REVIEW |
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. |