Newbury Weekly News 110517

Thursday, May 11, 2017

Newbury Weekly News

Sport

Email: sport@newburynews.co.uk

A little rest, with thanks to the team

Martial Arts Julie battles

uninvited, I joined the Seven Barrow battalion up on their all-weather gallop. Having completed our first canter, we walked back down the hill so the boss could issue orders. Pausing briefly as I walked past he said: “Oh it’s you Luke. What? Do you want to do two or three canters?” Hoping he was in a good mood, I cheekily replied: “You’re the cham- pion trainer, you tell me?” Smiling he said: “I’ve no idea what you’ve been doing with him but looking at him you’d better do three!” Anyway, he whizzed up the gallop three-times, leaving me feeling very pleased he was capable of galloping with a Henderson horse. Walking back down the gallop again, Nicky asked each rider about their horse and how it felt. Coming to me he said: “That looked ok.” With a big beaming smile I replied: “He’ll win a maiden point to point, won’t he?”

NICKY Henderson took a well- deserved holiday after collecting the champion trainer’s trophy, but was back to host a big party for the staff and everyone connected with helping him over the past 12 months. With the winning trophy on a table next to the microphone, Nicky thanked everyone involved, giving a special mention to his headman for nearly two decades, Corky Browne and assistant Char- lie Morlock. It was also touching that he mentioned the unsung heroes like Rob the gallopman and the staff, in particular Dave Fehily who is the regular rider of My Tent or Yours. Training racehorses can be trying even for the most placid of people, so a sense of humour is essential and Nicky has a particularly dry one. On Saturday morning, totally

back to bronze

TeamHenderson earned praise from theguv’nor

With a mischievous grin he said: “Yes he probably will, but the horse you galloped with probably wouldn’t.” I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

The battle’s on to beat the Irish master

ANN Davies followed up her win in the previous week’s Turner Davies Trophy by winning the ladies monthly medal at West Berks. She carded a net 78 to beat Heather Green on countback while Gale McAuley was one shot adrift in third place. Rob Bridgeman won the men’s medal with a net 71, again on countback from Chris Ward with Alex Anderson third, and Harry White’s net 69 won the midweek medal by a three-shot margin from Lin Kay with Geoff Pudner third on 78. p Carol Sparvell won the ladies monthly stableford with 42 points, seven more than Aileen Summers and nine clear of Deb Weddell. p West Berks progressed to the second round of the Hillman Trophy with a 5½-1½ win at Henley while the scratch team lost 4-3 at home to Reading. The seniors failed to win for the first time this season when going down 4-2 away to Drayton Park, and the men’s team lost 3-2 at Ogbourne Downs while the ladies drew at North Wilts. Golf Ann keeps up the winning routine TAEKWONDO black belt Julie Roth shook off a nightmare preparation to win a bronze medal at the World Taekwondo Federation’s Spring Open in Manchester. The 31-year old from Upper Lambourn had been hit by a chest infection that affected her training, and when she did resume was again laid low by a strained hip muscle. But after responding to treatment from physio Phil Harris, she was able to go into her first competition as a 2nd Degree Black Belt as a ‘guest’ member of Scotland's Elite Martial Arts Academy, emerging with a bronze medal. Her next target is to go two podium places better in the Harro- gate Championships at the end of the month, when she will be competing in the individual and pairs competitions.

Burrows’ Talaayeb doesn’t make a major impact this season. Given she lined up for Sunday’s 1000 Guineas with just one run under her belt, her finishing position was all the more commendable. Beaten just under three and a half lengths by the winner Winter, she can only improve for that effort and looks the type to get further, perhaps even an extra four furlongs. Her breeding suggests there is every chance she’d stay a mile and a half which, of course, then brings The Oaks into consideration. Like the favourite Rhododendron, Talaayeb didn’t get the clearest of passages so was rather rushed into contention and she got tired near the line. At this time of the year, three year-old fillies can really improve and although she’s not the biggest, there is plenty of scope for improvement. Sheikh Hamdan’s racing manager Angus Gold was reluctant to nominate her next target but having spoken to the Sheikh, they have now ruled out a crack at The Oaks. It’s probably a sensible decision because step- ping from a mile straight to a mile and-a-half

IT was business as usual for Aidan O’Brien after the Ballydoyle master won both the 2000 and 1000 Guineas. Over the past decade or so, horse racing has become very ‘premier league’ with a small number of stables dominating all the top races. Although there are 20 teams in the premier league, there are only three or four with a realistic chance of winning, and that can also be said about the majority of races, both on the flat and over jumps. The chances are that most of the remaining classics and Group 1 winners will come from Aidan O’Brien, John Gosden, Richard Hannon or Godolphin. It’s even worse over jumps, particularly in Ireland where Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliot are so utterly dominant that the only hope for everyone is every now and again a ‘Leicester’ pops up giving the smaller trainers a glimmer of hope. There is no solution to this problem, if indeed it is a problem, because you can’t and shouldn’t penalise success. But that doesn’t take away the fact it’s nigh on impossible to win these big races. Having said that, I’ll be very surprised if Owen

Over the Gallops Gallops

with LUKE HARVEY

might have been a step too far, so expect to see her next over 10 furlongs. Since arriving from Newmarket, Owen Burrows has impressed with his handling of Sheikh Hamdan’s blue bloods and this filly looks capable of showcasing his talents even further. Talaayeb plainly has ability, but even better she has the right attitude to win big races.

Berkshire has the name and the form Drought begins to bite at racing

WHEN Paul Cole’s B erkshire rocketed home in the 2013 Chesham Stakes he looked to have the racing world at his feet. Unfortunately, despite winning the Royal Lodge on his next start, his career has been stop-start and blighted by setbacks. Although he won a decent listed race at Windsor last season, he never ran with any consistency, but if the rumours are correct, he’s over his problems and back to his best. On Thursday the good-looking son of Mount Nelson lines up for a

hot-looking handicap at Chester, but on 105 could easily be very well handicapped and with Ryan Moore booked to ride he’s sure to be very popular. Should things go to plan, it could easily be back to Royal Ascot and the Wolferton handicap. With the Cole string in such good recent form, Berkshire looks a really interesting horse and one I’ll certainly be following. He’s always been a particular favourite of this column and I’d love to see him back in top form.

IT’S not often in this great country we pray for rain, but this drought is becoming a real problem to farmers and racehorse trainers alike. Lambourn’s Mandown grass schooling ground is already closed and if it weren’t for the all-weather gallops and schooling area, Lambourn would have ground to a halt. The point to point season has been severely curtailed with two and three runner races becoming the norm in the past couple of weeks. The traditional finale

And the winner is.. THIS week’s NWN selection is Berkshire in the 1.50 at Chester on Thursday.

takes place in deepest, dark- est Devon at Umberleigh on June 17, but if we don’t get rain soon, the only entertain- ment will be in the beer tent.