REPORT: ALDINGTON RACES AT ALDINGTON – FRIDAY 16 APRIL

Aldington Races staged their fixture on Friday and attracted 44 runners across the six races, which resulted in a double for both Gina Andrews and James King.

The meeting started with a three-mile Maiden, which attracted the largest field of the day with 13 runners. Charing runner-up Gemini Fire and Fier Jaguen, from Bradley Gibbs’ yard, were sent off the 6/4 joint favourites, with Itsallintheclouds (Gina Andrews) also well backed at 2/1. These three, along with the Alan Hill-trained Bon Calvados, were the prominent runners throughout the race and heading to the final fence Itsallintheclouds held a slender advantage over Fier Jaguen and Gemini Fire.

Gemini Fire was a final fence faller leaving Itsallintheclouds and Fier Jaguen battling up the run-in, with Itsallintheclouds and Gina Andrews eventually finding some extra momentum to win by five lengths at the line. Bon Calvados, who had led for much of the race but weakened after the penultimate fence, completed in third. The locally trained Ivebeentold, ridden by Jack Andrews, was the only other finisher in fourth, some 25 lengths further back.

The Print Concern supports the NHS Restricted race saw seven line up, with a congested-looking betting market. Halloween Harry, from James Ridley’s yard, was sent off the 5/4 favourite, with Tim Underwood’s Papal Present and Francesca Nimmo’s For Rita both priced at 2/1, and Nigel Padfield’s Man Of Means a 9/4 shot. For Rita led for the early part of the race before being headed by The Alchemyst, from Nicholas Wright’s yard, with Man Of Means and Halloween Harry also prominent. Papal Present also made a move heading down the back straight for the final time but, as the pace of the race increased over the final four fences, For Rita, Man Of Means and Halloween Harry were the three runners battling it out.

Man Of Means and For Rita held a marginal advantage over Halloween Harry at the final fence and all three raced towards the winning post as a group, but it was For Rita who eventually managed to gain some distance over her rivals to win by just under two lengths, with Man Of Means holding onto second ahead of Halloween Harry. Papal Present completed for fourth, whilst the other three runners all pulled-up.

The Ladies Open provided Gina Andrews and Tom Ellis with their double as General Arrow survived a last fence blunder to justify favouritism and follow up his Charing success. No Hassle Hoff, ridden by Alice Stevens for Ed Turner, jumped past Cloudy Joker, ridden by Claire Hardwick for Max Comley, at the final fence to take second, with Lisheen Prince and Izzie Marshall finishing fourth. Both the locally trained runners Jackfield and Oscar O’Scar completed for fifth and sixth respectively, but some distance behind the other four runners.

The Men’s Open looked to be a thrilling race on paper. However, both Just Cause and Rio Bravo were withdrawn, leaving just three runners going to post. Nigel Benstead’s Streets Of London, with Phil York in the saddle, was sent off the warm 1/2 favourite, whilst the Alan Hill-trained The Brassmoulder, ridden by Tommie O’Brien, was priced at evens and Here I Am, from Hannah Grissell’s stable, was priced at 4/1. The three runners set off at a steady pace, with The Brassmoulder and Here I Am a couple of lengths clear of Streets Of London. But as the three runners completed their first circuit of the course, Here I Am ran out on the bend approaching the tenth fence, leaving The Brassmoulder a couple of lengths clear of Streets Of London.

Phil York made his move after the second open ditch and by the third fence from home only had the obstacles in front of him to worry about. Streets Of London jumped well and took the race by 10 lengths from The Brassmoulder, providing great joy to the owner and trainer after the victory of a South East area trained horse.

The Retraining of Racehorses and Jockey Club Veteran Horse Conditions race saw the second largest field of the day, with eight runners facing the starter, and a treble for Ellis and Andrews looked a strong possibility with Haymount sent off the even money favourite. Haymount took an early lead but, as the runners completed their first circuit, lost his position when the James King-trained and -ridden Thumb Stone Blues and Generous Ransom, from David Phelan’s yard, both took up the running.

Additionally, locally trained hopes Double Whammy, from Sarah Ashby’s yard, and Andrew Coveney’s Dragon de La Tour were also in touch as the runners went out onto their second circuit of the course. But as the runners turned towards home and the final four fences a group of four runners opened up an advantage, with Thumb Stone Blue and Generous Ransom just ahead of Anthony Humphrey’s Gun Shy and Caroline Fryer’s Mercers Court, who had both moved through the field down the back straight. By the penultimate fence, Gun Shy had been dropped and the other three runners were all vying for the lead before taking the final fence together.

Thumb Stone Blues was able to gain the advantage after the fence and held on for a two-length success, giving James King a double on the day. Generous Ransom just managed to get his head in front of Mercers Court at the critical moment to take second, while Gun Shy completed for fourth and Double Whammy and Dragon de La Tour had their own battle for the minor placings, with the former eventually coming out on top by a little over a length. Haymount pulled up at the sixteenth fence and has subsequently been retired.

The concluding race of the day was the South East Hunts Club Conditions (Level 3) race, which saw seven of the eight entries declared, and a further double looked on the cards as Phil York teamed up with Tim Underwood to ride Cheltenham Mati, who was sent off the 1/2 favourite. Celtic Rising, who had raced well at Charing until falling four fences from home, was an early casualty when falling at the first, leaving just six runners and Katie Featherstone’s Orchard Hill in the lead.

Cheltenham Mati took up the running after the fifteenth fence but still had the Hannah Jones-trained Buffalo Sabre, Robert Varnham’s Tangoed and Peter Hickman’s Stingthebookies all challenging as the runners turned towards home for the final time. Cheltenham Mati and Tangoed then pulled away from Stingthebookies and Buffalo Sabre three fences from home and a battle quickly ensued between the pair.

Tangoed eventually gained the advantage after the penultimate fence and opened a clear lead over Cheltenham Mati, running well to the line to take victory some 15 lengths clear of the runner-up. Buffalo Sabre and Stingthebookies had their own duel for third, with Buffalo Sabre claiming that spot, whilst Orchard Hill was the only other finisher back in fifth.