REPORT: GRAFTON AT EDGCOTE – SUNDAY 19TH MAY

Nathan Rahman continued his comeback after breaking his back in December by landing his first double, on Tangoed and Prouts Pub at the Grafton Hunt Point-to-Point and Family Country Day at Edgcote, near Banbury.

It was after parting company with Tangoed at the last fence at Clifton-on-Dunsmore that the 29-year-old army officer suffered three fractured vertebrae when the mare trampled on him.

But he resumed race-riding six weeks after the accident, and Tangoed gave him his first winner since returning to the saddle, at Larkhill last month.

The six-year-old, trained by Rob Varnham at Bramley, near Guildford, followed up that success by taking the 2m 5f Intermediate, sponsored by Savills.

Rahman’s mount came with a wet sail approaching the last fence, before forging clear to score by four lengths from Midnight Monkey.

The winning rider, a corporal with the 1st Battalion Royal Welsh based at Tidworth in Wiltshire, said: “She came round the bend and just picked up. She’s fantastic for saying she is only 15 hands.”

Tangoed is owned by the Grapevine Racing Club, which consists of Rahman, his father, Terry, and Varnham’s wife, Lucie, who said: “She went under Rules and went stale.”

Rahman and Varnham then teamed up to take the feature Dunraven PPORA Novice Riders’ Championship Final, sponsored by Dunraven Stud and Beachborough School, with Prouts Pub.

The 10-year-old stayed on best to claim the honours by two-and-three-quarter lengths from Gingili (Luca Morgan), with the trail-blazing Supreme Danehill a length back in third.

Prouts Pub, who also completed a first double for Varnham, was winning for the first time between the flags, having been trained under Rules by Nick Gifford before suffering a tendon injury.

Rahman said: “He had been two years at grass. I picked him up in February and I could feel the rawness, but there was something special there and he had an engine.”

Morgan’s second place earned him the prize of a one-to-one masterclass with Sir AP McCoy at the 20-time champion jump jockey’s stables near Lambourn, as the top points-scoring rider in the series from the first four past the post.

The 17-year-old, who works for Johnny Farrelly at Upper Twinhoe, near Bath, said: “I am delighted to win it. Obviously it’s a very good prize and it’s good of the PPORA to put something on like this. It’s a great initiative.”

Sadly, Loraine Homer’s Black Jack Rover was put down after being pulled up early on by her son, Harry, with a severed tendon.

Tom Ellis’s first thoughts were with his wife, Gina Andrews, after her victory on King of The Clothe in the Mixed Open, sponsored by John White Funeral Directors, following the loss of Forgiving in the preceding Intermediate.

The Sue Welch-owned mare was pulled up by the five-time ladies’ champion after breaking a shoulder on landing after the third-last, and was put down.

Andrews sent King of The Clothe into the lead five from home, and the seven-year-old held off Hellorboston by a length-and-three-quarters, with Western Diva, who had been left at the start, half a length back in third.

Ellis, who trains at Marton, near Rugby, said: “There is nothing worse than going home without one. Gina, I know, has quite a hard exterior, but it really knocks her back when we lose one, so that’s a nice tonic for her.”

King of The Clothe, owned by the Oak Partnership consisting of Giles Sim, Chris Jones and Helen Robson, was winning for the fourth time this season, and the trainer added: “It takes a good one to go from a Maiden to an Open in one season.”

Ellis and Andrews completed a double when You Know The Story followed up her Dingley Maiden win by taking the Restricted, sponsored by Jackson-Stops.

Andrews made all the running on the seven-year-old, owned by Martin and Jane Wanless, to come home 20 lengths clear of Bluebell Sally.

Viv Lloyd has enjoyed success as an owner with Russian Empire and Hinxworth, and he trained his first winner when Redkalani landed the Ten-Year-Olds-and-Over PPORA Club Members’ Conditions Race, sponsored by Framptons Planning.

After odds-on favourite Velvet Cognac was left at the start, Sam Burton sent Redkalani into the lead six from home, and his mount stayed on dourly to triumph by five lengths from Gersjoeycasey.

Trained by Keith Reveley and Gillian Boanas under Rules, the 11-year-old was winning for the first time between the flags after joining Lloyd’s Clifford yard, near Hay-on Wye, in August.

The winning trainer revealed he had only booked Burton for the ride that morning, saying: “Well done to Sam for turning up at short notice and doing the job. Three rings and he answered the phone.”

Outsider-of-three Ancient Empire made all the running in the hands of Tom Broughton to take the Grafton Hunt Members, Subscribers & Farmers Race, sponsored by Heygate & Sons, for owner Mark Whitney.

The seven-year-old, from Richard Pringuer’s Greens Norton stables, near Towcester, was being challenged by stablemate Aunty Joan at the third-last when the 2017 winner crumpled on landing, leaving Ancient Empire to come home by 15 lengths from Blue Mountain Boy.

Broughton said: “I still felt like he was going really well, and he ran up the hill well.”

Hereditary Rule gave Francesca Nimmo, who trains at Ettington, near Stratford, her fourth winner from five runners at the track this season by taking the Open Maiden, sponsored by Bagforce 2 Ltd.

Tommie O’Brien produced the four-year-old to join Bite My Tongue at the second-last, and the son of Imperial Monarch quickly went clear to score by 12 lengths.

Nimmo said: “This seems to be a lucky track. He is super straightforward. I would imagine he will go to the Cheltenham Sales at the end of the month.”

The race was marred by a tragic accident in the paddock beforehand when Babbiloora, from Pauline Harkin’s Edgcote stables, reared over backwards and broke her neck.

Sussex raiders reigned supreme in the two pony races, sponsored by Ben Case Racing and Kandu. Jack Dace, 11, from Billinghurst, notched his 13th winner of the season on Nomoranun in the first contest. Ashley Lewis, 11, who lives at Ardingley, then completed an eight-timer on Bongo Bay.