It was a busy afternoon at Stafford Cross near Seaton, Devon, for the Axe Vale Harriers fixture with a total of 69 runners facing the starter for seven races.
In form jockey Callum Pritchard rode two winners to take his seasonal total into double figures, whilst 16-year-old schoolboy Ed Vaughan capped a weekend to remember by adding another winning ride to add to his five successes (including one walk over) the previous day in Wales.
Ninth Wave continues on the upgrade and recorded his sixth win from his last seven races in the Mixed Open with a hard fought success over the useful Sixteen Letters and the favourite Hell Red in a 12-runner affair. The winner’s task was made easier when the well supported veteran Shantou Flyer gave Olive Nicholls a nasty fall when crashing through the wing of the sixth fence.
Hell Red still led turning into the straight but it was left to Ninth Wave (Callum Pritchard) and Sixteen Letters (Will Biddick) to fight out the finish with the gallant one-eyed 10-year-old Ninth Wave just prevailing.
Ninth Wave is trained by Teresa Clark for Peter and Kathy Musgrave with Kathy explaining, “He did well because everything was wrong really today. It was a bit softer than he likes and the course is the wrong way round for him. We didn’t give Callum any instructions as he gets on so well with him.”
The 23-year-old jockey, based with Philip Hobbs and Johnson White is facing a 14 day riding ban stemming from a National Hunt whip offence which kicks in on selected days. He is currently making the most of his opportunities however and completed a double on Sunday when John and Sonia Gardener’s Whitsand Bay defied a penalty, holding on well to beat Boys Will Be Boys (George Hiscock) in a good 13-runner Restricted. Eight-year-old Whitsand Bay had given Pritchard his first ever winner last April at Cotley Farm, sending him on his way to becoming the Mens’ Novice champion.
Whitsand Bay’s win took his trainer Josh Newman into the lead for the National trainers title, edging him just one ahead of Max Comley and Alan Hill.
Ed Vaughan now has an unassailable lead in a quest to inherit the Mens’ Novice title this season, with Sunday’s Maiden winner Ringsend John beating 13 rivals in good style. This ex-Irish eight-year-old is stabled with Ed’s father Tim, who has saddled the vast majority of Ed’s winners. Pointing followers will recall Tim partnering over a century of winners himself. “He was a bit green for an older horse but I was very confident when we hit the front. He has plenty of ability,” said the young rider who turns 17 in August and was due back at his school desk preparing for A levels the next morning.
Ed Vaughan has as long way to go to fill Will Biddick’s shoes, and had to give best to him as his mount Maska du Morvan chased home odds-on favourite Moon Lady in the Mares and Fillies Maiden. Stuart Payne trains the Cattistock mare at Mosterton for The Tigers Racing Club and Biddick duly pounced on his eight opponents to win easing up. “She is smart, travelled well and jumped well,” was the champion jockey’s succinct remark.
19-year-old Luke Morris partnered his first winner on his seventh ride when David Pipe’s Moodofthemoment held on to dead heat in a desperate finish to the Intermediate. The Newton Abbot born rider has an eventing background and joined the Pipe yard almost a year ago after a spell with Polly Walker. It was good to see David on hand, emphasising his support for his novice riders, reflecting that his other young point to point jockey Conal Kavanagh had recently got off the mark in a Chepstow hunter chase on Castle Daragh. Each of these young riders do all the work with these respective horses.
The other Intermediate dead-heater was Bob Butler’s Scoresby, himself a serial dead heater as ironically he had lost his maiden tag in the same way at Cotley Farm last year. Porlock born Rob David was enjoying his sixth career winner on the Harry Ryall trained gelding. “We might think about a Newton Abbot hunter chase,” said the Peckmoor, near Crewkerne based trainer.
The Leslie Jefford trained Walkin Out returned to form to win the Grass Roots Condition race in the colours of John Dorse, surviving a stewards enquiry into why her nearest rival Lakota Warrior had crashed through the wing of the last as the pair had come close together. The result was allowed to stand with the Anna Johnston ridden mare getting her head in front for the first time since winning a Cartmel hunter chase last May. “She comes alive in the spring with better ground and the sun on her back,” said Lisa Jefford.
The Hunt race also ended in controversy as the Josh Newman trained and ridden Important Notice inexplicably took the wrong course approaching the final fence when looking sure to win. Dorrells Pierji was the recipient of the prize, continuing the resurgence of the Dean Summersby yard and giving Darren Edwards his seventh winner of the season.