Horse_amp_amp_Hound__06_February_2018

Edited by Hannah Lemieux
hannah.lemieux@timeinc.com
@hannah_lemieux1
MILBORNE ST
ANDREW
4 February
Pictures by Tim Holt
Boher Call leads from
the front to take
the hunt members’
under doctor George
Bingham
Doc makes
the Call
Boher Call battles to the line in the
hunt members’ to land a victory under
doctor George Bingham
South Dorset,
Milborne St Andrew, Dorset
DOCTOR George Bingham didn’t
let a tiring week of night shifts at
St Thomas’ hospital in London
affect his performance as he
steered Boher Call to victory in
LADY riders have been hitting
the headlines in the UK on a
regular basis in recent months
— for all the right reasons —
led by two graduates from the
pointing field, Lizzie Kelly and
Bryony Frost.
It’s a subject which is
close to my heart and I did
my bit to raise the profile
of lady riders during my six
years coordinating the AGAsponsored
lady riders’ point-topoint
series. I remain passionate
about seeing them succeed.
I crossed paths with both
Lizzie and Bryony during the
By LUCY PEARSON
the hunt members’.
George led from the front and
when joined by Creative Inerta in
the finishing stretch, he squeezed
Boher Call on to win.
AGA years, as they both enjoyed
victories in that series, and I was
thrilled when Bryony led home
a one-two for the girls in the
2017 Foxhunter at Cheltenham
on Pacha Du Polder.
She then went on to finish
fourth on the same horse in the
Aintree version and she has
now become a rising star of the
weighing room.
Lizzie led the way by
becoming the first female jockey
to win a Grade One jumps race
in Britain (at Kempton in 2015)
and Bryony has followed suit,
bagging her first Grade One win
last year — in the exact same
race as Lizzie.
With the spotlight firmly on
“I’ve only ridden him about
six times and I was told just to go
out and enjoy myself,” explained
George. “I only get to ride a couple
of times a week, but I cycle and go
to the gym to keep fit.”
Runners in the open maiden,
for four-, five- and six-year-olds,
set out at a sedate pace but as the
field entered their second lap,
Troed Y Melin lifted the speed.
He looked to have the win
in the bag but Swincombe Toby
responded brilliantly to his jockey,
Lorcan Williams, and stormed up
the home straight to steal the win.
KILCREA BRIDGE
DIGS DEEP
RED RASCAL’S chances in the
open maiden were short lived
when he fell at the first — the start
of a few casualties.
By the last circuit only nine of
the sixteen starters remained and
four fences from the finish Dragon
De La Tour and Kilcrea Bridge
were left eyeballing each other out
in front. A tired Kilcrea Bridge,
managed to dig deep to win under
Nick Williams.
Both Argocat and Aikideau
managed to reel in All Great N
Theory, who had set out very
quickly in the ladies’ open. But
Aikideau ran out of steam and left
Argocat to win easily for owner/
trainer and jockey Sarah Rippon.
“I only came here as I fell off
last weekend and wanted to run
him again,” explained Sarah. “I
am a livery at Henrietta Knight’s,
where I have two horses. Argocat
the girls I would hope that more
of them will get the chance to
shine in the 2018 Foxhunters.
Last season there were four
jocked up in the Cheltenham
version and five at Aintree.
‘I TOOK OVER
FROM MY
HUSBAND’
BLACKWATER BRAMBLE
and jockey Martin McIntyre
gave trainer Jade Barber her
first win when landing the
restricted.
“I’m glad to get off the
mark,” said Jade. “I took over
the pointing operation from
by husband, Jack Barber, as
he turned professional at
the beginning of the season.
“This horse has been
off for a long time with a
leg injury and I told Martin
to ride him
FIRST
WIN
handy as he is
a front runner
and a very good
jumper.”
ONLY IN HORSE & HOUND
‘The spotlight’s on the girls’
David Simpson flags up the female jockeys to watch ahead of Cheltenham
David Simpson attended his first
point-to-point in February 2011. He has
since visited 73 courses and became
an owner last year. He writes a blog on
his experiences of point-to-pointing.
OPINION
has so much class and we have a
very good partnership.”
Facile Bien not only won “best
turned-out” in the men’s open but
also out-jumped the field to win
under Sam Waley-Cohen.
Jack Veysey steered The
Dapper Fox to win the last race of
the day, the novice riders’.
“This is the horse of a lifetime
for Jack,” said the jockey’s mentor
Martin Sweetland. “He was only
a cheap horse from Ascot sales
and it is days like today that make
all the bad days and hard work
worthwhile.”
All deserved their place in the
line-up, although there was one
glaring omission from
both races.
I wasn’t the only person who
was astonished that the current
and four-time national ladies’
point-to-point champion, Gina
Andrews did not feature. Gina
won the Kim Muir at last year’s
Festival and may well repeat the
feat this year — let’s hope she
also gets the chance to shine in
the two flagship races for our
amateur riders.
A recent article in the Racing
Post suggested that we could
see a female champion jockey
within the next five years and,
with plenty of talent coming
through the pointing ranks, I
don’t see why this can’t happen
— I certainly hope it does. H&H
8 February 2018 Horse & Hound 73