REPORT OF THE PUCKERIDGE & ESSEX MEETING HELD AT HIGH EASTER ON SATURDAY APRIL 5th

By Mike Ashby

It was doubles all round at High Easter with two jockeys and two trainers recording dual successes on a glorious day in deepest, rural Essex. The exceptional weather also made doubles the order of the day, to the drink measures being consumed by the enormous crowd via their picnics in the car park areas.

With the extremely dry weather conditions leading up to the fixture there were obvious concerns regarding the state of the ground, come race day. As always, Clerk of the Course, Simon Marriage and his team had worked tirelessly and had dispensed 200,000 gallons, equivalent to 41mm, of water on to the course via two ponds. The rewards came in the total appreciation from owners, trainers, jockeys and us, the public, for providing the best possible racing conditions, in the circumstances. Given as ‘good’ an hour before the first race, the drying wind and full sun meant the going was amended after the third race to ‘good to firm / good in places’ but remained perfectly safe jumping ground.

The quality of the racing shone through all afternoon and the surfeit of close finishes provided the vociferous racegoers with plenty of excitement and anticipation regarding the final outcomes. Leading East Anglian jockey, Alex Chadwick was one rider to enjoy double success on Clashhill and Iconic Jack, to bring his winning total to 14, for the season. Owner/trainer Nick Wright’s Clashhill won the opening Countyside Alliance Club Members Conditions race, leading throughout and maintained his advantage with ¾ length to spare over his only rival, Wallace Ollinger who produced a challenge at the last but Chadwick always had enough in hand. Post race, the winning jockey was confident, going into the race, that he was on the best horse and although ideally he didn’t want to make the running, he ultimately had no choice but was more than happy as the 7-y-o show maturity in running being clever and classy and is likely to improve even more, in the future.

CLASHHILL and ALEX CHADWICK

Chadwick’s second winner came courtesy of Iconic Jack in the Maiden race, for trainer Jenny Owen. After nearly running out and ballooning the first fence, Iconic Jack’s jumping improved markedly, for the remainder of the race. Killomeroe and Jack Andrews made the overall running eventually finishing 3rd  with Red Letter Day taking the runner-up placing 3 lengths behind the winner. Iconic Jack is home-bred by owner Robert Boyce and had never completed the course in his two previous races so this was a welcome success in more ways than one as Mr Boyce’s last winner came at the equivalent meeting in 2017 when Counting Stars won the 3¾ mile contest.

ICONIC JACK and ALEX CHADWICK (right)

Jack Andrews picked up two winners, Mumbo Jumbo and Call Me Early when deputising for his sister Gina who was recovering from her shuddering fall from Master Templar at Bechers in the Aintree Foxhunters two days before. Gina, as the trainer of  Jack’s two successes, delighted everybody by being in the winners’ enclosure to greet both her winners. Mumbo Jumbo is owned by the enthusiastic group known as The Odd Socks Partnerships and was an impressive winner of the Intermediate contest. Having won twice already this season before being narrowly beaten by the earlier, on the card, winner Clashhill at Guilsborough, a month ago, so the form was in the book. Fame and Concrete became Mumbo Jumbo’s nearest rival as they pulled clear approaching the second last but the eventual winner was on his own jumping the last obstacle and recorded a 6 length victory. The trainer confirmed after the race that Mumbo Jumbo doesn’t possess the best wind but the quicker ground would have helped him in that respect and Jack was pleased with the way he jumped and the Intermediate race on Cheltenham Hunter ‘Chase evening card is now a future target, for the 9-y-o.

MUMBO JUMBO and JACK ANDREWS (nearside)

Gina and Jack went on to take the closing Hunt Members’ race with Call Me Early for the owners the Signy and Marriage Families, in a match race with Nigel Padfield’s Can Daddy Dance. The winner led all the way, never holding more than a 2 lengths advantage, before quickening away after the second last to win by 4 lengths. Jack’s post-race assessment was that his mount ”has plenty of ability and is so nimble”. Current plan is to contest the forthcoming Aintree bumper.

CALL ME EARLY and JACK ANDREWS

Owner/ trainer Nick Wright is having a very successful season and saddled two more winners to add to his tally. Having welcomed Clashhill back into the winners’ enclosure, in the opening race, his runner Red Maple in the following contest, the 3 ¾ mile Essex National, also duly obliged. Partnered by the outstanding young talent in Cian Murphy, Red Maple set out to make all the running in this marathon distance race. His fluent jumping held him in good stead and although Ragnar Lodbrok, showing distinct improvement in his running to recent outings, made a move to challenge five fences out, the front-runner and eventual winner determinedly saw the race out, pulling further clear of his rivals to win by 5 lengths.

RED MAPLE and CIAN MURPHY

The two Open races may numerically lacked runners but both races gave the crowd undeniable excitement as the contestants battled for supremacy and the judge’s verdict on the run-in. In the Ladies race, this looked to be the year that Simon Marriage and Family had the opportunity to collect the treasured Warwick Vase, on offer to the winning owner. Fairly Famous was their representative and Heidi Palin had been booked to deputise for Gina. Precious Bounty and Marina Bealby set out in front and they were jumping beautifully with their two opponents Fairly Famous and Tullys Touch tucked in behind. This was how the contest continued until challenging moves were made at the business end of the race where the odds-on Fairly Famous came alongside Precious Bounty and looked to take the honours. However, Ellie Holder on Tullys Touch were also now motoring and about to deliver their customary late challenge which they did on the run-in to great effect to win by a neck with the gallant Precious Bounty, 4 lengths away in 3rd place. So, Tullys Touch and Ellie Holder repeated their winning feat from last year and the prestigious Warwick Vase was again presented to owner Christina Blockley. Holder as always was delighted to be re-united with the winner having been passed fit to ride a couple of days previous, after picking up an injury in an invitation hurdle race in Ireland. “ He’s such a good character and I’m always confident he will give his best”. Trainer John Ibbott related some reasons behind Tullys lack-lustre performance at Fakenham a fortnight ago. Apparently the horse took a dislike to a moist saddle and accessories when being prepared for the race, as time was short, which Ibbott felt contributed to his unusual behaviour in the parade ring, before the race.

TULLYS TOUCH and ELLIE HOLDER

There was a straight repeat in the Mens Open race with the two protagonists who contested the Mixed Open that took place at the previous meeting but in the runners only, as this time the result was different. Law Of Gold and Dale Peters who also made all the running a month ago were able to maintain their lead this time when the inevitable challenge came from their opponents Aramax and Alex Chadwick, heading to the last fence. There was just one length between the two rivals at the finish and winning trainer David Kemp would have been delighted to see his own horse complete his fourth success at the Essex course and has now accumulated a career total of 10 pointing wins and another 5 in hunter ‘chases. The application of a visor which had been tried during a piece of work during the week seem to make a positive difference and there was a 3lb weight advantage in Law Of Gold’s favour compared with their last encounter. Aramax lost nothing in defeat and always runs his race as substantiated with his record for the season being 4 wins and 2 runner-up placings from a busy season of 6 outings.

LAW OF GOLD and DALE PETERS

A great day’s live racing combined with the coverage of the Grand National on the large screen gave full value for the enormous crowd to enjoy in fabulous weather.