REVIEW Going - Good |
The Members race was won by COOLE’S ABBOT and Godrey
Maundrell who beat STEEL GEM by
5 lengths with MISS MAN a
distance away in third. Fiona Wilson made all the running on TWILIGHT DANCER to land division 1 of the Restricted race and
comfortably held the favourite PETE
THE PAINTER and LADY PALAMON.
Fiona missed most of last season with an ankle injury and it was pleasing to
see her successful here. The second division was also won by a lady rider
when Anna de Lisle Wells on BALLY
ALBERT made every post a winning one and won unchallenged to justify
favouritism JERROBOAM and DAISY’S
CHOICE took minor honours. The fastest time of the day was recorded by SOHAPARA
and Dai Jones in the Confined race, winning by one length from INIS
CARA with GILZINE 20 lengths
away in third. GILZINE made a
mistake three fences from home and would otherwise have been much nearer. SOHAPARA
is
expected to improve for her first run of the season according to trainer
Jane Matthias and will be aimed at the Dunraven Bowl Hunter Chase at
Chepstow in April. The Men’s Open was won by North Cotswold raider SIR
DANTE and Andy Martin in driving finish from QUICKSWOOD
and SMILE PLEEZE. SIR DANTE’S owner
Simon Claisse, Clerk of the Course at Cheltenham was most complimentary in
his comments regarding the ground and hoped that the going form the
forthcoming Festival meeting would be as good as Howick’s. ASHFIELD
ORCHESTRA (Isabel Thompsett) was a comfortable winner of the Ladies
Open from COWANSTOWN PRINCE and ANDRE
LAVAL.
Their task was made easier when market leaders BUCKLAND
BOY
and NIGEL’S BOY fell before
halfway. GIPSY
GIRL and Robert Stephens led at halfway and went on to record a facile victory
in division one of the Maiden race from MOUNTAIN LILY and DAN’S
BLARNEY. More victories would appear to be a distinct possibility for GIPSY
GIRL. Division two was taken by CALL ME SONIC and Dai Jones from JUST CARAMEL and MILLYS FILLY. RUBY DANTE and SUMERIAN LAD were both in contention when departing in the closing stages and may be worth bearing in mind. |