23 March 2010 Scene & Heard: VWH - Siddington
by Carolyn Tanner
OVERLUT: back to form with a vengeance
photo: Tim Holt
Overlut returned to form with a vengeance in the Mixed Open, making all and giving a scintillating jumping exhibition in the hands of Rhys Hughes.
"He did more on the gallops at home yesterday," said trainer Robert Scrine's gofer John Moore, who explained that Overlut's poor showing on his last two outings had been due to a combination of problems. "It was his hock, stifle and back," said John. "No sooner had we got one thing sorted, we found something else."
It was John's first visit to Siddington, while for owner Steve Whistance, it was a reason to cheer following the loss earlier in the week of his 15-year-old dog. Steve admitted that he had been out of luck on the betting front recently, so had sent his wife Gail to the bookies to back Overlut on his behalf.
Both Steve and John were quick to credit the latter's nephew Stephen Bevan for the large part he plays in the yard - "He does most of the work," John admitted - while groom Sam Jennings lived up to Steve's billing as "the queen of the best turned out" by scooping another two prizes on the day.
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"He's doing the Welsh rugby team's hair." John Moore has his own unlikely explanation for the absence of Robert Scrine, a hairdresser by profession.
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It was a red letter day for David Griffiths, who opened his account between the flags in the Novice Riders' contest on Maletton, and 35 minutes later put the icing on the cake by doubling up in the Pegasus Club Members' race on Opium Du Bois. He was to add another to his tally the following day at Howick.
David, 26, who works for Richard Newland and who won the 2009 People's Race at Aintree on the Ian Williams-trained Mith Hill, was sporting a protective covering on his chin, which had required a few stitches after a Fakenham fall the previous day.
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Maletton, successful over fences for Venetia Williams, was bought by Peter Phillips as a schoolmaster for his son James, but the 16-year-old was unavailable as he was playing in a hockey match.
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Opium Du Bois is owned in partnership by Michael Opperman and his barrister son Guy, who had ridden in the corresponding race last year but was now too involved with politics, being the prospective Tory candidate for Hexham. He was bought as an unbroken three-year-old in France, and won there for the Oppermans in 2006, but developed a back problem later that season and had some time off.
He is the only Pointer in the yard of event rider Dawn Shillingford, for whom it was an initial training success. "He's mummy's boy," she laughed, "but he can be a bit grouchy, and can take your head off if he doesn't know you. And he bucks like stink!"
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Tom Garner, 19, was another rider to break his duck. Tom, who works for Alan King, fractured some vertebrae in a fall exactly 54 weeks ago, and was off games for six months. He took the Confined Conditions on May Be Possible, who was carrying the well-known colours of the late Eric Smith. May Be Possible was inherited by Richard Bryan when Eric passed away, and now runs for the trainer's wife Gill and Paul Granger. "I gave Paul a leg in the horse in return for some help with the stabling costs," explained Gill.
Usual rider Dan Collins was committed to ride at Garnons, so Tom had been to sit on May Be Possible the previous day. "He came back from the schooling fences with the biggest grin you've ever seen, describing it as an armchair ride," smiled Gill.
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Also at Garnons was Hannah Lewis, thus enabling her husband Adrian Wintle to take the winning ride on Le Millenaire in the Restricted. "I asked if they'd mind if I took over," said Adrian, who recalled that his only previous winner at the track had been so long ago that he couldn't remember exactly when it was [My Boy Barney in 1996]. "I look really young in the photo," he grinned.
Adrian was the sole male visible in the winner's enclosure, the connections consisting of trainer Caroline Griffiths, groom Hannah Whitehouse, and Sara Meecham Jones and Sheila Fowler who were representing their husbands, the joint-owners, neither of whom was present. "This win has been a long time coming," commented Sara, while Sheila pointed out "It's better without the owners here!"
It was, though, 69-year-old Trevor Fowler, absent on starting duty at Garnons, who had done the prep work with Le Millenaire and had schooled him before his first run at Ludlow. Caroline's practice of turning out her horses every day evidently suits Le Millenaire, who she described as "mentally sparkling."
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The biggest cheer of the day was reserved for the Hunt race winner Port Talbot, whose ten owners made enough noise for twice their number. Surprisingly it was a first victory in the race for Port Talbot's trainer-rider Peter Mason, who just got the better of his younger brother Richard in a tight finish. "I've been trying to win it for seven years, since I was 16," said Peter.
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Anybody who wants a winner at Siddington would do well to employ Sarah West to accompany them. The three previous runners with which Paul Nicholls's PA has had a connection were all victorious - as well as training last season's Maiden winner She's Beautiful she won the Maiden on Silken Thomas in 2005 and the Restricted on Presentingthecase the following year - and she made it an unbeaten four when Helen Barber's In The Circle, a stablemate of Sarah's Ask Again, took the Maiden.
"If he hadn't won, Ask Again [who himself scored at Ston Easton 24 hours later] would have wanted to know why," laughed Helen, who was saddling her first winner. The Barber family is well-known for its racing, farming and cheesemaking interests, and it is the latter business with which Helen's husband Nick is involved.
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In The Circle's jockey Ryan Bliss, who works at the Nicholls yard, could claim to be the weekend's most intrepid traveller. Ryan had made the trip to Siddington from Badbury Rings, where he had ridden in the Hunt race, and the following day he won the Open at Ston Easton on Napolitain before hotfooting it to Newton Abbot to partner Stealing Moments, a puller-up, in the Hunter Chase.
