Horse_amp_amp_Hound__06_February_2018

POINT-TO-POINT
WADEBRIDGE
4 February
ALNWICK
4 February
Edwards scores a hat-trick
While a jockey
racks up a treble,
Sobre Tresor
lands his third
Wadebridge win
By MEGAN FURSE
Western Hunt,
Wadebridge, Cornwall
HORSE & HOUND columnist
Darren Edwards picked up an
impressive treble at Wadebridge,
kicking things off aboard the
Nicky Martin-trained The Two
Amigos in the intermediate.
Darren’s further two wins of
the afternoon came courtesy of
the Summersby team. Emma
Summersby trained her first
winner with Raloo Rocket under
Darren in the open maiden. The
pair finished strongly up the hill to
hold off Missyladie.
Emma’s husband and fellow
trainer Dean said: “To quote Nicky
Henderson, ‘he does nothing at
home!’ He is so laid-back — I
took him hunting with the South
Tetcott to freshen him up but that
just made him a steady hunter.
We’ll have a lot of fun with him.”
Robin De Souza completed the
Summersby/Edwards double in
the men’s open. The eight-yearold
gelding, owned by Eileen and
Robin De Souza completes
a double for connections —
and part of a treble for jockey
Darren Edwards — when
winning the men’s open
Tony Worth and trained by Dean,
had a wind operation this season.
“It was the best thing for
him,” explained Dean. “He wasn’t
finishing his races, but today he
did. He battled on and he is a
happier horse for it.”
CAPTAIN’S OFF THE MARK
IT was also an afternoon for the
girls, with Naomi Sims riding
Double Captain to his first win.
The eight-year-old gelding had
finished third twice previously at
Wadebridge this season.
Sobre Tresor, under Chloe
Emsley, made it a hat-trick of wins
when landing the ladies’ open.
“He’s a legend — there is no
stopping him,” said Chloe.
Meanwhile, Millie Wonnacott
continued her winning season
when taking the confined aboard
Heaney, who is trained by her
mother Claire.
“We bought him via a
WhatsApp video and took a bit
of a punt,” said Claire. “He is very
strong but a lovely person to deal
with. He obviously had an engine,
he just needed to fall back in love
with it, so hopefully he has.”
DUCKS & DOUBLES
Doubles
Catherine Walton (Alnwick)
Trebles
Darren Edwards (Wadebridge)
Joe Wright (Alnwick)
Landy seals red-letter day
One four-timer,
plus a dazzling
return from a
fractured pelvis
Percy, Alnwick, Northumberland
LEYBURN trainer Justin Landy
and jockey Joe Wright stole the
show with a four-timer and a
treble respectively.
Levelling kicked off their redletter
day in style when making a
successful return from a ninemonth
break in the men’s open.
The six-year-old cruised up the
hill after four out to lead at the
next and was still a length up at
the last but had to dig deep to
repel a renewed challenge from
Fever Pitch by a head.
On his first start since being
bought privately a fortnight ago
by Ivan Crane, Alnwick specialist
By PETER BURGON
Knocklong kept the Justin Landy
bandwagon rolling in the ladies’
open under Catherine Walton.
However, he only asserted on the
run-in to beat Abbeyview by twoand-a-half
lengths.
Ivan’s daughter, Charlotte,
Levelling makes a winning
return from injury when
taking the men’s open
would have been in the saddle
had she not sustained a broken
collarbone in a fall at Friars
Haugh the previous week.
FLAME REKINDLED
WESTON FLAME bounced
back from a career-threatening
injury to land the conditions race
for Justin’s yard. Always going
well, the mare led two out from
Dynamic Island and stayed on
strongly to score by four lengths.
Justin’s uncle, Jimmy King,
a member of the Heading For
Home Partnership, in whose
colours the eight-year-old runs,
said: “She fractured her pelvis
in the corresponding race last
February and we owe everything
to the Alnorthumbria Veterinary
Group who saved her. She spent
six weeks with them before plenty
of box rest, then after some light
work on the horse walker and a
further month out at grass she was
ready to return in September.’’
Recent Sheriff Hutton winner
Sir Lonica completed a clean
sweep for Justin and Joe in the
restricted. After breezing past
long-time leader Aldergale after
four out, the seven-year-old didn’t
have to move out of second gear to
canter home by 20 lengths from
Lord Usher.
“It’s been the kind of day
you can only dream about,’’
said Justin, who has now sent
out a total of 14 winners from
16 runners at Alnwick since
December 2015. H&H
Pictures by Batters Photography and Grossick Photography
74 Horse & Hound 8 February 2018