2009 review

Mid-January saw the 2009 season start at damp Detling. The seven races were contested by 64 horses, and Peter Bull rode a double to start his successful challenge for the Area jockeys’ title, writes Barry Lewis.

The highlight horse was DANTE’S STORM who won the Men’s Open before going on to win a Folkestone hunter ‘chase the following month. Philip York completed his double with NESSA whose talent was matched by his inconsistency. He was to become a punters’ nightmare.

The most impressive winner of the day was HIGHLAND CHIEF, whose later exploits included close seconds to BEE AN BEE and LETTERMAN before winning at Folkestone for Philip Hall. The novices’ race saw two top young riders: Will Hickman later won national honours that might have been Josh Moore’s had a mid-season injury not intruded.

Five weeks later (bad planning?) the season got properly underway at Charing with BEE AN BEE outstaying Highland Chief. Rose Grissell rode her first winner (THEATRE KNIGHT) when beating sister Hannah on Myson with the frustrating Big Moment in third. With hunter ‘chase winner Bonne Noel only fifth, this was easily the best Ladies’ race of the season.

YOUNG COLLIER did well to beat top East Anglian horse Go North to keep Peter Bull ahead in the riders’ title hunt.

The third meeting of the season saw eight races at Godstone. Nick Pearce rode a treble for patron Simon Tindall on his three best horses: LETTERMAN, SAY GRACE and JACK’S PRESENT, all odds-on. BEE AN BEE won the Men’s Open in a canter, while 15-year-old CARRYONHARRY only just failed to concede 3lbs to BLUE BUSINESS in a competitive ladies.

Detling in mid-March saw LETTERMAN confirm his class by beating Jazz Attack in ther club race while BEE AN BEE won the Kent Grand National easily. Talented Tom Cheesman picked up a spare ride on NESSA who impressed when winning a hot restricted from High Toby and Say Grace. The latter improved to win her next three races, including a hunter ‘chase at the Folkestone May meeting.

Firm going meant only 30 runners at the first Parham meeting (there were none at the second!). Marcus Gorman had a mixed meeting, winning on CAPE STORMER before being touched of by Nick Pearce and KOMMETJIE in the next. The season’s only dead heat came with THEATRE KNIGHT and ELENAS RIVER (ridden by novice Kevin Dixon). Peter Bull’s new horse MASTER T took advantage of Lord ‘N’ Master’s fall to win the club race and initiate a sequence of three.

The second Godstone fixture saw Bee An Bee beaten at odds of 1/7 by NOAKARADE DE VERZEE. No excuses were offered but Bee An Bee did not return and Stuart Robinson’s horses ran poorly afterwards. SAY GRACE and LETTERMAN both won cosily while Peter Bull added another victory with CAPTAIN’S LEGACY.

The first Penshurst meeting saw competitive racing: Sheriffs Friend was expected to give Hayley Moore a winning first ride, only for her to fall off at the fifth. TIKRAM enjoyed front-running tactics in the Ladies’, beating Leatherback and the one-paced Carryonhary. CAPE STORMER showed he was no back number when turning the conditions race into a procession.

BOULLIAC made it two consecutive wins for another novice rider, Barry Manning.

Easter saw no rain and few runners. The quality of some races also suffered and the lack of adequate watering systems meant firm going. PRINCE RODNEY completed an unusual Easter double at Charing and Aldington under Will Hickman. Charing saw doubles for Nick Pearce and Peter Bull, both still locked together for the jockeys’ championship. Aldington suffered with a lack of runners and the crowd were treated to two matches. Hayley Moore sat tight as SHERIFFS FRIEND, surely one of the best point-to-pointers in recent years, gained yet another win. Novice rider Harry Miller and rookie trainer Wendy Good , aged 18, both scored first wins with MASTER SHUIL in the maiden.

Bexhill provided Juliet Hermansky with her first win following an enterprising ride on IT’S SHOWTIME in the novice race. NO REWARD repeated his 2008 win for Matt Braxton in the members’ while LETTERMAN beat the useful Highland Chief in a titanic battle. The two leading jockeys then locked horns, with Nick Pearce on JACK’S PRESENT just getting the better of MASTER ALF and Peter Bull.

The second Penshurst fixture saw the shock of the season for form punters: DAD SAYS HEAZLE and Sharlom flashed past the post in front of Master T, who made up ten lengths from the second last. Punters were divided between “unlucky in running” and “given too much to do”. BOY’S HURRAH showed good form, under Philip York, beating a lethargic Theatre Knight.

May’s racing at Godstone and Peper Harow was a nightmare for organisers with owners being scared off by very firm going at Godstone and the Folkestone hunter ‘chase meeting being held only five days after Peper Harow. Only 21 ran at Godstone and odds-on favourites Podium Pete and Letterman both went lame. The first walkover of the season was followed by a match. Will Hickman was seen at his best on veteran POSSEXTOWN while CARRYONHARRY completed his hat trick. Peper Harow visitors had 18 runners including three matches and five winning favourites. The highlight for me was INDEPENDENT TRADER winning at the sixth attempt while Cape Stormer slipping up was the lowlight.

LASTING IMPRESSIONS:

All Nick Pearce-trained horses won with a strike rate of about 60% - amazing!

Plenty of jockeys had the first winners of their careers - pony racing obviously works!

Certain hunts refused to provide proper valet services for our unpaid jockeys - disgraceful.

Peter Bull shows the young pretenders he is still the boss.

We all miss David Robinson riding.

Cut back on Opens

Is this the answer to Easter's small fields?

Much discussion has been aired on the Supporters’ Club forum about the lack of runners nationally and locally over Easter. The average race card appears to fall from 50 for a “normal” fixture to just 30 over the holiday. The reasons are not in doubt, writes Barry Lewis.

By definition, two meetings in a weekend will halve the number of runners per race.

Firm going stops horses being risked, particularly at Open level.

No horses from outside the area were entered over Easter this year thanks to meetings at Hackwood Park, Marks Tey and Higham.

The figures below suggest that a change in race planning could avoid walkovers and matches - non-events which upset bookmakers and punters alike.

MEETING Total runners Maiden runners % of maidens

Detling 61 18 30%

Charing 72 21 30%

Godstone 63 22 33%

Detling 2 75 28 37%

Parham 30 6 25%

Charing 2 32 10 30%

Penshurst 1 43 8 20%

Charing 3 25 6 25%

Aldington 32 12 37%

Total 9 mtgs 433 131 30%

Av. Per meeting 48 15

Charing and Aldington over Easter had a combined total of 57 runners of which 18 were maidens - a fair turn-out if it had been a single meeting, so in theory we have a solution: scrap one of them. But of course this is not commercially sensible, and in my view we can only tinker with the problem. About one third of all runners are maidens, but only one of the six races at Easter meetings is for maidens.

Therefore I agree with people who suggest that two maiden races per card would be the way forward. The problem then is which race would have to be dropped. Obviously two Opens per meeting will almost certainly create matches or, worse still, walkovers.

The majority view (of those I have spoken to) is to have a mixed open instead, but I don’t think this would work as Ladies’ horses would not enter due to connections not wishing to carry 12 stone plus. My solution is to have only one Ladies Open race, and one Men’s Open over Easter.

Thus Charing would have a Ladies’ race and no Men’s Open, while Aldington would have a Men’s Open but no Ladies’ Open. Open class horses would still have their opportunity over the weekend, but would be limited to a single race. I firmly believe this would eradicate matches and walkovers, given that at least 25 horses run at each meeting. You may not agree with me, but can you come up with a better solution?