REPORT: 

HAMILTON BLOODHOUNDS AT HIGHAM

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 7th

 Author: Mike Ashby

Although racing throughout the country is being interrupted by the excessive spell of wet weather, there were no problems at Higham with the Hamilton Bloodhounds holding their inaugural fixture. The experienced Roderick Duncan, the new Clerk of the Course at Higham, kept us all fully informed of the state of the going, on the lead up to the meeting and because the course is situated on gravel, it is able to maintain raceable conditions. The end result, the going on the day was deemed to be Good to Soft and the whole course was a credit to Duncan and his team. Further reported comments, on the day from other sources went as far as to say “That was the best going that will be seen anywhere in the country for the next month”.

After the excitement of two hotly contested pony races the main racing took centre stage and the afternoon’s proceedings produced a winning double for trainer Alan Hill and his jockey James King with their success matched by Bradley Gibbs who also landed two winners as trainer /jockey. The Hill’s team has been in fine form since the start of the campaign and these two winners brought Alan’s total for the season to a healthy ten. More importantly a major milestone was reached with Senior Citizen victory in the Conditions race being the 450th career win registered by the Aston Rowan, Oxfordshire-based trainer. James King who was partnering  Senior Citizen for the first time, described him as “a class act” after their success and “ I knew Alan would have him fit enough for his seasonal debut”. Both Senior Citizen’s wins in points have come at Higham and here in the extended 3½ mile Level 3 Conditions contest, King always had his mount stalking the leader Ted’s Friend, for most of the race, with the Pillar Rock being held up in rear by Gina Andrews. It was at the third last fence that King made his move but the tenacious Ted’s Friend was sticking to the task, Petite Mike also made a concerted move but unseated Kathryn Featherstone at the last as Senior Citizen withheld the game Ted’s Friend by ¾ length, at the finish.

SENIOR CITIZEN and JAMES KING

Winner number 451 came courtesy of Reel Much Fun in the concluding Open Maiden race with King in the saddle recording his 15th win of the season. Reel Much Fun had disappointed connections at Horseheath at the end of January, when quickly stopping and lost ground on softer conditions encountered, after jumping the fences along the skyline. Higham’s flat track and being left-handed were the positives for this improved display and an enjoyable and ideal success for owner Richard Cranfield, at his local track. Maxfly D’Agrostis made most of the early running but was continually jumping out to the right with Sean O’ Connor. By the time the race was approaching the latter stages, several of the ten starters had called it a day with the 4 year old, Guts and Glory, representing trainer Chris Barber, coming to grief.  King set for home on Reel Much Fun and they had forged clear two fences out, where Maxfly D’Agrostis ran out whilst the favourite Leopard D’Irlande was not able to make any impression, on the eventual winner, who finished 15 lengths to the good.

REEL MUCH FUN and JAMES KING

Bradley Gibbs is now a frequent attendee to East Anglia area fixtures since moving his base to Hertfordshire and Fier Jaguen comfortably took the Mens Open despite continually jumping out to the right at his fences. This was the multiple-winner’s second course success having won at Higham back in 2022 and they had enough left on the run-in to repel the fast- finishing Aramax by 1¾ lengths. Gibbs was back in the winners’ enclosure in the following Restricted contest after his mount Practice Run and Cadillac Ranch had led the field from flag fall. All eight runners were tightly packed going out on their final circuit and Monrocco Moonlight offered a challenge to Practice Run at the cross fence, four out and had the advantage two fences from home. However, Gibbs managed to galvanise his mount to jump ahead again at the last and stay on the stronger for a 4 length victory.

FIER JAGUEN and BRADLEY GIBBS

PRACTICE RUN and BRADLEY GIBBS

There was huge upset in the Ladies Open race, to initiate Chris Barber’s unfortunate afternoon, when Famous Clermont, sent off at 1/5 odds in a three-horse race, unseated Gina Andrews after hitting the top of the fourth fence, to leave Janika and Jimmy The Digger to compete for the first prize. With 17 wins from 29 races in points and hunter ‘chases the only other time Famous Clermont has unseated his rider was on his pointing debut back in 2020. There wasn’t much between the remaining pair as Charlotte Butler on Janika took the lead at the final open ditch. Still only two lengths separated them at the cross fence but Willow Johnson and Jimmy The Digger were responding and the two runners approached the final fence locked together. The rapid momentum of Jimmy The Digger shot Willow straight up out of the saddle but somehow came down in the plate but minus her irons. Charlotte had full control of Janika and they went slightly ahead but Willow was able to encourage and keep her mount balanced and they saw off their rival by ½ length. The drama was still not over as Willow was dislodged someway beyond the finishing line, fortunately without any injury concerns. Willow is the teenage daughter of Richard and Fiona Johnson with her father being the owner and trainer of Jimmy The Digger and of course the retired, four-times National Hunt Champion jockey who was awarded an OBE in 2019 for his services to horse racing. Waiting to greet his daughter, there could have been no prouder or delighted parent, which is probably an understatement, especially as this was her first winner on only her second ride. The journey from their Herefordshire home had taken five hours but “well worth it” confirmed Richard and I reminded him of the time he attended a Cottenham meeting. “ I saw a sign to Cottenham on the way here and realised we still had some distance to go before we reached Higham ! “ The strapping Jimmy The Digger was obtained from Henry Daly’s stable having won four times under rules and the record show that a ‘R.Johnson’ had two rides on him in 2020 finishing 2nd and 3rd. So obviously known to Dad, he was identified as a “perfect schoolmaster” for Willow and currently this the only horse they have to point but what a start to her career.

JIMMY THE DIGGER and WILLOW JOHNSON

The opening race was the first in a new series of “Hands and Heels” Conditions (Level 2) races for novice riders. supporting the next generation of riders and has points awarded for each qualifying race, down to 4th place, culminating in an award for the national champion. Restricted to novice riders, who at the start of this season have ridden no more than 10 winners under any rules of racing, They are permitted to carry a whip, however, its use is strictly limited to encourage good riding technique and balance in race conditions. The race was won in confident style by Hubrisko and Cerys Sheehy after the favourite Shentri had unseated Poppy Shaw early on. With a line put through the Ampton experience last time out the winning pairing were achieving their third success of the season together after making  rapid progress approaching the last fence. The race had seen Another Mystery and Shane Sarsfield take a commanding lead throughout the majority of the race. This leader was 10 lengths up at the cross fence first time round and had increased this margin to nearer 15 lengths at the same fence, on the second circuit and with only three fences left to negotiate. However, this frantic pace started to take its toll and the cavalry were approaching fast and soon swallowed up Another Mystery, between the last two fences. Hubrisko and Sheehy may have come on the scene late but they sprinted clear from the last fence and put 10 lengths between them and their nearest rival, Paint The Dream, on the run-in. Cerys was delighted and expressed “ I was always confident and he picked up well when asked “.  A very encouraging start to this new series joint sponsored by The Jockey Club and Point-to-Point Authority and was won in the quickest time of the day, more than 10 seconds quicker than any other contest over a similar distance.

HUBRISKO and CERYS SHEEHY ( centre)

A very successful first meeting organised by the new hosts and the course was presented in excellent condition attracting 40 declared runners from the 57 individual horses entered.

 

 PHOTOS COURTESY OF GRAHAM BISHOP PHOTOGRAPHY

www.gdbphotography.co.uk