Horse_amp_amp_Hound__06_February_2018

POINT-TO-POINT
HORSEHEATH
4 February
A perfect 10 for Hazel Hill
Hazel Hill extends
his unbeaten
streak, and a
father and son
combine for a
novice success
Hazel Hill shows his class
under Alex Edwards to
win the men’s open at
Horseheath
Cambridgeshire with Enfield
Chace, Horseheath, Cambs
A BLISTERING performance
by Hazel Hill took his unbeaten
streak to 10 consecutive victories.
The 10-year-old gelding showed
his class to secure the men’s open
title by a confident three lengths
under jockey Alex Edwards.
“That was quite a hot race —
that may be the best race we have
run him in,” said Alex, who is
jockey to trainer Philip Rowley.
“We’ve always liked him. Jane
Williams had him before and won
five out of five with him and we’ve
carried that on, he is great.”
Hazel Hill will be aimed at a
hunter chase later this month and
has qualified for the mixed open
final at Cheltenham in May.
The quality of racing was high
throughout the day, with large
fields in all seven races.
A 13-strong field lined up for
the first race, the intermediate,
won by Mr Maclennane — ridden
by Archie Wright and trained by
the jockey's father Nicholas.
“Coming up the hill I just
had Joe [Hill, riding Allie Beag]
in front of me so I knew we had
some work still to do,” said Archie,
adding he dodged both Jack
and Gina Andrews who fell on
the final circuit. “Joe’s horse has
lost nothing in defeat, she went
round brilliantly — unfortunately
someone had to lose.”
FATHER AND SON FULFIL
THE DREAM
ANOTHER family victory was
By LUCY ELDER
celebrated in the novice riders’
race, won by Irish Guardsman
Billy Aprahamian aboard Bayley’s
Dream. The horse is owned by the
Aprahamian family and trained by
Billy’s father John.
“It didn’t help that I dropped
my whip at the open ditch the
second time,” said Billy. “He is
a monster up the hill at home,
normally he comes to the track
and runs for two-and-a-half miles
then decides he has had enough,
but he fought well there — I think
the loose horse at the bottom
helped him.”
Gina Andrews put her fall
behind her to win the ladies’ open
on Blue Mountain Boy.
Welsh’s Castle’s win in the
restricted was particularly special
for joint-owner Malcom Kemp.
The family lost a horse by the
same sire, Mahler, a few years ago
and returned to Ireland in 2017
to look for another, where Welsh’s
Castle caught their eye.
“We are a little bit dreaming of
going to Cheltenham with him for
the final — that’s our dream and
you have to have one in this job,”
said Malcolm.
Jockey Johnny Bailey enjoyed
his first win of the season on the
Michael Kehoe-trained Keel Over
TEAM CHASING AND HUNTING
TRICKY SILENCE won the open maiden by a neck, in the closest
finish of the day.
“I spent all night thinking about the race and it is one of the only
times it has gone as well in my head as it has here,” said jockey Sam
Lee, who credits trainer Jamie Goss and his team.
IOWE
IT TO...
in the final race, the seven-yearolds
and over open maiden.
“He was a bit slow early on,
but once we had warmed up he
took to it nicely,” said Johnny, who
sat on the horse for the first time
that day.
Laganbank sadly collapsed and
died of a suspected heart attack
following the men’s open. Vets
were quickly in attendance, but
he could not be saved.
The horse did his first season of team chasing this
year and hunted with the Farmers Bloodhounds.
“The hunting and team chasing has made a man out
of him,” added Jamie.
THIS WEEK’S WINNERS
WESTERN HUNT, WADEBRIDGE,
SUNDAY 4 FEBRUARY
confined.— 1, C Wonnacott & J Davenport’s
Heaney (M Wonnacott) C Wonnacott.
ladies’ open.— 1, R Newman’s Sobre Tresor
(C Emsley) C Newman. intermediate.—1,
The Bradley Partnership’s The Two Amigos
(D Edwards) N Martin. open maiden.—1,
The Little Acres Racing Club’s Raloo
Rocket (D Edwards) E Summersby. men’s
open.—1,E&TWorth’s Robin De Souza ( D
Edwards) D Summersby. restricted.—1,R
Sims’ Double Captain (N Sims) K Hawke.
CAMBRIDGESHIRE WITH ENFIELD
CHACE, HORSEHEATH, SUNDAY 4
FEBRUARY
intermediate.— 1, N Wright’s Mr
Maclennane (A Wright) N Wright. 4,5&6yo
open maiden.— 1, J Goss’ Tricky Silence
(S Lee) J Goss. novice riders’.—1,J
Aprahamian & B Aprahamian’s Bayley’s
Dream (W Aprahamian) J Aprahamian.
men’s open.— 1, D Williams’ Hazel Hill (A
Edwards) P Rowley. ladies’ open.—1,M
Wills’ Blue Mountain Boy (G Andrews) T
Ellis. restricted.— 1, M Kemp & D Kemp’s
Welsh’s Castle (S Roche) D Kemp. 7yo and
over open maiden.— 1, M Tetley’s Keel
Over (J Bailey) M Kehoe.
SOUTH DORSET, MILBORNE ST
ANDREW, SUNDAY 4 FEBRUARY
4,5&6yo open maiden.—1,K&MYeo’s
Swincombe Toby (L Williams) S Alner.
members.— 1, S Bingham, S Maxse & G
Bingham’s Boher Call (G Bingham) R Bandy.
open maiden.— 1, W Rowles’ Kilcrea Bridge
(N Williams) N Williams. restricted.—1,P
Barber & D Martin’s Blackwater Bramble
(M McIntyre) J Barber. ladies’ open.—1,
S Rippon’s Argocat (S Rippon) S Rippon.
men’s open.— 1, R Waley-Cohen’s Facile
Bien (S Waley-Cohen) R Waley-Cohen.
novice riders’.— 1, J Veysey’s The Dapper
Fox (J Veysey) J Veysey.
PERCY, ALNWICK, SUNDAY 4
FEBRUARY
men’s open.— 1, R Woodward & J Wright’s
Levelling (J Wright) J Landy. ladies’ open.—
1, I Crane’s Knocklong (C Walton) J Landy.
conditions.— 1, The Heading For Home
Partnership’s Weston Flame (J Wright) J
Landy. restricted.— 1, The Gold and Silver
Club’s Sir Lonica (J Wright) J Landy. open
maiden.— 1, D Davidson’s Worcester
Pearmain (C Wood) T Dobbin. members.—
1, Messrs FT Walton’s Ripstick (C Walton)
J Walton.
Picture by Neale Blackburn
72 Horse & Hound 8 February 2018