For the second Saturday in a row Sean Bowen was the headline story, this time with his last-gasp success on Go Dante in Sandown’s Imperial Cup. In a dramatic finish he got up in the final twenty yards to win the race for the second consecutive year. A series of mediocre efforts in between meant his handicap mark was two pounds below that of twelve months ago. He’d shown signs of a return to form when finishing seventh last month in what used to be the Betfair Hurdle. The Olly Murphy-trained nine-year-old had a hard race and an attempt at Friday’s County Hurdle, with a £100,000 bonus on offer for completing that double, is in the balance.
Bowen’s day concluded with his first winner for Jim Boyle in the 2m4f chase on Classic Anthem, a horse he’s ridden for the Epsom stable this season. He’d been knocking at the door, coming second on his last two outings, and today he was going well at the Pond fence and came home a convincing six-length winner.
The champion jockey elect made it 150 for the season at Warwick on Sunday riding the odds-on Woodie Flash in the 3m2f hurdle. He certainly earned his fee, for the horse needed cajoling and driving along the whole way. He’s a strong stayer and anything but flash.
Bowen’s twenty-plus lead in the jockeys’ title race means he can afford to ride at Cheltenham on each day rather than ply his trade at the likes of Huntingdon and Fakenham. He has a few decent mounts, mainly for Murphy, though all are at double-figure odds.
Jack Tudor (photographed) was at Hereford and after excelling in the wellie-wanging contest before racing he scored on Western General. Up ten pounds for a Wincanton success last time, his four opponents had nothing left to give from three furlongs out and he cantered to a 22-length victory. Joe Tizzard’s two-miler has now won on good, soft and heavy this season.
Warwick was also the scene of a James Davies winner, riding the well-supported Northern Poet in the 3m5f chase. Nick Gifford’s ten-year-old had won at Doncaster a week ago but had to be scrubbed along vigorously a mile out. He kept on responding to pressure and hit the front in the last hundred yards.
At Wolverhampton’s Saturday evening meeting David Probert was in double-winning form. First came the three-year-old Fearnot, who he held up off a strong pace until running on well to sweep past the field and win cosily.
Later he rode Sir Les Patterson (a gelding, unlike his fictional namesake), who had run four stinkers since winning twice in a row a year ago. This evening he was a reformed character, travelling sweetly through the six furlongs and taking the lead 150 yards out to score with authority.
Friday the 21st March is the first day of spring, so it’s appropriate that it’s the date of our next meeting at Ffos Las - Spring Ladies Day. The first of six races is off at 2.08pm.
