DIARY – KEMPTON PARK
BETBRIGHT CHASE DAY
SATURDAY 22 FEBRUARY 2014
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I Balder
Success, ridden by Wayne Hutchison, returns
having won the Grade 2 Pendil Novices’ Chase This was to be my first visit to
the races since the previous Boxing Day, also at Kempton Park. Initially this was due to the horses in
Alan King’s yard suffering from health issues which, I understand, related to
problems with their feed; as a result the trainer decided not to send out any
runners between 02 and 23 January.
This meant that Choc’s riding engagements were reduced, as he was
relying upon other stables to book him.
My first opportunity to see Choc
at any of my local tracks would have been Sandown Park on 01 February but, as
it turned out, I had a cold and spending prolonged time outside caused pain
in my sinuses. The following Saturday
I would have hoped to go to Newbury for their ‘Super Saturday’ event but fate was against me yet again; the
prevailing wet and windy weather which caused flooding in many areas had
initially resulted in me calling off any plans to attend and then, as it
turned out, on the day I was struck down with only my third ever bout of
flu! I certainly wasn’t going anywhere
with a temperature of over 102. In the
event, I was laid low for over a week and unable to attend work; so that
ruled out a trip to Ascot too. Finally, I felt well enough to
attend the races on Saturday 22 February.
This would be the sixth year running I’d attend this particular
Kempton Park fixture and I’d be rewarded with a mainly sunny day with
temperatures around 11 degrees. I awoke just after 06:30, made my final decision
regarding which skirt to wear, showered, washed and dried my hair, ate a
breakfast of croissants, watched Channel 4’s The Morning Line where jockey
Nick Scholfield was a guest, applied my make-up and
then spent around an hour ‘twiddling my
thumbs’ before leaving home at 10:35; gates opening time being 11:30,
first race 13:30. For the record, my outfit today was a black
thermal vest, cerise thermal t-shirt, black frill-edged cardigan, purple
fleece, black fleece gillet, horse patterned snood,
Rico Pom Pom scarf in
shades of burgundy, black denim Per Una skirt with godets (you’ll certainly know what they are if you watch
Strictly Come Dancing), purple tights, black moccasin Clarks wedge shoes and
cerise pink BHS jacket. Today’s
handbag was my Next black shearling one. I drove to Junction 22 of the M25, avoiding on
the way the local ring-road terminus, where major roadworks
were currently taking place. Traffic
was travelling smoothly until I reached Junction 16 (M40) where it slowed to
a snail’s pace. I moved into the
second lane so as not to get stuck behind any of the lorries travelling in
the inside lane; I hate not being able to see ahead when traffic is moving
slowly, and I dislike the possibility of travelling between two large
vehicles in case I get squashed! There didn’t seem to be a reason for the delay on
the anti-clockwise carriageway, apart from traffic joining from the M40; but
maybe more local people were using the motorway due to flooding in the
area. There was an accident on the
clockwise carriageway to the north of Junction 15 (M4) which resulted in an even
longer tail-back on the opposite side of the road. Having reached the M4, the traffic on my
carriageway began to move at normal speeds once more. I soon arrived at Junction 12, the M3;
fortunately there were no delays on this motorway, unlike the continuing
stretch of the M25 where traffic was forced to slow once more. Because of the recent flooding issues in
the area, I was inclined to notice the proliferation of water in the areas
close to the motorway, although there do appear to be a number of gravel pit
workings in the area regardless. I left the M3 via the slip-road at Junction 1,
heading around the roundabout and along the A308 Staines Road East to enter
the free car parking area. It was
11:40 when I parked my vehicle, the motorway delays having added around 15
minutes to my journey time. As a
result, I was parked approximately a dozen rows back from the far end, not
the usual five or six rows; in fact I was located beyond the end of the
Silver Ring grandstand. Having eaten a crust and a slice of bread before
departing, I brought just two cheese rolls with me today; I saved these until
after racing. Although I’d remembered to
bring along a flask of black coffee, I’d forgotten to bring a bottle of
Evian. Damn. Having put on my jacket, I set off to purchase
a ticket; a couple of kiosks at the South Entrance where open today, so
bought a ticket for £16 and, having entered the grounds, purchased a racecard nearby for £2.50. Better safe than sorry, I popped to the loo
before settling on one of the benches beside the concourse. It was pleasant to sit in the sun, although
the breeze was a little chilly. Later
I re-located to the far side of the Parade Ring in preparation for the horses
arriving ahead of the first race. At
12:35 trainer Paul Nicholls arrived in the paddock to be interviewed by
today’s RUK presenter, Stewart Machin; Chris Dixon
was today’s RUK pundit. At 12:55 the raceday
presenter Anthony Kemp and sponsor BetBright
representative George Primarolo went through their
suggested selections for the day. Choc had six rides today, four for Alan King (Duroble Man, First Mohican, Midnight Appeal, Hurricane Vic), one for John Spearing (Pearls Legend) and
one for my local trainer, Dean Ivory (Valid Reason). Wayne Hutchison would ride Balder Succes in the Grade 2 Pendil
Novices’ Chase, having partnered the horse to victory in the Grade 2
Kingmaker Novices’ Chase at Warwick two weeks previously; he was also engaged
to ride Bless The Wings in today’s feature handicap chase, his usual
mount. Soon it was time for the first race of the day,
in which Choc’s mount would be Pearls Legend. Once my favourite jockey had left the
Parade Ring I set off to find a vantage point from which to watch the
race. My route took me around the outside
of the main grandstand, up the steps and down across the tarmac and turf to
reach the course-side rails. By the
end of the afternoon my shoes, or at least the wedge part of them, would be
coated in mud; this was mainly due to the soggy, boggy grass area located
behind the statue of Desert Orchid, adjacent to the Parade Ring which I
walked across as a short-cut throughout the afternoon. The starting gate for this race was in the far
corner of the track so the horses cantered away from the grandstands to reach
it. The favourite for this event was
Present View at 5-2.
The runners were well-grouped as they walked or
jogged towards the starting gate and then they were off. The field was led away by the chestnut
Flaming Gorge, with Sunny Ledgend and Present View
in close attendance; Brody Bleu the next to rise at the first obstacle. Choc’s mount,
Pearls Legend, was travelling in mid-field against the rails and Tiptoeaway was guided noticeably wide of the field as
they negotiated the first four fences.
Turning into the home straight for the first
occasion, the order was Flaming Gorge, Present View, Brody Bleu, Sunny Ledgend, Pearls Legend, Tiptoeaway,
Ballinvarrig, Lost Legend and Mic’s
Delight; the mare Jackies Solitaire brought up the
rear. Pearls Legend made a notable
error at the first fence in the straight.
Once again, Barry Geraghty decided to steer
his mount wide as they progressed over the obstacles heading towards the
grandstand. It was Sunny Ledgend’s turn to make as error as the field jumped the
final fence in the line of three; his jockey administering a reminder for his
troubles. The runners headed up past the winning post, with
one circuit still to go, and headed out into the country for the final time;
Flaming Gorge continued to lead the way.
Present View took the advantage as they cleared the next two fences;
one or two of the runners in behind jumped these rather untidily. Heading around the far turn, Choc had
manoeuvred his mount to the outside of the field; Present View and Flaming
Gorge still travelled at the head of affairs.
The horses headed along the back straight, Tiptoeaway solely losing touch with the main group of
runners; Sunny Ledgend soon under strong pressure,
his amateur jockey administering a number of backhanders in an attempt to
keep tabs on the leaders. However, the
horse skewed over the open-ditch and capsized; Brody Bleu also blundered
here. Fortunately the departed horse
was okay. Heading into the final turn, Present View held
the advantage over Mic’s Delight and Pearls Legend;
driven along in fourth position was Ballinvarrig,
these were followed by Brody Bleu, Lost Legend, Jackies
Solitaire and Flaming Gorge. Tiptoeaway had been pulled up. Brendan Powell’s mount led into the home
straight, from Mic’s Delight and Ballinvarrig; Pearls Legend was now being pushed along
and was losing ground on the front three.
Mic’s Delight didn’t help his cause with a
mistake at the third last, Ballingvarrig now progressing
into runner-up position. The long-time
leader began to pull away from the others as he approached two out, which he
jumped well, and the gap between himself and his pursuers continued to grow
on the run down to the last. Having cleared the final fence Present View was eased
down as he approached the line, winning by 10 lengths from Ballinvarrig; Mic’s Delight a
further 3 lengths away in third.
Pearls Legend had retained fourth until clearing the last a tired
horse; this enabled Brody Bleu to overtake Choc’s
mount on the run-in to claim the last placing.
I
returned to the Parade Ring, initially to the steps beside the Winners’
Enclosure before returning to the area behind the Parade Ring ahead of the
horses arriving prior to the second race.
Again, once Choc’s mount had begun its
journey down the walkway to the course, I set off to the course-side rails
once more. His ride in this event was
the Alan King-trained Duroble Man. The starting gate for this Juvenile Hurdle event
was at the far end of the home straight, the horses cantering down past the
stands to reach it. I arrived at the
course-side rails in plenty of time to see Choc and Duroble
Man canter past. The favourite for
this race was Activial at 9-4.
Then they were off. The runners were led away by Solar Impulse,
ridden by French jockey David Cottin. He was followed by Fitzwilly,
Agreement, Activial, Commissioned, Alcala, Duroble Man and Goodwood
Image. The horses successfully
negotiated the first flight, although Commissioned was a little awkward over
it. Having cleared the second obstacle, Solar Impulse
and Fitzwilly headed up past the winning post
having gained six or seven lengths over the remaining 6 runners. However they steadied at the head of
affairs around the top turn, allowing the others to close the gap. The runners headed down the side of the
track, clearing the two hurdles therein; once more the two leaders set up a
clear lead; Goodwood Mirage was a few lengths
adrift in rear. The field headed around the far turn with Solar
Impulse continuing to lead the way. Fitzwilly continued in second, from the favourite Activial, Agreement, Alcala, Commissioned, Duroble Man and the first-time hooded Goodwood
Image; the latter now having rejoined the field once more. The runners then headed down the back
straight, with no change at the head of affairs. Will Kennedy administered a backhander to
his mount, Fitzwilly, having cleared the first
flight therein. Having jumped the second of the two flights in
the back straight, Activial came through to join
the two long-time leaders. Heading
into the final turn, the eight runners were closely packed, although Duroble Man was the first to show signs of pressure at
the rear of the field. Heading towards the penultimate flight, Solar
Impulse kicked on again, with Activial clearing the
obstacle alongside Fitzwilly a length back,
Commissioned a close fourth. On the
run to the final hurdle Noel Fehily’s mount took
the lead, Denis O’Regan switching Commissioned to
challenge to the nearside; the latter was upsides Solar Impulse as they
jumped the obstacle. But Activial pulled 3½ lengths clear of his pursuers on the
run to the line, beating Commissioned into second, with Solar Impulse holding
on for third and Alcala claiming 4th. Duroble Man
finished a tailed-off last of the eight.
With Choc unplaced again I had no need to return
to the Winners’ Enclosure area after this race. So, having passed the ‘chip wagon’ on my way to and from the course-side rails, I
decided to stop off en-route to purchase a portion of chips costing
£2.50. I then returned to the far side
of the Parade Ring to consume the food before the next race. Balder Succes, led by
his lad Steve Ayres, soon arrived in the Paddock and the horse looked an
absolute picture. I decided to take a
number of photographs of him, and the guy standing beside me commented that
Balder Succes was a very good looking horse and he
wouldn’t mind owning an animal like him.
I concurred. I think I’ve
finally become a fan, not that I’ve ever had anything against the horse ...
it’s just that I don’t usually like horses this dark in colour – a very
strange and weird prejudice I admit. Having eaten all of the chips, I took the carton
and placed it in one of the rubbish bins located alongside the concourse to
the rear of the main grandstand building; I returned to the far side of the
Parade Ring, where I remained until the horses began their journey down the
walkway to the racecourse. As mentioned
earlier, Wayne Hutchinson was riding the Alan King runner today. Again the competitors cantered straight out of
the walkway and headed along the side of the track to reach the starting gate
in the far corner. The favourite for
this race was Fox Appeal at 5-4.
Then they were off. The runners were led away by the
front-running Kempton Park specialist, Loose Chips, from Fox Appeal, God’s
Own to the inside of Balder Succes, Dark Lover and
outsider Tchang Goon. Fox Appeal hit the second fence. The Alan King charge touched the top of the
open-ditch with his hind legs just slightly, but flew the next. Tchang Goon was
already being outpaced as they travelled around the turn and into the home
straight on the first occasion. Loose Chips continued to lead as the runners
headed over the three obstacles and towards the grandstand area; Fox Appeal
parting the birch as he jumped the middle of these. The outsider had already lost touch with
the main group and was demonstrating a tendency to jump out to his left. The horses headed up around the top turn
and off down the side straight; Balder Succes being
pushed a little wide on the corner by Dark Lover and God’s Own to his
inside. Tchang Goon had
managed to regain some ground on the flat but, having encountered further obstacles, he lost it again and would soon lose
touch. Loose Chips continued to lead
from Fox Appeal, Balder Succes, God’s Own and Dark
Lover. All the runners having
successfully negotiated the two fences in the side straight, they headed into
the lake turn and then began their journey down the back straight. Fox Appeal joined Loose Chips at the head of
affairs as they cleared the second fence therein; Loose Chips reasserting
once more as they jumped the open-ditch. Wayne Hutchinson’s mount was taking the
fences in his stride and going well in third place. Having jumped the fourth last, the runners
headed into the final turn; Loose Chips still with a narrow advantage by dint
of holding the inside line. Dark Lover
was the next to show signs of distress and he dropped away. Having entered the home straight, Loose Chips and
Fox Appeal jumped the third last in unison; Balder Succes
just half a length down, with God’s Own close behind them. The long-time leader weakened at this point
and dropped back as Fox Appeal and Balder Succes
went on; God’s Own followed them through as they approached two out. Wayne Hutchinson’s mount was travelling the
better, but he ‘popped’ the fence,
allowing Fox Appeal to take a one length advantage. However, on the run to the last he drew alongside
and then went on by half a length, clearing the fence with ease and holding
off his challengers to win by 1¼ lengths at the
line. God’s Own got the better of Fox
Appeal and took second spot by a nose; Dark Lover claimed 4th.
Having
won the race, on this occasion I decided to relocate to the area beside the
walkway back to the Winners’ Enclosure in order to take a photograph. Having
received his memento following the race, jockey Wayne Hutchinson was then
interviewed by RUK’s Stewart Machin. Choc’s mount in the
next event was the Alan King-trained First Mohican; he’d won aboard the horse
at Doncaster earlier in the month, the animal making his debut of hurdles
that day. The start of the next race was at the far end of
the home straight, the runners cantering down past the grandstands to reach
it. On this occasion I didn’t walk fast enough, because Choc sailed by
aboard First Mohican as I was on my way across the turf to the course-side
rails! The odds-on favourite for this
race was Irving at 4-6, unbeaten so far over hurdles.
Then they were off. As is his style of running, the Richard
Johnson ridden Amore Alato led the field as they
headed up the home straight on the first occasion; he was pursued by Germany
Calling, Irving, First Mohican, Cup Final, Vaihau
and Dubai Prince. Choc’s
mount wasn’t particularly fluent jumping the first flight. The leader was approximately five or six
lengths clear of his rivals as they passed the winning post with one circuit
to go. Having negotiated the top turn, Amore Alato’s lead had been reduced; having headed across the
two strips of all-weather track, the horses faced up to the third hurdle, at
which Dubai Prince in rear was less fluent than his rivals. The runners cleared the next flight and
headed into the lake turn; the horses travelled in Indian file, baring First
Mohican and Irving who disputed third position. Having entered the back straight, the field began
to take closer order, with Amore Alato still at the
head of affairs; Irving had soon overtaken Germany Calling to assume the
runner-up position. The horses cleared
the two flights therein, with First Mohican hitting the first; he then got a
little too close to the second of these, losing this stride for a moment as
he landed. Amore Alato continued
to lead as the field headed into the final turn, Irving travelled in second,
from Germany Calling and First Mohican matching strides in third; Cup Final
was close of their heels, followed by Vaihau and
Dubai Prince. Choc urged his mount to
close upon the second-ranked Irving; his horse’s nose now level with the
favourite’s girth. The field headed to the penultimate flight,
Richard Johnson’s mount still with a one length advantage over Irving; the
latter kicked the top bar out of the hurdle, and in his wake First Mohican
destroyed it further. Approaching the
last, Nick Scholfield’s mount cruised into the
lead; Choc was working hard aboard First Mohican four lengths back in
third. Irving reached for the last but
it did not stem his momentum and he strode away from his rivals to win by 5
lengths from the long-time leader, Amore Alato. First Mohican having dived slightly over the
last, was challenged and overtaken by the AP McCoy ridden JP McManus first
string, Cup Final, on the run to the line.
But Choc’s mount did hold off Germany
Calling to retain 4th place.
As
Choc had finished 4th, I returned to the far side of the Winners’ Enclosure
as it provided the best view of him unsaddling his mount. Plans to run First Mohican in the Supreme
Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival were put on hold following his showing
today. Although
my camera battery indicator was not showing signs that the charge was running
low, I decided to change it at this point, just in case. There
were two Alan King runners in the feature event, Bless The Wings ridden by
his regular pilot Wayne Hutchinson and Midnight Appeal sporting the
well-known yellow with red spotted colours of owner David Sewell and ridden
by Choc. Being the feature event of the afternoon, the
horses paraded in front of the stands before cantering down to view the final
fence. They then headed back past the spectators once more, in order to
reach the 3-mile starting gate which is situated at the beginning of the side
straight; the horses covering almost two complete circuits of the track
during the race. The favourite for this event was Tour Des Champs
at 9-2.
Then they were off. The field was led away by Tour Des Champs,
from Standing Ovation, Bally Legend, Niceonefrankie,
Whats Happening, Grandioso, Bury Parade, Midnight
Appeal, Bless The Wings, Planet of Sound, Jump City, Ardkilly
Witness and Baile Anrai. Wearing a hood again today, Bury Parade had
consented to run, unlike his penultimate outing at Exeter when, hoodless, he
had refused to take part. All thirteen runners cleared the
first two obstacles without hitch, and travelled into the lake bend with Tour
Des Champs setting a sensible pace at the head of affairs. Heading down the back straight on the first
occasion, Sam Twiston-Davies’ mount began to set up
a clear lead over his pursuers.
Midnight Appeal, in mid-field, made an error at the second in the line
of four obstacles; having landed Choc fumbled with his right iron in order to
regain it as they headed towards the next fence, an open-ditch. Tour Des Champs made a mistake at
this fence and his pursuers gained a couple of lengths upon him as a
result. Midnight Appeal jumped the
next a little slowly, slightly baulking Jump City as a result. Tour Des Champs led the runners into the
home straight for the first time; Baile Anrai continued to bring up the rear. There was no change at the head of
affairs as the field headed over the three fences on their journey towards
the lollipop; Standing Ovation travelled in second spot, from Whats Happening; Midnight Appeal had made noticeable
progress on the outside of the field and now travelled in fourth
position. Bally Legend came next, from
Niceonefrankie, Grandioso, Planet Of Sound, Bless
The Wings, Bury Parade, Ardkilly Witness, Jump City
and Baile Anrai. Bury Parade swung out noticeably wide when
negotiating the top turn. The field negotiated the two strips of
all-weather and, having completed one circuit, headed towards the first
obstacle in the side straight. In the ‘olden days’, there used to be a
water-jump positioned prior to the fences which still remain on this stretch
of the track. Choc gave Midnight
Appeal a slap down the neck having cleared the fence, the horse having made a
minor error at the obstacle. The runners jumped the open-ditch without
incident, Tour Des Champs still holding a clear advantage and Baile Anrai being pushed along
in rear. They headed around the lake
bend, Midnight Appeal now travelling in third position, and set off down the
back straight for the final time.
Having cleared the next two obstacles Bless The Wings, who was a
little less than fluent at the second of these, began to struggle and lose
touch. There
was no change at the head of affairs as the runners cleared the open-ditch,
Midnight Appeal now disputing second position with Standing Ovation three
lengths behind the leader. Heading
around the final turn, Choc urged his mount on and, facing up to the third
last fence, they cleared it in unison with Tour Des Champs; Bally Legend was
in third place at this stage, with Bury Parade soon to overtake the fading
Standing Ovation. Midnight
Appeal held almost a length advantage over his nearest rival clearing the
penultimate fence but, heading down to the last, Ian Popham
drove his mount between the two leaders and jumped the obstacle one length
ahead. Having landed over the final
fence, Bally Legend was driven out to win by a length and a quarter from the
fast finishing Bury Parade who had been hampered and forced to switch around
Tour Des Champs approaching the last, thus checking his momentum at a vital
stage. The
bottom-weight favourite had rallied on the run-in and got up to beat Midnight
Appeal for third place by a neck. The
distance between second and third being one length. Ardkilly Witness
claimed 5th, with Niceonefrankie 6th; having tailed
off, Bless The Wings had been pulled up before 3 out.
Having
decided that I rather liked standing beside the walkway in order to take a
photograph of the winning and/or placed horses, I relocated to this area
following the feature race. As Choc
had finished 4th, I was rewarded with the opportunity to capture an image of
my favourite jockey returning ... and I also caught a snippet of conversation
between him and Alan King. I heard the
trainer say, referring to Midnight Appeal, ‘it has been just 15 days since he last ran’ and Choc’s reply was ‘No,
Alan, the horse felt like a million dollars’. So I guess Alan thought the horse faded
after the last because it was too soon since his last outing, and Choc
believed it was just that his mount had met three horses which ran better on
the day. I
also took a photograph of Bally Legend ridden by Ian Popham;
‘Pops’ is Martin Keighley’s stable
jockey. I remained beside the walkway
until Choc had unsaddled his mount, debriefed connections and began his walk
back to the Weighing Room; he chatted with the winning jockey on the way. I
returned to the far side of the Parade Ring prior to the presentation
ceremony; trainer Caroline Keevil and Ian Popham were then interviewed by RUK’s Stewart Machin. Choc’s mount in the
next race was the Dean Ivory-trained, hood wearing, Valid Reason. The
starting gate for this race was in the far corner of the track, the runners
heading out of the walkway and immediately along the side straight to reach
it. The favourite for this race was
Royal Player at 9-4.
Then
they were off. The field was led away
by Colebrooke, from Minella
On Line, Royal Player, Full Shift, Songsmith,
Hidden Justice, Valid Reason and Minella Special.
Having been off the racecourse for 665 days, Songsmith
was taking a keen hold. Having cleared
the first flight, the runners headed to the next, careful to avoid a swan
which had wandered onto the track; the lake being a magnet to these birds. Valid
Reason jumped out of Choc’s hands at the second
flight, landing awkwardly on his haunches; but his jockey managed to retain
the partnership. The runners headed
around the turn and entered the home straight on the first occasion. Heading over the flights therein, Royal
Player and Colebrooke matched strides; they were
followed by Minella On Line, Full Shift, Hidden
Justice, Valid Reason, Songsmith and Minella Special. Songsmith cleared the fourth flight somewhat awkwardly. Heading
up past the winning post with one circuit to go, the two leaders held a four
length advantage over their rivals; Minella Special
was a few lengths in rear of the field.
The field negotiated the top turn and headed over the all-weather
track and out into the country once more.
Colebrooke dived at the first flight in the
side straight and was awkward at the next hurdle too; however, he continued
to pay close attention to Royal Player as they headed around the lake
turn. Valid Reason was being pushed
along one from the back at this point, and soon even Minella
Special had overtaken him, relegating Choc’s mount
to last place. The
field entered the back straight; Choc decided to call it a day aboard Valid
Reason and eased his mount to the inside to bypass the next flight. Royal Player and Colebrooke
continued to lead the way, with Full Shift their nearest pursuer. The field bunched up heading to the third
last flight, a group of five now clear of the remainder. Having cleared this obstacle, Full Shift
drew alongside the favourite as they headed into the final turn; Songsmith was travelling well in third position, Minella On Line was pushed along in fourth, Colebrooke even more so in fifth. Full
Shift, under AP McCoy, took the lead approaching two out; Songsmith
still travelling well to his outside, Royal Player now appearing to be a
spent force. Leighton Aspell’s mount gained ground and jumped the second last
in unison with Full Shift; however, fitness began to tell and AP’s mount
gained a length advantage on the run to final hurdle, which he cleared in his
stride and galloped on to win by 3¼ lengths at the line. Songsmith, now
tiring, blundered at the last and stayed on at the same pace to finish
2nd. Minella On Line
completed 11 lengths back in 3rd and one of the long-time leaders, Royal
Player, finished 10 lengths back in 4th.
I was hoping to reach the Winners’ Enclosure before Full Shift
arrived back but, in the event, AP’s mount had already arrived therein on
this occasion; he certainly hadn’t wasted any time! Whilst
waiting for the horses to arrive ahead of the final race, I overheard the
group of punters next to me chatting about last year’s race when Such A
Legend stole a huge lead at the start and held on to win! Gosh, I’d forgotten about that ... Choc’s mount in this
final event was the Alan King-trained Hurricane Vic, the horse making his
racecourse debut today. The
starting gate for this race was at the far end of the home straight, the
runners cantering down past the stands to reach it. I arrived at the course-side rails in time
to see Choc and Hurricane Vic pass by, he
accompanied Richard Johnson and his mount Champagne Chaser. The
favourite for this race was Aqalim at 2-1; the
horse had behaved temperamentally on his way out along the walkway to the
racecourse, jockey Denis O’Regan jogging alongside
before being legged-up as the horse reached the track itself. The horse gave a little buck before
agreeing to canter down to the start, Denis riding without irons on the way
down.
Then
they were off, at a fairly sedate pace, led by Top Show. Behind him was the Nicky Henderson
representative Clondaw Banker, to his outside Murrayana, then to the inside Hurricane Vic, Champagne
Chaser shaking his head about and keen, Colin’s Brother and Aqalim. Colin’s
Brother is, as the name suggests, a half-brother to stablemate
I Am Colin. The
steady pace continued as the horses passed between the wings of the hurdles
and up past the grandstand before heading over the all-weather track and
setting off into the country for the one and only time. As they set off down the side of the track,
Colin’s Brother made ground on the wide outside and came to join Top Show at
the head of affairs. Now that the
momentum had increased, Denis O’Regan allowed his
mount to take closer order, also to the outside of the field; this relegated
Champagne Chaser to last place. Still
closely grouped, the runners headed around the lake bend, Top Show the sole
leader once more. Entering the back
straight, the hood-wearing leader received a reminder. As they progressed, the group bunched up
once more; approaching the final bend, Top Show received a further backhander
from his pilot in an endeavour to remain ahead of his rivals. The
long-time leader continued at the head of affairs until entering the home
straight, when Clondaw Banker took the lead, with
Colin’s Brother following him through.
Straightening up, it would become a dash for home. Travelling well in
third position at this stage was the favourite, Aqalim,
with Hurricane Vic close up to his inside but being ridden along. Entering
the final furlong Clondaw Banker still held the
advantage over Colin’s Brother, with Aqalim close
on their heels. At this stage it
looked like the former two would fight out the finish, but Denis O’Regan had other ideas and drove his mount through the
narrow gap between them as they approached the line. It was a very close finish, Aqalim claiming the prize by a nose from Colin’s Brother;
Clondaw Banker a neck away in 3rd. Hurricane
Vic, who dwarfed his rivals, claimed 4th prize a further 5 lengths back; a
promising first run from a big baby of a horse. The long-time leader, Top Show faded to finish
last of the 7 runners.
As
Choc had finished 4th, he returned to the unsaddling spot close to the far
side of the Winners’ Enclosure, so I decided to head for that area too. Having
debriefed connections, Choc returned to the Weighing Room. I watched him disappear from view, before exiting
via the South Entrance to return to my car.
I ate the previously mentioned cheese rolls before setting off down
the driveway to reach the A308; there was no queue of traffic exiting the
gate ahead of me. However, just around the corner, the tailback stretched
past Kempton Park’s main entrance and all the way to the roundabout beneath
the M3. It
took around 15 minutes to reach the motorway, stop start, stop start. Fortunately traffic was running smoothly on
both the M3 and the M25 and, having left the latter motorway at Junction 22,
I reached home at 18:15. Before
settling down to my post-racing chores, I washed the copious mud off my
shoes. As usual, I managed to get
water inside one of the pair, so I placed them in the airing cupboard
overnight to dry out. Supper
was salad with baked potato and thinly-sliced tongue. I then spent the remainder of the evening
uploading my photographs onto my laptop, selecting the ones which I wished to
use and then uploading them onto my website.
Whilst this was underway, I also transferred today’s RUK coverage onto
DVD in preparation for completing this diary.
I
also tweeted a photo to Balder Succes’
lad, which he ‘favourited’. Steve had re-tweeted
a number of photographs, many demonstrating his delight at his charge having
won the race. The following day he
would post a couple of photographs on twitter of himself and his young
daughter in Balder’s stable, feeding the horse a
well-deserved treat of carrots and Polo mints. It’s lovely to see that the horse means so
much to his stable lad, as do many other racehorses throughout the country. I
stayed up until 02:00 to complete my tasks, as I had prior engagements for
most of Sunday – dinner at my younger brother’s house with my niece Kim and
nephew James home from university for the weekend – and a visit to my older
brother’s house on the way home in order for my sister-in-law Anita to give
me a haircut! I also stayed long
enough to say hello to my other niece Lydia when she arrived home, as she
works weekends in Aylesbury to finance her university studies, etc. Click here to view photos – Races
1 and 2 Click here to view photos – Races
3 and 4 |
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