DISPATCHES FROM THE SOUTH AND WEST MIDLANDS: 13, 16 AND 17 MAY
- jakeexelby
- May 18
- 3 min read
West Mercian and South Midlands Area owners, trainers and jockeys travelled far and wide over the past week in search of success, which they enjoyed as venues as far afield as Hexham in Northumberland on Saturday and Bratton Down in North Devon on Sunday. Jockeys from the two areas are in demand nationally this season, with over half of the victories in the saddle being for trainers from other regions.
Ed Doggrell got the ball rolling at Somerset track Cothelstone last Wednesday, with wins on Chris Barber’s Walkingtheline and outside ride Far Out West. Doggrell moved on to 34 in by far his best season and Barber is now on 39 wins, and looks set to be at least joint-second in the national trainers title.
Also at Cothelstone, novice champion-elect Lucas Murphy gave Clondaw Drake a superb ride. It was the first of four wins at three meetings for the talented 16-year-old – he also scored on Carrickfergus at Peper Harow in Kent on Saturday and notched up a double at Northamptonshire venue Edgcote on Sunday, on Talimar Pearl in the PPORA Novice Riders Final and Taghadoe in the closing Conditions race. He now has 18 wins in an outstanding debut campaign.
James King has long been assured of a fifth jockeys title, and he took his tally to 59 for the season. He had a Peper Harow treble on No Hard Feelings, Galudon and Lewis Road, the latter for Alan Hill, then went to Bratton Down and scored on Lady Bee Great and Lavorante. Also at the Devon course, Fred Philipson-Stow paid a first visit, and was rewarded with victory on Boys Will Be Boys, while – at the other end of the country – Amber Jackson-Fennell made it two out of two for the season at Hexham with fellow long-distance traveller Down The Valley.
Gina Andrews would have been champion had she called time on her season at the end of January (!) but the record-breaking British female jump jockey continued her pursuit of success with an Edgcote double, on Corra Bheinn in the Maiden for Francesca Poste and Penniless in the Restricted, taking her to 44 for the season. Alan Hill’s Soldier Unknown won the Adjacent Hunts race at the course.
At the last ever meeting at Tabley in Cheshire on Sunday, West Mercian trainers went through the card and the jockeys’ wins were shared equally between local riders and those from the South Midlands. Fred Timmis’ Pip Pirrip took an eventful Area Feature race – the Lord Daresbury Classic – in the hands of Huw Edwards, the Small Keepers Conditions Race went to Poncherello for the Garton family who ran the two meetings at Tabley, ridden by Henry Crow, and Mawlood, trained by Georgie Howell, was a welcome winner for Cameron Hillhouse in the closing Conditions race – it was his first ever success over jumps, and first since a flat race win in 2022.
Zac Baker went home with a double, on Nickie Sheppard’s A Jet Of Our Own in the Mixed Open and on the progressive Karaktere D’Enfer – trained by Jo Priest – in the Restricted, and Heidi Brookshaw and Daniel Williams teamed up to take the Maiden with Dark Soldier.
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