REPORT – SUFFOLK (SUNDAY 1ST MARCH)

Gina Andrews has enjoyed many winning sequences since riding her first point-topoint winner at Cottenham in 2008. At the weekend, Gina rode three winners at
Ampton on Sunday following a treble at Kingston Blount, the previous day. Now
approaching 450 career wins in points, her determination and desire to maintain her
success rate, never diminishes.
Andrews winning trio, at Ampton, came courtesy of Padjoes Legacy ( Veterans race ), Ice
Prowler ( Maiden ), both for owner/trainer Nigel Padfield and Call Me Early ( Intermediate )
registering another success for the local ownership, The Signy and Marriage Families.
Padjoes Legacy stayed on stoutly up the Ampton finishing hill having been involved in a
tense duel with Paint The Dream throughout the final circuit. The winner had the advantage
of the inside round the final two bends and responded to Gina’s urgings to win by 1¼
lengths. This was 10-year-old’s sixth success and the third with Gina aboard and she
described afterwards, her winning partner as a “hard ride, temperamental but on form
today”.
Ice Prowler confirmed previous potential with a well-timed challenge to secure victory in
the concluding Maiden contest where all seven entries were declared. One Man Party who
had been patiently ridden by Will Badlan, at the back of the field, took up the running at the
final obstacle down the hill, for the last time. With the final fence omitted because of
damage in the previous race, Andrews calmly but steadily made significant progress to join
One Man Party and overtake the ex-David Bridgewater inmate, who was making his
pointing debut, close home for a 1½ length victory.
Call Me Early triumph was very comfortable, seeing off the recent Higham winner, Practice
Run by 6 lengths. There was very little change in the order for the first two circuits with
Mister Splash, Practice Run and Call Me Early occupying the first three places. It was three
fences out where Mister Splash relinquished the lead, after coming under pressure.
Bradley Gibbs had Practice Run on the favoured inside round the final bend but Gina had
enough in reserve on Call Me Early and although brushing through the top of the last fence
had 6 lengths to spare over their nearest rival, at the finish. This was Call Me Early’s fifth
win, all in the East Anglia area, for his enthusiastic owners and Gina post-race comments
“ he’s a talented individual who never runs a bad race “ with future targets open-ended, at
present.
Another local winner came in the Restricted race where Atlantic Fleet, partnered by
Charlotte Butler, trained adjacent to the Ampton course by Ed Turner and owned by the
Turner family. The winner benefitted from the last fence chaos where the likely winner
Jasmin Des Bordes ran out having taking the lead two fences from home. Time To Upgrade
and Seb Mead, who had earlier picked up a £200 fine for misuse of the whip, led the field of
six with the odds-on favourite and course winner here in January, Jorah, down the pack
eventually finishing 4th after Dale Peters did remarkably well to maintain the partnership, at
the third last. Atlantic Fleet was always to the fore but had no answer to the challenge of
Jasmin Des Bordes and Tom Frogley who swept passed the field before his mishap at the
last obstacle. Apparently, the previous course winner was declared in cheek pieces but
connections had difficulty in applying them in the parade ring so they hastily asked the
permission of the Stewards to run without them which was agreed. This with hindsight
could have made the difference when approaching the final fence but it was wise not
inquire of jockey Frogley after the incident, as his frustration was clearly evident ! The
winning jockey said afterwards “ they didn’t go very quick, so I found myself up front but he
jumped well and stayed on to the finish “
The Ladies Open was an enthralling contest with all three declared runners, who
incidentally also contested the equivalent race at the January meeting held at Ampton, all
closely grouped in the betting. Shentri was reunited with Ellie Callwood who had two wins
and four placings on the horse in the first two seasons it was in the care of trainer Kelly
Morgan where Callwood is based full-time. Shentri perhaps need a bit of confidence having
subsequently failed to complete the course on four occasions through unseating or falling,
in nine outings. Here they took a six length advantage into the first obstacle and maintained
their lead with Tullys Touch and Ellie Holder closely following and a restrained Loughan
and Gina Andrews in rear. Three fences out Tullys Touch made a significant move, on
ground not as firm as he prefers, but Shentri and Callwood were equal to the challenge and
pulled clear again for an all-the-way success by 5½ lengths. Loughan finished in 3
rd place
but suffered a broken blood vessel towards the end of the contest. Callwood was full of
praise for her winning partner describing him as “nippy, a good jumper, stays and is quick”
and this success was her fourth of the season.
The Mens Open race was a match race won in facile style by Fier Jaguen and trainer/jockey
Bradley Gibbs over their solitary rival Envious Editor. The was the 13th success for this
multiple winner and his delighted owner, Julian Sherriff, closely watched his fine,
consistent horse jump the first fence before taking up a more advantageous position to
view the rest of the race. Never in danger of being challenged Fier Jaguen jumped
consistently and sometimes violently out to the right at his fences which Gibbs concluded
was because they were not going fast enough without any true competition and it ”was a
shame there was a shortage of declarations, for the race”. Irrespective of that he still
considers his winning partner as “a stable star “ and could do no more than breeze round
to gain a 20 length success over Envious Editor and Dan Cherriman.
An enjoyable meeting, expertly organised and as always plenty of interesting action,
happenings and quotes to form the basis of this report.