REPORT – NEW FOREST – SUNDAY 26TH MARCH

Age is just a number – this expression was certainly borne out as the New Forest Hounds held the final meeting at Larkhill this season. There were victories for a veteran horse, a double for a veteran rider and at the other end of the spectrum a first win for a seventeen year old rider. At the conclusion of the day there was some excellent news about the future of the course which had been seriously in doubt as the season began.

The ground had benefitted from the recent heavy rainfall and the jockeys reported it to be ideal for the six point to point races.

First Preference ridden by James King and trained by Luke Price, turned the Conditions race into a procession and once in front after the third last the result was never in doubt. Acquired from Ireland where he won three races he had already won his Hunt race at Howick by a similar margin for his enthusiastic owners The Glass of Port Racing Club. This had been founded by the late Jason Warner and his memory is being continued by the Club whose members include Jason Rees and Graham Garland. The gelding looks to have a bright future based on his exploits to date and his likely target will be the Dunraven Bowl Hunter Chase at Chepstow at the end of next month.

The Maiden race had a dramatic outcome with the result changing on the run in. Hatchet Jack had made most of the running under Philip York but when he was headed his chance appeared to be gone as both Furioso des Bordes, ridden by George Hiscock, and Stopbeatinyourgums ridden by James King swept by. However Philip persevered and getting a tremendous leap from his mount at the last he landed running and he found himself in front again and managed to hold off the late challenge of Dorset Diamond. Owned by Georgie Hawkings and trained by Jenny Gordon he had been ridden in his four previous outings by Georgie without much success so had turned to the most experienced rider in the weighing room and the switch had immediately paid off. Bought by Georgie’s father Ed as a four year old he had been placed under rules when trained by Paul Henderson but never managed to win a race.

There was a highly popular winner in the Mixed Open race when the fifteen year old Southfield Theatre ridden by Lily Bradstock made all to leave his four rivals trailing in his wake. Jumping fast and relishing the going the further they went the partnership drew right away and had twenty lengths at the line in hand. His owner Angela Yeoman sadly missed the victory as she was in America but her proud trainer Sara Bradstock praised her stable star saying ‘He is a real enthusiast and loves going racing despite his age’ . Recording his seventeenth pointing victory to which should be added nine wins under Rules, Lily has established a real partnership with him adding that ‘You could put a kid on him as he knows what to do around Larkhill’

There was a close finish to the Maiden Conditions race when Must Have Hope ridden by Philip York narrowly defeated Famoso ridden by George Hiscock by a length. Placed in an Irish point before joining Tim Underwood’s stable, he had already been placed four times this season so was not winning out of turn. Philip, despite being into his fifties, shows no signs of slowing up and still sets a great example to his weighing room colleagues. Recalling that although he started at a young age he did not really ride regularly until the mid-1990s and has been a stalwart of the South East area ever since.

There was another close finish to the Restricted race when Gouazec ridden by James King beat Cuzzicombe, ridden by Chloe Emsley, by a neck. There then followed an objection and a lengthy stewards enquiry into possible interference approaching the last fence but eventually this was overruled and the result stood. Supplementing his previous course win from February the winner, who is owned and trained by Callum Griffiths at Haverfordwest, is next likely to be seen in an Intermediate at Lydstep and might then be aimed for the Intermediate Hunter Chase at Cheltenham in May.

The final race the Novice Riders Conditions proved to be a front running duel between Right of Reply, ridden by Emma Freeman, and My Way ridden by Alfie Shalliker. Eventually the latter asserted from the third last and drew clear from the last to record a twenty five lengths victory. Alfie, 17, was only riding in his second point to point race and was delighted to have achieved the victory in the colours of Paul Nicholls who Alfie has been working for the last two seasons. Originally from Cornwall Alfie said ‘I always wanted to ride from a very young age and am very grateful to be able to ride such a good horse’ Trained by Sam Loxton the gelding had recorded two wins under Rules when owned by Chris Giles including over fences at Kempton in 2021 and he should be able to give Alfie more success in Novice Rider races this season.

The opportunity was taken after the end of racing to ask for an update on the issue of the new lease from the Ministry of Defence. It was confirmed that the Heads of Terms for a new lease for 25 years had been signed by both parties and all of the paperwork was now with solicitors. There could not be a better way for the Larkhill season to finish and we should all be grateful to the intervention of the Rt Hon Ben Wallace MP