REPORT – QUANTOCK – SATURDAY 11TH MARCH

The Quantock meeting at Cothelstone went ahead on Saturday having survived a mid-week snow scare and the public were treated to some excellent racing. Will Biddick was in good form as both jockey and trainer with a riding double and also training the winner of the first which was ridden by Lawrence Jordan. The two maiden races were won by two very nice individuals and it would not be Cothelstone without a Welsh raider going back with some silverware.

The Hunt race often throws up a good race and the last two occasions have resulted in the winning rider being presented with the Wessex Ride of the Season at the Area Awards. This year too, many were impressed by the ride given by 22 year old Lawrence Jordan who probably qualifies for the tallest jockey currently riding at 6ft 4 in his stockinged feet. With Footloose sent off odds-on favourite, Lawrence sent the Will Biddick-trained Miss Benjo into an early lead. Jumping really well for her inexperienced rider, Lawrence didn’t panic when headed two fences from home by Molly Landau on Ninth Wave and rousted the mare to get back up on the line to win by three-quarters of a length. Will explained afterwards that he had bought the mare, who had been consistent in Ireland, as a horse for the young jockeys in his yard to gain race experience on and that she had enjoyed the quicker ground here as well as responding well to the blinkers. Lawrence, for whom this was a second winner, works full-time for Will having spent time with Richard Hannon and Tom George but had moved to Will’s so he could ride in points. He explained that it was his dream to one day ride in both the Cheltenham and Aintree Foxhunters before possibly going back on the Flat as an Assistant or moving into racing administration.

The extended Open race now run over three and a half miles went to David Brace’s Looksnowtlikebrian who relished the longer trip under Oisin Radford chalking up their fourth win together. Seizing an early lead, Oisin dictated from the front slowing on the last circuit to give his horse a breather before kicking clear again to coast home by seventeen lengths from Trio For Rio and Broadclyst. Looksnowtlikebrian had been fancied for a Welsh National earlier in his career so it was no surprise for connections to see him enjoy the trip. Owner/trainer David Brace was not present having decided that the Six Nations match between Wales and Italy took precedence but Oisin, who has been with the yard for two years, explained that the horse was finding it easier now he wasn’t carrying penalties as before.

Dr Rhythm has been a grand servant for owner Tina Dunsford and trainer Keith Cumings and won for the eighth time when he took a competitive Conditions race under Josh Newman repelling the late challenge of Will Biddick on Fiston des Issards with Classic Concorde well back in third. Clearly on good terms with himself this season having won impressively last time at Badbury Rings, connections were concerned that the rain may have softened the ground too much.

Will Biddick had earlier got the better of Josh Newman in a close finish in the Restricted race when the progressive Joe Cotton followed up his easy win at Larkhill last month. Trained by Chris Barber and owned by the Boundary Partnership, the Mount Nelson gelding responded well to pressure and saw off the second Between You and Me to win by three quarters of a length with Champions Hill a further ten lengths back in third. “He’s still quite a baby and has got a lot of maturing still to do but he could be a very nice horse,” said Chris of the gelding who as with all of this partnership would now be on the market. He would be a really interesting acquisition for any yard.

The same connections were back in the winning enclosure after the last, an all-aged Maiden, when 4 year old Jo Arengeot Bey Aa won easily by six lengths from Chief Black Robe and early leader A Jet of Our Own. With the latter taking some liberties with the fences, Will quietly bided his time on the 4 year old son of Polarix. A very happy trainer said “this win means the most to us” and explained he, Joe Hill and James Stannard, who unofficially operate as “Lowflyer Bloodstock”, had seen him at the sales and “we just loved him despite his lack of pedigree!” Chris also credited Jamie Thomas who had done all the work at home with him and was completely convinced he would win. The suffix of “Aa” after the horse’s name indicates that the horse is actually not 100% pure thoroughbred, but like some French-breds is actually classed as an Anglo-Arab, a fact picked up by commentator Jochen Rubezevicus.

Another extremely classy 4 year old debutant came in the form of the winner of the Mares Maiden earlier on the card when Hazel’s Delight cruised home under Alice Stevens for trainer Fran Poste. Alice said afterwards “she’s a very nice straightforward filly who just does everything right.” Fran’s husband Charlie who was in charge said that they had bought the Mount Nelson filly from the Derby Sale and felt she had been too cheap owing to the fact the now fashionable sire had been out of favour. Potentially she too was on the market and would make a nice addition to any yard.