for her!

Myfanwy's one hope, after the race, was that Paul would not drop the trophy as he had done at Garnons the previous season!

Back to Top