Larkhill hosted its penultimate meeting of the season when the South and West Wilts held their meeting . Supported by a good crowd the weather remained dry with a keen wind and on going described by riders as good safe ground. The highlights of the day were a first winner over fences for Fern O’Brien, a riding double for jockey Bradley Gibbs and a popular local success for trainer Bea Coward and the Barrow Street Racing Club.
Grageelagh Girl provided Fern, 17, daughter of National Hunt trainer Fergal O’Brien and Jelly Nolan, with her first ever winner over fences when the mare held off the sustained challenge of Epi Sacre ridden by Freddie Henderson in the feature Lycetts sponsored HRH The Prince of Wales Mixed Open. Previously placed at the first Larkhill meeting behind the recent Hunter Chase winner I K Brunel, she loves her racing and is an ideal schoolmaster for Fern despite now having reached the age of twelve. Trained by Hannah Lewis for owner Chris Coley she appreciated the better racing surface and despite her small stature jumped well. She was going to be Fern’s first winner under Rules at Cartmel last June but was disqualified when the mare lost her weight cloth on the run-in. Since then Fern has recorded six victories on the flat and although she wants to continue riding on the flat she said ‘I enjoy riding over fences and this gives me a real thrill’
Freddie Henderson had better luck in the opening Pat Awdry Memorial Conditions race when recording an easy success aboard his father James‘s Frisson Collonges. Sadly James was away in Kenya but word of his victory soon reached him. Explaining his success Freddie said that ‘the gelding has been regularly hunted with the Old Berkshire and the VWH and loves his jumping.’ His leaps at the last three fences were excellent and he had a comfortable victory margin of twenty lengths at the winning post.
The first of Bradley’s double came courtesy of Gouazec in the Milton Indoor Storage Services sponsored Maiden race when he narrowly defeated Whats Cooking ridden by George Hiscock. Making his English debut, having been placed in five Irish points, for owner/trainer Callum Griffiths, he was acquired privately after his last run in Ireland in December. Callum, paying his first ever visit to Larkhill, is based in Haverfordwest, West Wales and was recording his first training victory having previously been assistant to Alistair Ralph. He has five horses to run from his yard which he has leased from Dai Rees.
Another ex-Irish import Joe Cotton made his English debut a winning one when beating Highway Hero by a length in the Woolley and Wallis sponsored Maiden Conditions race. Despite veering to the left on the run in he stayed on well under a strong ride from Will Biddick for trainer Chris Barber and looks to have a bright future. Noted by Chris when finishing fourth in a Maiden in November to Southoftheborder he approached Colin Bowe to find out if he was for sale. Colin advised that he would have one more run and after that race in Ireland in January Chris acquired him. Chris advised that he is for sale and hopes that he would have a future under Rules.
Happy Day Emery made amends of his last fence unseat at the last meeting when comfortably beating Between You and Me, ridden by Josh Newman, in the Martin Haskett Agricultural Contractors sponsored Restricted race. Ridden as usual by Martin ‘Fly ’McIntyre he was cheered home by the members of the Barrow Street Racing Club who had turned out in force to support the Bea Coward trained grey gelding. Sourced by bloodstock agent Mel Smith he was described by Sarah Shields as ‘a very laid back horse‘ and ‘just a gem’ and looks one to follow in the future. He did suffer a cut during the race and it is to be hoped that he will soon recover from this.
There were tears in the winner’s enclosure after the success of Champion Chase ridden by Alice Stevens for trainer Fran Poste in the Symonds and Sampson Ladies Conditions Race. These were of joy and were from the gelding’s groom Cerys Sheehy who joined the stable of Charlie and Fran’s yard last year on an apprenticeship and has been riding the gelding since she arrived. Bought by Fran at Ascot having failed to win any of his thirty two previous races this was his fourth point to point victory and the relationship he has built up with Cerys was very apparent.
Another Ascot purchase came from the successful debut of Purple Aki in the Virtual sponsored Flat race over two miles. A maximum field of twelve horses set off and at the winning post the Bradley Gibbs trained and ridden gelding had six lengths in hand from Crookbarrow ridden by Alice Stevens. Bought for £5K as an unbroken four-year-old Bradley paid credit to the work of his novice rider Josh Younge who rides him at home and had hoped to let him ride in this race which unfortunately for Josh was not permitted due to the conditions.
Prior to racing a Charity Flat race was held organized by Simon Earle and it was announced that in excess of £7K had been raised for Racing Welfare.