REPORT – PERCY – SUNDAY 29TH JANUARY

Will Ramsay maintained his 10pts lead over Lyall Hodgins in the Northern Area Jockeys Championship with a third winner of the season on ex-chaser Diable De Sivola in the 6-runner Dove (Alnwick) Men’s Open Race at Sunday’s Percy fixture. The 10-year-old made all the running when landing the West Percy equivalent three weeks earlier and similar tactics paid dividends as he galloped the opposition into submission in the best time of the day. The favourite Sine Nomine (John Dawson), in receipt of 10lb from Ramsay’s mount, tried hard to get on term from four out but always appeared to be fighting a losing battle and still had two-and-a-half lengths to find at the line. Ramsay said: ”He’s in the form of his life and there was still plenty left in the tank at the finish. His next outing is likely to be in the Grand Military Gold Cup at Sandown Park on March 7.” Ramsay was also full of praise for head lass Morag Mazzoni who keeps his horses tuned up when he is away organising art fairs around the world.

Last year’s Aintree Foxhunters’ hero Latenightpass remains on track to defend his crown on April 13 after a facile victory in the 6-runner Dove (Seahouses) Ladies Open Race under Gina Andrews. Left a few lengths clear when nearest challenger Oscar Wilde, who was half a length down at the time, blundered and unseated Amy Coltherd four out, the 10-year-old stayed on well down the home straight to score with plenty in hand by ten lengths from Fightfortheroses (Charlotte Tailford).

The Tom Ellis-trained winner will have one more run at Charm Park on March 5 before his follow-up bid at Aintree. This was Gina’s 440th career winner under all codes, comprising 354 between the flags (including 2 in Ireland) and 86 under Rules.

Cullin Hills (Paddy Barlow) reaped the benefit of a recent pipe-opener on testing ground at Sheriff Hutton when bolting up in the Ryecroft Glenton Restricted Race. Given a positive ride, the 6-year-old was always in the leading pair before asserting from three out to beat Watch Law (Nick Orpwood) by a distance. Her Sheriff Hutton-based handler Will Milburn said: ”All she does is gallop. That’s the first time she has set out to make the running and she couldn’t have done it any easier.” The victory was a real family affair as the mare carries the colours of Milburn’s mother Carol and uncle Derryk.

There was a popular local success for the Amie Waugh-trained Endless Adventure (John Dawson) in the 12-runner Meldrum Maiden Race. Given a patient ride, the 8-year-old And Beyond gelding made smooth headway from four out to head odds-on favourite Gabrielle De Balon (Gina Andrews) at the last and held off a renewed challenge on the run-in to prevail by a neck. Home-bred by Gloucestershire-based owner Caroline Mackness, the winner was having only his fourth career start under all codes after showing promise when fifth on Pointing debut at Alnwick earlier in the month. His dam Gulshique was a dual Pointing winner for Fergal O’Brien in 2007. Waugh said: ”He’s a very late maturer and Caroline’s patience has been rewarded. Our carpet gallop at Molesden wasn’t affected by the recent spell of sub-zero temperatures and so he didn’t miss any work.”

Few horses in the North can match the consistency of Ballydonagh Boy over the last fifteen months, and the admirable 9-year-old added another win to his tally under a 6lb penalty in the 11-runner Sintons Conditions Race. Given another positive ride from the front by Rosie Howarth, who stole a few lengths by kicking on after the final ditch, Cherry Coward’s charge had two lengths in hand at the finish over Cool Desire (John Dawson) with Dream Over (Nick Orpwood) a further ten lengths away in third. The placings remained unaltered following a lengthy stewards enquiry. The winner might step up into Ladies Open company for the first time at the Berwickshire fixture on February 12.

Recent West Percy scorer Go Go Geronimo (Tom Chatfeild-Roberts) extended his unbeaten sequence between the flags to four when brushing aside a 10lb penalty in the 4-runner Joiners Arms Intermediate Race in which the last 3 fences were omitted due to low sun to leave a run-in of approximately four furlongs. After being granted an uncontested lead, the 8-year-old didn’t see another rival on the second circuit and forged clear down the home straight to beat Imnottalkingtoyou (Gina Andrews) by a distance. Alnwick has proved to be a lucky track in recent years for trainer Kelly Morgan, who said: ”He’s a big lump of a horse and the 10lb penalty didn’t bother him. He goes straight to the Cheltenham Foxhunters’ on March 17 and now also has the option of running in the Intermediate Final at Cheltenham’s Hunters’ Chase evening.”

Billingham handler Sue Grant was pleasantly surprised by Cautiontothewind’s victory on debut under Lyall Hodgins in the concluding 2m IDA Homes Ltd Flat Race. Still last of the 5 runners with half-a-mile to go, the 5-year-old got a great run up the inner to head Wottinger (John Dawson) turning for home and kept on strongly to beat the promising Monknash (Jack Teal) by eight lengths. The same colours of the late Trevor Hemmings were carried to victory in the 2022 equivalent by the Sue Grant-trained Top Cloud. This was a 15th career Pointing winner from 60 rides for Hodgins who made a winning debut on Scarlet Fire at Alnwick in March 2019. He said of Cautiontothewind: ”He’s still a big baby and was green all the way but took off up the final hill when he got among horses and the penny finally dropped.”