Sean Bowen’s astonishing last-to-first win on Booster Bob in Newbury’s £100,000 Greatwood Gold Cup grabbed the headlines, and was called “the ride of the season” and “one of the most extraordinary performances I’ve seen in a long time,” but people forget he did the same thing just over a month ago when Moon D’Orange won a handicap of equal value at Cheltenham on ITV on Trials day. And at Uttoxeter in December riding Eaton Anne he came from a similarly hopeless position three hurdles out to storm past the leaders on the run-in and win going away.
In each case Bowen was on a strong stayer capable of winning over further that was outpaced or jumped cautiously to begin with, but warmed up as the race went on. Booster Bob was laid at 880/1 on the exchanges in running and by halfway trainer Olly Murphy thought he should be pulled up. When eventually the horse passed one or two back markers, he took heart and ran on with gusto. Sam Thomas’s Vicenzo looked set for a deserved victory when Booster Bob zoomed past him in the final hundred yards. Bob had been running over two miles; Saturday’s race was two and a half; connections are now confident he will get three. Bowen now leads Skelton by 21 in the title race.
At Doncaster Evan and Isabel Williams (photographed) combined with Patriotik, the 9/4 favourite, to take the three mile hurdle. This former point winner has been running well over shorter distances and appreciated a step up in trip. Indeed, he needed every yard of it. This race was a good choice, as it wasn’t the strongest 0-145 and Patriotik only had 10 stone 1 to carry with Isabel’s claim. Amazingly, that made it four consecutive winners this week for leading Welsh owner Janet Davies.
Meanwhile, back at Newbury, the David Pipe-trained Jurancon won his first handicap hurdle under Jack Tudor. He did so with a bit in hand and could be Aintree-bound. His owners, Brocade Racing, used to have Native River. Jurancon’s Rules record is now five wins and three seconds from eight starts, all at two miles. He is likely to go further sooner or later bearing in mind he won a point eighteen months ago,
Pembrokeshire trainers Rebecca Curtis and David Rees took the honours at Ffos Las on Friday in the three-mile races, where heavy going put stamina at more of a premium than ever. Hurdler River Voyage, for Curtis, won by a wide margin. He’s been a slow developer but has turned a corner this year. Esperti’s success in a chase at 16/1 came as a surprise to Rees, as the horse has been a disappointment since joining him the best part of two years ago. He’d failed to finish in the first three in fourteen attempts and had never been sent off at single figure odds.
Our next meeting at Chepstow is Sunday 16th March, it’s the St Patrick’s Day meeting. The first of seven races is off at 2.02pm.
