REPORT: SOUTH EAST HUNTS CLUB AT CHARING – SATURDAY 22ND FEBRUARY 2020

The South East Hunts Club kicked off the 2020 South East Area point-to-point season a week later than expected on Saturday, with their meeting at Charing seeing Jack Andrews ride a treble.

The opening race of the day, the two-mile, four-furlong Maiden, saw 12 runners face the starter with the Francesca Nimmo-trained Kenyan Cowboy and Nigel Padfield’s Howitsdone sent off the 3/1 joint-favourites, and it was this pair that fought out the finish. Local hopes of a winner dwindled when both the Cynthia Woods-trained Bit Of A Legend and David Phelan’s Kilmaley weakened over the final three fences, so Kenyan Cowboy and Howitsdone were left to race to the final fence 20 lengths clear of their nearest rival, Andrew Leyshon’s Cydercourt. Kenyan Cowboy, ridden by James King, was only carrying 10-7 compared to the 12-0 carried by Gina Andrews on Howitsdone, and was able to pull away on the run to the winning post to deny Howitsdone by seven lengths; however, Howitsdone looks certain to lose his maiden status soon.

The Veteran Conditions race saw 11 horses with a wealth of experience make their way to the start. The market favourite, Nicholas Wright’s Burtredgipandgump, led to the first fence but managed to send his jockey Kate Gowing crashing to the floor, which in turn left Laura Horsfall’s Ballycahane, ridden by Luke Scott, and Sarah Ashby’s Double Whammy, ridden by her daughter Mary, to lead the remaining runners. Double Whammy was still in contention with three fences to jump but was joined by Andrew Leyshon’s Kelvingrove, with Tommie O’Brien in the saddle, and the David Phelan-trained Generous Ransom, who was being piloted by Jack Andrews. Generous Ransom is a course winner and took the inside line to the final fence and looked to have the race won. However, Kelvingrove rallied on the flat and produced a late challenge but was denied by a short head. Double Whammy looked as if he was going to follow them home but a tired jump at the final fence saw Mary lose her balance and hit the deck, allowing the Phil York-ridden Thomas Junior for Nigel Benstead to take third but a distance behind the leading pair who were already heading for the winner’s enclosure. The Katie Featherstone-owned, -trained and -ridden Winola came home in fourth ahead of the only other finisher, Max My Boy ridden by his owner/trainer Hannah Jones.

The Men’s Open also saw the bookies’ favourite of the seven runners fail to finish, the James Owen-trained Silvergrove pulling up before heading out on the final circuit having led until the tenth fence and then weakening. Luke Scott took up the lead on Follow The Paint heading out for the final circuit, with Alan Hill’s Man of Steel hot on his heels. As the six remaining runners turned down the hill for the final time, the pace increased and Lynn Redman’s Expedite and Follow The Paint both found the injection of speed difficult to keep up with. However, both Streets of London, under Phil York for Nigel Benstead, and David Phelan’s Full Irish slowly made their way through the field to lead three fences from home. Streets of London appeared to have the advantage after the penultimate fence but Jack Andrews produced Full Irish on the run to the final fence to pull away by four lengths and take a second victory for the trainer-and-jockey combination. Full Irish’s owner, Anthony Ward-Thomas, had even more to celebrate later in the day when Highway One O Two, trained by former South East Area champion jockey Chris Gordon and ridden by another former South East Area champion jockey Tom Cannon, won the Grade 2 Sky Bet Dovecote Novice’s Hurdle at Kempton Park.

The Ladies’ Open also saw the favourite beaten. Having already saddled two winners, David Phelan’s Peggies Venture, with Gina Andrews in the saddle, was sent off the 5/4 favourite but a mistake four fences from home saw her weaken and a further blunder at the following fence saw Gina pull the mare up before the penultimate fence. The finish was fought out by the Libby Lawson-trained 13-year-old Don’t Do Mondays, ridden by Izzie Marshall, and the seven-year-old Darius des Bois, with novice jockey Francesca Flinton in the saddle for trainer Jennifer Owen. Many expected the more experienced duo to prevail but Darius des Bois wasn’t in the mood for adding another second to his form figures for 2020, having two already to his name, and held on to a one-length advantage on the race to the winning post, giving his jockey her first success. Alan Hill’s Namako, ridden by Georgie Benson, was the only other finisher but again was the distance of the run-in behind the leading pair.

The Conditions race saw Earlshill, the only Tom Ellis-trained runner of the day, sent off at 3/1, whilst James Owen’s Midnight Cowboy was the bookies’ favourite with Rupert Stearn in the saddle. Midnight Cowboy made a bad mistake at the open ditch second time round and was at the back of the field two fences later, by which point Earlshill, with Lucy Burton steering, had gained the lead. Earlshill made a mistake at the first fence coming back down the Charing hill, allowing the Hannah Grissell-trained and Rose Grissell-ridden Cooladerry King to move up beside him. The leading duo battled over the next two fences and a thrilling finish looked to be on the cards. However, Cooladerry King couldn’t react when Earlshill found another burst of speed towards the last fence and had to settle for second, some six lengths behind the winner. Chicoria and Harrison Beswick won the battle for third with Midnight Cowboy, and Nigel Padfield’s Orchard Hill was the only other finisher.

The concluding Restricted only attracted eight entries but seven of them headed for the starter in what proved to be the most incident-packed race of the day. Gemma Cobb’s Iron In The Soul was an early casualty at the second fence. The prominent Bulfin Island hit the fourth fence (first open ditch) and catapulted his jockey Caoilin Quinn to the ground. However, his unseating led to a further casualty as Nicholas Wright’s Almost There managed to put a front leg through the reins of Bulfin Island. This could have resulted in a nasty incident for both horses and Almost There’s jockey, Gina Andrews, but the National Ladies’ Champion was able to quickly and safely stop and dismount to untangle the horses (pictured). With only four of the seven runners left after only four fence, the pace of the race settled and the favourite Tinnehinch, under Phil York for Tim Underwood, led for much of the remainder of the race. Once again, however, as the remaining runners turned down Charing hill for the final time, the dynamic of the race changed and three horses were still in with a chance of victory. Tinnehinch was joined by Hannah Clarke’s Schiap Hill, ridden by Charlie Marshall, and Julie Wadland’s The Golden Rebel, with Jack Andrews in the driving seat. The trio took the third from home together before Schiap Hill and The Golden Rebel pulled a length clear of Tinnehinch approaching the penultimate fence. The pair remained side by side until turning for the final fence where The Golden Rebel managed to lose Schiap Hill from his tail and, having taken the last safely, stormed home eight lengths clear. Tinnehinch completed for third, whilst Katie Featherstone’s Magic Symphony, who had looked happy to complete in his own time for fourth, blundered at the penultimate fence and unseated his rider.