THE PUCKERIDGE AT HORSEHEATH – SATURDAY 30th MARCH
REPORT AND RESULTS
By Lauren Braithwaite
Jockey Jack Andrews and trainer Stuart Morris continued their successful partnership at the Puckeridge meeting at Horseheath on Saturday 30th March when they landed a double. The pair have an outstanding record when teaming up at the track and it paid to follow them again as Neumond took the opening Conditions race and Proximo was an impressive winner of the Men’s Open.
Neumond made it all look very easy as he cruised past his rivals on the run to home going on to win by 4 lengths in a fast time of 6 minutes dead. He is clearly one of Jack Andrew’s favourite horses and he described him as having “a very good attitude to his racing” and he obviously relished the quick ground at a track that he loves.
No less impressive was Proximo who, whilst only taking on one other rival, showed a real touch of speed and class when he quickened for home after jumping two out. Jack gave him a lovely ride to get him settled in behind a steady pace set by Darren Thomas aboard the Sarah Humphrey trained Postbridge. Jack said “it was just a case of getting him to switch off early in the race because the slower we went the better as he’s a very fast horse with loads of gears.” He certainly showed those gears on the run for home as he cruised by Postbridge without Andrew’s having to move a muscle and he pulled away to win in a hack canter.
The Ladies Open also only featured two runners but it was the front running Larium, trained by Alan Hill and ridden by Izzie Marshall who made all to win by an impressive 12 lengths from the gallant Sa Kaldoun who will surely pick up another race win in the coming weeks. Izzie was full of praise for Larium, who was giving Sa Kaldoun 12lbs, she said “we thought he might have to work hard to bag his third win but once again he bounced off the quicker ground and won easily. He jumped brilliantly throughout the race and then just quickened after two out to go and win his race”. All being well with the horse the aim will be to perhaps give him another run over the Easter weekend before and end of season target at Stratford which would be a real thrill for Marshall who describes herself as “very lucky to ride such a special horse!”
One jockey to shine on the day was Novice Rider Alex Chadwick who has started to make his mark in East Anglia over the last few weeks. Now being given a few more chances Chadwick has shown himself more than capable of getting the job done. Following on from a winner at High Easter, he took the fast run Novice Riders contest here aboard the popular Abbey Lane who is trained by his owner John Whyte. Chadwick got into a lovely rhythm aboard Abbey Lane and judged the pace just right, making a move for home coming round the home bend and getting some great jumps from the horse from three out to stay on by three lengths from the evergreen front running Amigo partnered by John Morrey.
The other two races on the card were competitive and had good finishes. Francesca Nimmo continued her great season when odds on favourite Black Jewel took the Intermediate under Gordon Hopkinson by a length from the Edward Turner runner Haut Bages, ridden by Rupert Stearn and the Open Maiden race was won by just half a length by George Gorman and Twentyoneblackjack. Gorman gave his mount a great ride managing to hold on from the fast finishing odds on favourite Whistling Dolly who was ridden by Henry Crow.
All in all it was a great day of racing and the general consensus was that the team at Horseheath, led by Clerk of the Course John Sharp, had once again done a fantastic job watering the track during a drying week to provide safe, level going and beautifully presented fences.
Full Results below:
The official going was good, good to firm in places.
Conditions Race
1st Neumond Jack Andrews 4/5f
2nd Pair Of Jacks George Greenock 8/1
3rd Some Kinda Lama Antonia Peck 3/1
Time 6-00 Dists: 4L 10L 4 ran also This Breac 5/2 PU
Open Maiden
1st Twentyoneblackjack George Gorman 11/4
2nd Whistling Dolly Henry Crow 10/11f
3rd Judge Judy Georgina Andrews 4/1
Time 6-03 Dists: 1/2L 12L 6 ran also Drive On Joe 6/1 PU Granit 8/1 PU Sthenic 16/1 PU
Ladies Open
1st Laurium Izzie Marshall 1/8f
2nd Sa Kaldoun Rosie Turner 4/1
Time 5-50 Dists: 12L 2 ran
Mens Open
1st Proximo Jack Andrews 1/8f
2nd Postbridge Darren Thomas 4/1
Time 6-28 Dists: 1 1/2L 2 ran
Intermediate Race
1st Black Jewel Gordon Hopkinson 1/2f
2nd Haut Bages Rupert Stearn 7/1
3rd Somme Boy Richard Collinson 2/1
Time 6-11 Dists: 1L 2 1/2L 4 ran also Bardista 7/2 4th
Novice Riders
1st Abbey Lane Alex Chadwick 3/1
2nd Amigo John Morrey 11/8f
3rd Flugzeug Luke Humphrey 14/1
Time 6-03 Dists: 3L Dist 5 ran also Ballybough Gorta 5/1 4th High Kite 7/4 PU
