THRILLING VICTORY FOR MARBLEHEAD AT DUNTHROP
Marblehead’s victory in the Lord Ashton of Hyde Cup provided a fitting climax to the final meeting at Dunthrop and provided Jim Collett with victory in one of the sports most prestigious races.
Last years winner Naunton Brook set out to make it a test of stamina and Daniel Wright’s mount was already 25-lengths clear of the field with just less than a mile of the race run. Worship the Stars tried to keep tabs on the leader but was never jumping with any fluency and that put paid to his chances.
Half way and Naunton Brook still hold a clear advantage, although Marblehead is starting to make progress
Naunton Brook was a fence clear of his pursuers at the 13th, but as they raced past the judge for the second time he started to come back to the field and was joined by Marblehead as they raced alongside the Banbury road for the final time.
Mark Wall’s mount struck the front at the final open ditch where Bay Cherry and King of the Road were both in close contention, while Johnny Kilawee who had lost a tremendous amount of ground at the start was beginning to get into contention.
Wall started to get more animated at the 20th but the horse kept answering his calls and held a 3-length advantage over King of the Road at the second from home. Reappearing out of the dip approaching the final obstacle Marblehead still had his grey nose in front but King of the Road and Mathew Hampton were not giving up without a fight.
Marblehead jumps the last clear of King of the Road
Same fence but different angle
Marblehead starts off up the long run in
Marblehead just prevails from King of the Road (blue and yellow), Naunton Brook (stripes) and Johnny Kilawee who lost about 20 lengths at the start
Marblehead held a narrow lead over King of the Road at the last but the latter started to inch closer on the run in. The co-favourite needed all of his battling qualities to maintain his advantage on the run to the judge, which eventually secured victory in this 4-mile contest before its transfer to a new course at Aldsworth next year.
Winning owner Jim Collett and trainer Jelly O’Brien both indicated that Mark Wall deserved all the credit for their horse’s victory. “Mark has wanted us to run the horse in this race for several years” said the pair after the race “he was convinced the horse would stay 4-miles – we were not so sure”.
“This is a race I have always wanted to win” quipped Taddington based Collett after the race “and we will be celebrating in our local (Plough at Ford) tonight.
Winning owner Jim Collett
Winning jockey Mark Wall
The trainer could not recall having a runner in this race before, while Wall carried out pre-race plans to perfection “get to the front after 3 miles and let the others try and catch us”.
Mrs O’Brien reported “The horse was never quiet right last year so he didn’t run but he made a pleasing reappearance at Chaddesley just after Christmas”.
Asked about future objectives she indicated they now have a range of options with the 4-mile Hunter Chase at Cheltenham in May a possible objective.
It was a good afternoon for West Midland based horses with our first success of the afternoon being gained by Rock and Ska in Division II of the 3-mile Maiden.
27 of the 65 entries stood their ground resulting in two divisions with most of our local runners ending up in the second half of the race.
Aconitum set off like the proverbial “scalded cat” and was 25-lengths clear of his rivals by the 5th but his number looked up as the runners stated to close on the leader at the final roadside fence.
To the horse’s credit he kept up his relentless gallop and still held a narrow advantage at the third from home. His rivals were queuing up to challenge at this point with Road to Recover and Royal Bruere amongst his nearest pursuers.
Rock and Ska fought his way into the lead before the final bend but ran very wide at the entrance into the home straight and this allowed his rivals a second bite at the cherry.
Rock and Ska clear at the last
Rock and Ska sprints clear on the run in
James Ridley soon had his mount back on an even keel and they had established a winning lead before the final obstacle with the winner staying on strongly to record a 4-length success in the colours of Tom Hayes.
The winner is the only horse trained by Karen O’Neill at Cradley in the shadows of the Malvern Hills and was ridden to perfection by James Ridley to provide a silver lining to the week after the funeral of his father Mike last Monday.
James Ridley hardly had to move a muscle on the winner
“We brought him as a 3-year-old from David Redvers and my daughter Claire has hunted him twice a week with the North Ledbury and that has taught him to jump” explained the trainer after the race. “He’s the only pointer I have at present – but I would like more!”
Winning trainer Karen O’Neill picks up her prize
The end of a difficult week for jockey James Ridley
Ridley explained that his horse had run wide on the final bend because “He had nothing for company but quickened up nicely when I ask him.”
The trainers Step father ex-professional jockey Ron Hyett was quick to praise Ridley “the horse was going so well James could have hit the front too soon but he hung on to him and rode him brilliantly”.
The following 2-1/2 mile Maiden saw another local success when Chiquilline justified favouritism in the hands of Tom Weston.
Celtic Ballard set the early pace and that horse was still leading as they approached the fourth from home. Half a dozen horses were still in with a chance at this obstacle and it was almost impossible to predict the winner as they straightened up for the judge.
Forest Walker fought his way to the front approaching the last but was being harried on both sides by a combination of Could Be Good, Shales Rock and Chiquilline.
Chiquilline (noseband), Shales Rock (brown) and Forest Walker are level at the last
Dave Mansell’s mount Could Be Good was the first to crack whilst the other 3 were virtually inseparable at the last, but Tom Weston gave his mount a couple of “hurry up calls” and the 6-year-old quickened impressively to go 3-lengths clear as they passed the judge.
The winner carries the colours of Tessa Blazey who recalled afterwards “I rode my one and only winner on a horse called Sirisat in the Ladies Open at this meeting in 1996”.
The winner was purchased at Ascot last August for a modest sum and “has been a bit temperamental” according to his Clapton on the Hill based owner who qualified him with the Cotswold.
“I brought him because I liked the way he walked and I do feel sorry for Sam (Drinkwater) who would have ridden him today if he had not been banned”.
Twocute and Charlie Dando proved too good for their rivals in the Novice Riders.
Spare Change lead from flagfall, and had Polyfast for company for the first circuit and a half. The latter started to weaken as they raced along the skyline for the final time, whereas Spare Change was still maintaining a strong gallop.
Twocute was noted making progress but was still in fifth place at the 13th. He began to make significant inroads on the leaders advantage over the next couple of fences but was still 3-lengths behind at the second from home.
Dando managed to secure the inside berth on the final bend and led as they raced down into the dip for the final time. There was little between these two rivals at the last but Twocute got away slighter the quicker and managed to grab a narrow advantage which he maintained all the way to the line.
This was a real family affair because the 11-year-old son of Shernazar is owned by the rider’s sister Lucy and is trained by their father David on the family farm at Little Sodbury near Badminton.
Dando junior is an apprentice farrier and his father attributed the fitting of pads to the horse’s feet as a possible cause for improvement on last season form.
For a long way in the closing Restricted it looked as though the West Midlands would have another success on its hands.
Dave Mansell had Swallows Delight up in the leading group from the start and the horse was left in front after Willing 
Weasel had run out on the bend into the home straight.
Swallows Delight (carrying the colours of Belinda and Adrian Sparey who do so much for the West Midlands via the sponsorship of the Novice Riders prizes) must have been full of hope as their 7-year-old was still in front at the 17th but he finally had to settle for fourth place.
Twocute leads Spare Change at the last but the grey fought back gallantly on the flat
Liam Payter had a couple of unsuccessful rides at Dunthrop before proceeding onto Towcester where he took a top class Hunter Chase on the Charlotte Jones trained Lorikarad.
His chances had been advertised by According to Johns success the previous day. The 8-year-old has improved dramatically this year so the North Ledbury qualified gelding was tremendous value for his win at 11-1. It will have not gone unnoticed that Drom who had won several Point-to-Points in the West Midlands over the years was successful on the same card.
At Larkhill the previous day the 2011 Dudley Cup winner Surenaga started a short price favourite for the Mens Open with the previous Larkhill winner According to John easy to back at 4-1 but the general consensus after the race was that both horses would have struggled against Nomadic Dreamer.
He now runs in the colours of Little Shurdington based Dene Stallard and his new acquisition was showing his rivals a clean pair of heels and appeared to have the race in his pocket when he departed at the third from home.
Surenaga started to weaken coming into the home straight and drifted wide taking Nick Sutton and Offshore Account with them. According to John took advantage of their misfortune although Offshore Account was reducing the deficit all the way up the run in.
Claudia Wilesmith must like driving down the M5 as she had a winner with Never So Blue at Ideford Arch earlier in the season. She followed that success when her husband Mark steered Gallant Lad to victory in one of the Maidens at Chipley Park. They held a narrow advantage at the last but had extended their advantage to a couple of lengths on the climb to the post.
The winner runs in the colours of Worcester Vet David Denny. The horse was brought as an unbroken 4-year-old at Fairyhouse and has always shown his trainer that he is capable of winning a race. She reported that “he appears a more settled horse than in previous seasons”.
