REVIEW
MODBURY HARRIERS
FLETE PARK
SATURDAY 3 MAY 2003

by Lee Glanville

It was a day of doubles and trebles at Flete Park where the Modbury Harriers held their meeting on Saturday.

There was a training treble for Nicky Frost, wife of professional trainer Jimmy Frost. Anyone with a Met office connection couldn’t have failed to back Nimbus Stratus and Lingering Fog with a trainer called Frost. Nicky added Defendtherealm to the trio, taking  the Pegasus Club members race, the Confined and the Open Maiden.

Nimbus Stratus and Lingering Fog put Mary McCarthy on cloud nine after she notched up the first double of her career.

Defendtherealm saw off a good opponent in Sea Spirit and Tabitha Cave to take the Confined under Derek McKenna.

The day got of to an inauspicious start when Brown Chieftain walked over in the Novice Riders’ race ­ maybe a look at the overall race calendar is in line as there are three such races in quick succession (Axe Vale, Modbury and Cotley) - but the Tony and Pauline Geering trained horse did provide Liam Heard with the first leg of a double which takes him to five wins this season.

Heard followed up with the consistent Lydford Castle in the restricted where Jo’s Wedding (Mandy Hand) and Holcombe Handful (Les Jefford) dead heated for second place.

Former National Champion Jefford has spent much of this season in the runner up places and a horse he had ridden to victory at Buckfastleigh sluiced up in the ladies’ four-mile open under Tabitha Cave. Song of Kenda, trained by farrier Freddy Hollis at Cullompton, had stayed on well when winning and the mare, who goes off her food when ready to run, relished the extra distance here.

There is no stopping Bomba Charger either who has no intention of letting his years earn him a veteran tag. The horse has always been good but has been a revelation this season (apart from in the long distance chase at Cheltenham midweek) and Richard Darke won the men’s open on him in fine style beating Knight of Passion and Master Buckley for the horses’ fourth win this term.

For those who like records both Bomba Charger and Brown Chieftain won at this meeting last year.

Results: Intermediate (Nov riders): 1, Brown Chieftain, L Heard. Walked over.

Pegasus Club: 1, Nimbus Stratus, Miss M McCarthy; 2, Roger, Miss A Ephgrave. Three ran, only two finished. Dist, 7.05.

Restricted: 1, Lydford Castle, L Heard; 2 =, Jo’s Wedding Miss M Hand and Holcombe Handful L Jefford. Four ran, 6l, deadheat, 6.45.

Ladies’ Four mile open: 1, Song of Kenda, Miss T Cave; 2, County Bash, Miss L Gardner; 3, Belitlir, Miss S Young. Nine ran, 8l, 1l, 8.03.

Men’s Open: 1, Bomba Charger, R Darke; 2, Knight of Passion, A Wintle; 3, Master Buckley, L Jefford. Six ran, 10l, 6l, 6.38.

Confined: 1, Defendtherealm, D McKenna; 2, Sea Spirit, Miss T Cave; 3, Lirsleftover, Miss S Young. Seven ran, 6l, 2l, 6.34.

Open Maiden: 1, Lingering Fog, Miss M McCarthy; 2, Butler Did it, L Jefford; 3, Tabernacle, M Shears. 11 ran, 2l, dist, 6.47.