REPORT – BICESTER WITH WHADDON CHASE (SUNDAY 12TH APRIL)

23 horses faced the starter in the five races that took place at the Bicester with Whaddon Chase fixture at Edgcote on Sunday 12^th April, and the biggest cheer of the day greeted the local winner of the first race, the David Beecroft Ltd Bicester with Whaddon Chase Hunt Members Race, which attracted three runners. Cap Du Mathan had formerly been a useful chaser for Paul Nicholls – indeed, he won a Newton Abbot Hunter Chase on his last start in May. Retired from the racecourse, and now owned by Sky Sports Racing presenter Vanessa Ryle, he was a first runner in a point-to-point for trainer Jack Sherborn Hoare and a first ride for his wife, 32-year-old Minna, daughter of Guy Henderson, former Chief Executive of Ascot Racecourse and now Chair of the Injured Jockeys Fund. 

The progressive mare Bluescape was preferred in the betting, but Cap Du Mathan led his rivals a merry dance, being as far as 20 lengths ahead of his rivals and managing to put himself right after several jumping errors. Bluescape looked set to score when joining the long-time leader two out, but Cap Du Mathan found more and – despite being interfered with on the run-in – held on to win by a head for his emotional connections, with Shanty Alley a never-dangerous 15 lengths third. Ed Vaughan, riding the runner-up, was stood down for the rest of the day by the stewards. 

“That’s the best thing I’ve ever done with my mates!” exclaimed Ryle afterwards. “Jack and Minna are two of my best friends, they live on the Edgcote Estate, and we all hunt together with the Bicester. We had a mad idea to run Cap Du Mathan in a point-to-point, and to pull it off is unbelievable. The horse is a legend – he was gifted to me by Paul Nicholls and the Stewart family to team chase and hunt and we weren’t meant to send him pointing, so I’d like to thank them for letting me run him here. It’s a real team effort – training doesn’t fit into my work schedule, and I can only do it with the help of Jack and Minna. He’s probably the only pointer trained by WhatsApp group!” Pressed as to plans for Cap Du Mathan, Ryle was definitive. “That’s it now. That was the aim.” 

The winning rider, however, was not so sure. “I’d like to run him at the Grafton (at Edgcote next month) but can’t, as we’re on holiday. Maybe we’ll come back here next year – he’s only 11, after all!” Asked about her first race-riding experience, Sherborn Hoare admitted, “It was a combination of terrifying and amazing and the win was all down to Cap Du Mathan. He’s as bold as anything, I’d trust him with my life, and I was just a passenger – he kept correcting me. He’s so brave, he jumped brilliantly and is a very special horse.” 

Feature race of the day was the three-runner Spratt Endicott Edgcote Gold Cup Mixed Open, and it went to seven-year-old Kandor, trained by Matthew Gill, who overturned hot favourite Cartesien to score for the second time this season. Veteran Innisfree Lad made the running as usual, stalked by first Cartesian, then Kandor. All three horses were level jumping the third last, Kandor gained the initiative two out, and held on well to defeat Cartesien by two lengths. Innisfree Lad ran his usual game race to be ten lengths third. 

Winning rider Daniel Williams, who had scored at Chepstow the day before for his boss Nicky Henderson, said afterwards, “That’s a great result. He’s been second to two decent horses – Grace A Vous Enki and Great Valley – on his last two starts. We saw Kandor at Doncaster Sales in May and we’ve had a lot of fun with him this season. Matthew is head lad at Seven Barrows, and we keep the horse at Verity Green’s and train him every day.” 

Gill, originally from Liverpool, told me, “I got into the sport by chance. Dad used to have horses with Ferdy Murphy, and I used to hate racing but, watching it on TV one day, I decided to give it a go. I went to racing school, then went to work for Jonjo O’Neill at Jackdaws Castle. Since I joined Nicky Henderson, I’ve ridden three champion hurdlers, and I currently ride Supreme Novices Hurdle winner Old Park Star.” He confirmed what his jockey had said about Kandor, adding, “I knew early on that Daniel was good, so I said we should get a pointer together for me to train and him to ride. I thought he had a great chance at Bangor-on-Dee last time, but Great Valley looks like the next Barton Snow, and he came back lame and lost a shoe, so we’ve given him time off since.” 

Star of the day with a double was trainer-rider Dale Peters, both of whose wins came in the Maiden races. He opened his account on Natureofthegame in the Tattersalls Cheltenham GB Pointing Bonus Young Horse Maiden for four and five-year-olds, over the shorter distance of two miles five furlongs, which had six runners. Mid-division early, the 5yo by Pether’s Moon was mid-division early, jumped into second at the tenth fence, overtook front-running Paris Man three out, and went on to win by an easy 12 lengths. Paris Man stayed on for second, 13 lengths clear of favourite Master Chuggy. 

Natureofthegame is jointly owned by Peters and Toby Hunt and, with the winning rider dashing off to weigh-in, then out again for the next race, I spoke to Hunt, who gave me the background to the horse. “We took a punt on him at Doncaster two years ago and he only cost £3,000,” he confirmed. “He’s a lovely horse and today was the first time he’s been away from the farm so he must be talented. Dale was confident beforehand – I wasn’t, but he knows what he’s sitting on and I don’t, and he makes it look easy.” Explaining their approach to buying horses, Hunt told me, “We go 50/50 but both have to agree on the horse. I don’t know what I’m looking at, but when you like one, you like one – it’s more evident when you don’t!” As for next steps, Hunt was guarded. “Dale and I will have a chat,” he said. He may go to Cheltenham Sales on Thursday – after all, that’s what we bought him for.” With Tattersalls representative Shirley Anderson-Jolag waiting to talk to Hunt, that seems likely! 

Peters immediately doubled up on Keystone in the six-year-old and over National Hunt Trainers Maiden Race, sponsored by 11 licensed yards, including three based on the Edgcote Estate, as well as champion trainer-elect Dan Skelton. This was another race with six runners and Keystone, improving on his recent Guilsborough run, was prominent throughout, jumped into the lead after a circuit and – despite one bad mistake – was never headed thereafter, coming home 25 lengths in front of the only other finisher Night In Deauville. 

The six-year-old is owned by Paul and Andy Walpole, who the former described as “Strawberry farmers from near Kings Lynn in Norfolk.” Other horses the brothers have had with Peters include the now-retired Thunderstruck, and Imperial D’Ainay, who Walpole rates as, “Well-bred but useless!” Explaining their choice of Peters as their trainer, Walpole said, “We used to have horses with Caroline Bailey, and she advised us to go to Dale – who used to ride Early Retirement for us – when she retired. It’s a great yard, with a good team, and Dale’s partner Natalie does a really good job of making it fun.” 

Peters, who considered the going to be, “The Soft side of Good,” endorsed his winning owner’s views, saying, “We’ve got great owners, a good team of helpers, and the horses are in good condition and running well.” Asked about his numbers for the season as trainer and jockey, Peters fired back with, “You tell me, Jake – that’s your job!” (The answers are 14 as trainer and 16 as jockey, and he is now just four short of 200 winners between the flags). Talking me through his best horses this season, Peters confirmed, “Byorderofthecourt is a proper machine – I’ve put him away now, but he’ll come back in early – Line Em Up will go for the Heart of all England Hunter Chase at Hexham, and Largy Pearl will be aimed at the John Corbet Cup at Stratford. If I had just one flagbearer like them, I’d be happy, but I’ve got three!” 

The final race of the day was the 45 The Green Dental Practice, which saw five go to post. Favourite was the progressive five-year-old Farfromaway – trained by Francesca Poste and ridden by Ed Doggrell – and he justified his status in the market, leading all the way to beat Fortuneville by nine lengths, with Seek Him There six lengths third. 

His trainer told me afterwards, “He’s a likeable, fun horse with a great attitude, who loves his work. He was due to be a sales horse but ran green first time at Dunsmore, then unseated. He won well at Kingston Blount and was second at Siddington when he missed the last two fences.” Poste, whose husband Charlie was absent in Newmarket Sales – they have four, who are due to breeze-up tomorrow, entered in the Craven Sales – but who confirmed her baby son Isaac was at Edgcote, added, “Our young pointers have been in and out this season – the five-year-olds are running well, but the four-year-olds less so.” Of her stable stalwarts, “Kilfilum Woods may go for the Lady Dudley Cup on Saturday, and Glancing Hill is ready to go again.” 

It was the 22^nd winner of what’s by far his best campaign for Doggrell, who works and rides mostly for Chris Barber but has started building connections with plenty of other yards, as he explained. “I had six years out of the saddle, then rode my first winners back at the end of last season. Chris got me going, and it’s snowballed from there I think I was Will Biddick’s first ever employee – and still go there once a week – so he started giving me rides. I picked up Farfromaway as a spare at Dunsmore, then won on him at Kingston Blount.” Doggrell confirmed his aims for the season as, “I’d love to get to 30 winners and stay third in the jockeys table, but really just to stay riding good horses and keep everyone happy.” 

Unfortunately, the Towcester Vets PPORA Conditions Race (Level 2) was void, because no runners were declared.