- Monday, 30 November 2015 16:44
- Written by David Pipe
With trips to London for the Premiere of A P McCoy’s film ‘Being AP’ as well as the Sir Peter O’Sullevan Awards Lunch and plenty of runners it has been a busy old week. Three winners (including one at Newbury’s Hennessy meeting) and a handful of places means that it has been a productive one as well with our seasonal tally now standing at 39.
The week began well at Kempton with yet another success for that ultra-game and equally progressive mare Lady Of Longstone when she won her fourth race of the season on Monday under leading amateur David Noonan. Making light of a career high mark, she made all of the running under a finely judged ride from her in-form pilot and fairly flew her hurdles. Just when it looked as though she may get swallowed up she found more to win going away and will be taking another hike up the ratings. I remember training her mother Christdalo some years ago and she was a similarly tough mare with a good attitude.
It was a bitter sweet victory for conditional jockey Michael Heard as he had been aboard Lady Of Longstone for two of her three previous successes this term and who would have been in the saddle but for suffering a back injury when falling at Cheltenham a couple of weeks ago. Michael had spoken with David Noonan about how best to ride the mare and he dropped in to watch the race in my office. While disappointing for Michael to miss a winning opportunity, he must remember how lucky he has been not to have been far more seriously injured. He is moving around without the aid of a brace having fractured the T6 vertebrae in his back and he continues to make good progress. It was good to see him up and about and as long as he continues to follow the advice of the doctors and doesn’t overdo things, there is no reason to think that he shouldn’t be back in the saddle within a few months.
Our second winner of the week came at Newbury’s Hennessy meeting when Champers On Ice (pictured above) made all of the running to repel all comers in the novices’ hurdle under Tom Scudamore. He ran well at the Paddy Power meeting at Cheltenham earlier in the month when runner up, but this was a step forward from that effort. He looked as though he was going to win comfortably two out, although a couple of sloppy jumps meant that it was harder work than first appeared likely. Even so he still won a shade comfortably and rates a smashing prospect. A winning point-to-pointer in Ireland he was bought as a chaser for the future and anything he achieves over hurdles must be considered a bonus.
Houston Dynimo continued the incredible run of success enjoyed by his owners Gordon and Sue with success at Leicester on Sunday. Indeed, they are the lucky owners of Lady Of Longstone and Houston Dynimo who between them have won five times in as many weeks. Again in the hands of David Noonan he posted a fantastic effort to land the valuable veterans’ handicap chase at Leicester from former Cheltenham Festival runner-up French Opera. Gordon and Sue’s winners are invariably very well received at Pond House as every time they enjoy a winner, Sue bakes the most incredible cakes – as you can see from the photograph (right) following Lady Of Longstone’s success, she has excelled herself once again!
There were a host of other praiseworthy performances too: Un Temps Pour Tout put in a good round of jumping when runner-up in the Grade 2 novices’ chase at Newbury and it could just be that he bumped into a rapidly improving and high quality chaser in Native River. The plan is to run him in the Feltham at Kempton on Boxing Day (a race we have won in the past with the likes of Grands Crus and Dynaste) where the ground should suit and the sharp, flat nature of the track could play to his strengths. La Vaticane also performed well when third in the highly competitive 2m6½f handicap chase at Newbury on Hennessy day – she travelled like an extremely good horse only to weaken close home. A slight step back in trip could be on the cards for her next time.
Looking to this week we have plenty of entries the length and breadth of the country, although the big fixture is undoubtedly at Aintree this weekend where Soll could bid for victory over the National fences in the Becher Chase on Saturday and Poole Master will bid to follow-up his 2014 victory in the Grand Sefton (also over the Grand National fences). Meanwhile Dynaste has been entered in the Listed 3m1f Chase on the card as well as Huntingdon’s Peterborough Chase on Sunday. As usual, for all the latest news on runners, check Chester’s Daily Chat or follow us on Twitter @DavidPipeRacing.
Talking of the Grand National fences we were joined by Jason Maguire on Thursday morning and he was keen to have a spin over our National fences so he gave Poole Master his final bit of practice prior to his Grand Sefton defence. See how he fared below...
As mentioned in the introduction, I went up to London on Monday for the Premiere of the “Being AP” film and I was gripped from start to finish, even though I knew what was going to happen in the end! Even my father managed to stay awake throughout (which has to be considered a glowing endorsement!) and I would recommend it to any racing enthusiast – it is available on DVD from today (Monday).
While we are on the subject of AP, he was the greatly deserving recipient of the Sir Peter O’Sullevan lifetime achievement award at their ceremony last Thursday. It was great to be a part of it and see him recognised in such a fitting manner - the biggest pity being that the late, great Sir Peter was not there to present it to him personally.
It is obviously awards time of the year and I am off to another ceremony next week – this time for the Racehorse Writers Awards which I attend every year along with Gerry Supple as guests of legendary broadcaster Mike Vince. It is a fixture I have pencilled in my diary well in advance and an evening I look forward to enormously. This year I am even in the running for a ‘gong’ in the best international trainer category…I will let you know how I get on!
