Dogged Doggrell lands long-distance maiden double

Ed Doggrell’s 24-hour hike between Alnwick in Northumberland and Badbury Rings in Dorset paid off when he rode a brace of winners in the GB Pointing Young Horse Maiden Series.

Both victories came on hitherto unraced four-year-olds, with the Goffs-sponsored race at Alnwick on Saturday being won by Titi Montmartre from the Herefordshire yard run by Chris Barber, and the Tattersalls Cheltenham-backed contest at Badbury Rings on Sunday going to the Will Biddick-trained Six Two Three. Both horses are set to progress from point-to-pointing into racing under rules, helping to maintain links between the two sports.

Low Kick, who won at Naas in Ireland yesterday afternoon (Sunday) epitomises such progression. Last season he was placed in a maiden point-to-point and point-to-point bumper for Jack Teal’s Yorkshire stable before changing hands at Goffs’ Doncaster Spring Sale in May for £170,000. The gelding, like Titi Montmartre a son of Montmartre, joined Gordon Elliott, and after a cracking second place behind highly-rated The Irish Avatar at Navan last month, won a bumper yesterday by ten lengths.

Low Kick selling for £170,000 at Doncaster in May ahead of his Naas victory yesterday (Ce)

Recounting his trip to Alnwick after winning at Badbury Rings, Doggrell (pictured top of the page) said: “Chris and I went up there in the lorry. We got up at four, fed the horses and left the yard at five. It was our first visit to Alnwick, but it’s a stiff, fair track and the ground was testing, so for a four-year-old to win like he did indicates he’s a horse with a future.”

Titi Montmartre won by four lengths from the Alice Dawson-trained Midnight Dragon (Dragon Dancer), who finished two lengths clear of third-placed Short Sell (Hillstar) from Fran Poste’s stable. Six ran.

Six Two Three (Passing Glance), who had ten rivals to beat, won by five and a half lengths from the Josh Newman-trained-and-ridden Electric City (Getaway), while Titi Montmartre’s stablemate Stick Season (Order Of St George) finished third, beaten 14 lengths. Doggrell said: “It’s hard to compare Titi Montmartre with Six Two Three, because Alnwick has that hill which can take it out of them. This horse [Six Two Three] has just won a race that looked competitive; we went a good gallop and I felt he was the winner from a long way out.”

Titi Montmartre is led up by trainer Chris Barber ahead of his Alnwick victory (Grace Beresford)

Doggrell, who was born and raised in Dorset and whose father and grandfather rode in point-to-points, thanked Barber for resurrecting his place within the sport after he had taken a six-year break. He rode half a dozen winners between 2016 and 2018, but with weight issues and a love of hunting he went into hunt service – a profession in which his father was employed – before returning to race riding at the start of last season. His weight has now settled, 15 winners have followed and he is now a rising force on the circuit.

He said: “I love riding these four-year-olds. In the summer Chris and I break them in, learn all about them and teach them.”

Titi Montmartre was bought in France by Barber and agent Ed Bailey, and is now jointly-owned by the trainer and his farrier, Dan Shinton. Barber said of the horse: “He’s a big, gangly baby. He hit the front and looked like winning easily, but then pricked his ears. When the other horses came to him he went on again. Alnwick’s a nice track – it’s England’s version of Bellharbour [a coastal course in Co Clare, Ireland], but horses need to stay because there’s quite a stiff climb from four to three out.

“Ed walked the track before racing, but I slept in the lorry! He’s riding very well and he’s good on these young horses.”

“We’ll see how the horse comes out of the race before making any decisions, but he is for sale.”

Six Two Three, who is owned by bloodstock agent Tom Malone, is “Just another horse at the moment,” according to Biddick. He added: “He doesn’t do anything spectacular – you ask him to jump, he jumps, you ask him to gallop, he gallops, and he only ever does what you ask him. But he has improved and he’s got a tremendous brain and is very relaxed. He takes things in his stride.”

Six Two Three, racing through a heavy shower, lands the young horse maiden at Badbury Rings (Ce)

Biddick knows a good winner over two and a half miles at Badbury Rings, because it is where he set No Drama This End off on his career, and that horse has become one of the star novice hurdlers of the season and with a clear chance of victory at the Cheltenham Festival for trainer Paul Nicholls.

Asked to compare the two, Biddick said: “They have a similar mentality. No Drama was relaxed and didn’t show a lot until he went on the grass and this horse has been no different. It’s been a really professional debut run – I’m chuffed.”

If going on to win races under rules from the stable of a licensed trainer in Britain, Six Two Three, who was bred in Britain, would pick up his owner a £25,000 bonus, while French-bred Titi Montmartre would pick up a £15,000 bonus. They are being provided by the Horserace Betting Levy Board with the backing of the BHA to highlight links between the sport and racing under rules. It also places a spotlight on young British point-to-pointers with a view to generating interest in them when they are offered for sale. Auctioneers Tattersalls Cheltenham and Goffs UK have backed the series by sponsoring 14 races between them.

Full reports from Alnwick (Peter Burgon) and Badbury Rings (Bob Bracher) to follow