MEYNELL AND SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE
WESTON PARK 20th
February 2005
by Arthur Shone
The Meynell & South
Staffs meeting between the flags at Weston Park was one for the die
hards of the sport. It was so bitterly cold that racing had to be
back an hour because of the frost in the ground. After several
inspections by the stewards and the clerk of the course Richard
Froggatt the meeting was given the go ahead. It was a brave
decision but the right one as the frost had come out of the ground
before the first race.
Unfortunately, as a race meeting
this was a non event with only 22 runners turning up to contest the
six races and of these, nine of them ran in the Maiden, which left
the freezing racegoers with one four runner race, a five and three
matches. Rumours were rife after the fourth race that the last two
races on the card were only two runner affairs, which was probably
why so many people left early. In the Meynell & South Staffs
defence, they were not helped by the adverse publicity about the
state of the ground at the last meeting at the course at the end of
last month and also the switch by the North Hereford at Whitwick
Manor from the previous day to a Sunday, as there were no meetings
between the flags the previous day because of the hunting ban.
One man not complaining about
the lack of runners was Atcham rider Richard Burton, who notched up
a treble at the track, which puts him on the eight-winner mark for
the season between the flags.
The first leg came aboard
Petrouge in the Confined. Once Burton asked Petrouge to go on four
out, the race was over. The Petoski gelding came home unchallenged
by 12 lengths from Jimmy Jumbo. The winner is trained at Sheriff
Hales by Caroline Robinson and owned by her father Jeremy Beasley.
Robinson said afterwards that her charge had enjoyed himself today
and added that he was suited by small fields.
Burton had the choice of Jemaro
or Quality First in the Men’s Open; he chose the latter and
won the race by 30 lengths from Stormhill Stag after making every
yard from flag fall. The winner is owned and trained by Andrew
Dalton at Shifnal and was his first winner of the season. The
French bred gelding used to be trained under rules by
Andrew’s former wife Heather and is a decent recruit to the
pointing ranks. Dalton said afterwards that the Bangor Final on May
14 th was a strong possibility for his charge.
He completed the treble on the
Sheila Crow trained mare Miss Sallyfield in the Restricted, who
beat his sole challenger Hill Of Kilfeacle by 25lengths. The winner
is owned by Aled Griffith OBE from Shrewsbury, and is yet another
dark horse selection from the trainers husband Edward, who has now
had 10 winners from 11 selections over 9 seasons. He highlighted
this winner along with High Chimes, who has yet to run, in the 5 th
January edition of the Shropshire Star.
It was a good day for Edward
Crow who saw his familiar scarlet and black colours carried to
victory on The Young Purty in the Maiden with Joe O’Brien in
the plate. It was a good performance by the winner, but it would
have been interesting if the well backed favourite Top Of The Dee
had not fallen three out when a narrow leader. However Sheila Crow
was in no doubt that her charge would have prevailed, she said,
“Joe (O’Brien) told me that he could have gone around
again he was going so well, he had a job to pull him up. We bought
him last July in Ireland. We knew he had ability and I think he is
a nice horse.”
The Ladies’ Open almost
turned into a walk over because Tarporley trainer John Swindells
only decided to run his mare Jackie Jarvis after walking the course
three times and only making up his mind to run with a few minutes
to spare before declaration time. As it turned out, Jackie Jarvis
took up the running four out and won easing down from her sole
rival Life Of A River by 12 lengths.
The opening Members race was yet
another match, which was won by Ridware Pride under Sue Sharratt
who finished alone, as Western Lad broke down on the approach to
three out and sadly had to be put down. The winner is trained at
Hill Ridware, near Rugeley by the clerk of the course Richard
Froggatt. It was probably a bittersweet victory for Froggatt as
Western Lad was owned and trained by his niece Jane.
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