The riding family Andrews, from Lilley, in Hertfordshire, continued its love affair with Horseheath Raceourse on Saturday, when both Jack Andrews and his older sister, Gina, notched doubles at the Puckeridge Point-To-Point meeting at the Haverhill venue.
It was at Horseheath in February 2015 that Jack and Gina combined with their sister, Bridget (who has now turned professional and become the nation’s most prolific winning rider under National Hunt rules) to notch the historic feat of three different siblings riding winners on one card.
This undulating course has witnessed ten more Andrews victories in five meetings since then and on Saturday that tally went to 14 in six as Jack landed the Maiden on King’s Walden and the Intermediate on Neumond, while Gina was on the mark in the Hunt Members, with Banksandditches, and in the Ladies Open, with Sharp Suit.
The most significant of the quartet was probably King’s Walden (pictured below right), now trained in Warwickshire by Gina’s husband, Tom Ellis, since this was a horse that Jack had bought himself for £2,000 two years earlier, before breaking him in and selling him on to his current owner, David Barnard, from Thaxted, in Essex.
“I was a bit emotional at the finish,” 18-year-old Jack admitted, “as this is the first horse I ever bought and I did all the work on him myself, so to get him to win a race is quite special.”
Neumond’s victory (below) meant that he completed the rare achievement of scoring at all three Horsheath fixtures in a single season, at the same time taking his overall record between the flags to an impeccable four-from-four.
Gina’s two successes were both scored from the front, with Banksansdditches (above), making every yard of the running to beat the only other finisher, Legend To Be, and Sharp Suit (below, left) taking his career Pointing win tally into double figures with a dominant pace-setting performance.
Harry Hobson, trainer of Banksandditches, from Reed near Royston, was quick to flag up a remarkable Andrews family connection afterwards.
“Simon Andrews won on his first ride for me back in 1994 and now two of his children, Jack and Gina, have also won on the first occasion that they have put on my silks,” he said. “This race has been kind to me as well – I’ve won it four times now.”
Mr Raj (below, green and red quarters), trained at Boreham Wood in Hertfordshire by Tom Gallagher, outjumped the hot favourite, Curraigflemens, at the final fence before holding on by a hard fought neck in the Mens Open.
And another Warwickshire raider, Berties Desire (below), ridden by Will Thirlby, proved two lengths too strong for Remarkable Man in the closing Novice Riders Race.
RESULTS
GOING: GOOD
Horseheath Hunts Club Members
1st Banksandditches Gina Andrews 5/4 2nd Legend to Be Tegan Kerr 10/1
Time 6-20 Dists: 5L 3 ran also Horizontal Speed 2/5f (UR)
Open Maiden
1st Kings Walden Jack Andrews 5/4f 2nd Weve Got Company Evan David 4/1 3rd Winola Ruby Knights 20/1
Time 6-19 Dists: 1/2L, 15L 7 ran also Earl The Pearl(F) Gather Round (4th) Monument Vallee (PU) Roll Of The Dice (F)
Ladies Open
1st Smart Suit Gina Andrews 11/10 2nd Sa Kaldoun Rosie Turner 6/1 3rd Oh Toodles Immy Robinson 4/5f
Time 6-02 Dists: 3L, 3L 3 ran
Men’s Open
1st Mr Raj Sam Davies-Thomas 9/2 2nd Curraigflemens Shane Roche 1/2f 3rd Arkose Will Thirlby 7/2
Time 6-11 Dists: Nk, 2L 5 ran also Garstin (PU) Letbeso (4th)
Intermediate
1st Neumond Jack Andrews 1/3f 2nd Franks A Million Rupert Stearn 5/1 3rd Scorpion Star Evan David 5/2
Time 6-12 Dists: 2L, 10L 5 ran also Conna Cloud (5th) Dream Doc (4th)
Novice Riders
1st Bertie’s Desire Will Thirlby 5/2 2nd Remarkable Man Charlotte Wyatt 3/1 3rd Hi Lucy Lou Sebastian Burnett-Wells 3/1
Time 6-12 Dists: 2L, 6L 5 ran also Autumn Haze 7/4F (UR) Minstalad (4th)
ENDS
The riding family Andrews, from Lilley, in Hertfordshire, continued its love affair with Horseheath Raceourse on Saturday, when both Jack Andrews and his older sister, Gina, notched doubles at the Puckeridge Point-To-Point meeting at the Haverhill venue.
It was at Horseheath in February 2015 that Jack and Gina combined with their sister, Bridget (who has now turned professional and become the nation’s most prolific winning rider under National Hunt rules) to notch the historic feat of three different siblings riding winners on one card.
This undulating course has witnessed ten more Andrews victories in five meetings since then and on Saturday that tally went to 14 in six as Jack landed the Maiden on King’s Walden and the Intermediate on Neumond, while Gina was on the mark in the Hunt Members, with Banksandditches, and in the Ladies Open, with Sharp Suit.
The most significant of the quartet was probably King’s Walden (pictured below right), now trained in Warwickshire by Gina’s husband, Tom Ellis, since this was a horse that Jack had bought himself for £2,000 two years earlier, before breaking him in and selling him on to his current owner, David Barnard, from Thaxted, in Essex.
“I was a bit emotional at the finish,” 18-year-old Jack admitted, “as this is the first horse I ever bought and I did all the work on him myself, so to get him to win a race is quite special.”
Neumond’s victory (below) meant that he completed the rare achievement of scoring at all three Horsheath fixtures in a single season, at the same time taking his overall record between the flags to an impeccable four-from-four.
Gina’s two successes were both scored from the front, with Banksansdditches (above), making every yard of the running to beat the only other finisher, Legend To Be, and Sharp Suit (below, left) taking his career Pointing win tally into double figures with a dominant pace-setting performance.
Harry Hobson, trainer of Banksandditches, from Reed near Royston, was quick to flag up a remarkable Andrews family connection afterwards.
“Simon Andrews won on his first ride for me back in 1994 and now two of his children, Jack and Gina, have also won on the first occasion that they have put on my silks,” he said. “This race has been kind to me as well – I’ve won it four times now.”
Mr Raj (below, green and red quarters), trained at Boreham Wood in Hertfordshire by Tom Gallagher, outjumped the hot favourite, Curraigflemens, at the final fence before holding on by a hard fought neck in the Mens Open.
And another Warwickshire raider, Berties Desire (below), ridden by Will Thirlby, proved two lengths too strong for Remarkable Man in the closing Novice Riders Race.
RESULTS
GOING: GOOD
Horseheath Hunts Club Members
1st Banksandditches Gina Andrews 5/4 2nd Legend to Be Tegan Kerr 10/1
Time 6-20 Dists: 5L 3 ran also Horizontal Speed 2/5f (UR)
Open Maiden
1st Kings Walden Jack Andrews 5/4f 2nd Weve Got Company Evan David 4/1 3rd Winola Ruby Knights 20/1
Time 6-19 Dists: 1/2L, 15L 7 ran also Earl The Pearl(F) Gather Round (4th) Monument Vallee (PU) Roll Of The Dice (F)
Ladies Open
1st Smart Suit Gina Andrews 11/10 2nd Sa Kaldoun Rosie Turner 6/1 3rd Oh Toodles Immy Robinson 4/5f
Time 6-02 Dists: 3L, 3L 3 ran
Men’s Open
1st Mr Raj Sam Davies-Thomas 9/2 2nd Curraigflemens Shane Roche 1/2f 3rd Arkose Will Thirlby 7/2
Time 6-11 Dists: Nk, 2L 5 ran also Garstin (PU) Letbeso (4th)
Intermediate
1st Neumond Jack Andrews 1/3f 2nd Franks A Million Rupert Stearn 5/1 3rd Scorpion Star Evan David 5/2
Time 6-12 Dists: 2L, 10L 5 ran also Conna Cloud (5th) Dream Doc (4th)
Novice Riders
1st Bertie’s Desire Will Thirlby 5/2 2nd Remarkable Man Charlotte Wyatt 3/1 3rd Hi Lucy Lou Sebastian Burnett-Wells 3/1
Time 6-12 Dists: 2L, 6L 5 ran also Autumn Haze 7/4F (UR) Minstalad (4th)
ENDS
