DISPATCHES FROM THE SOUTH AND WEST MIDLANDS: EASTER WEEKEND – 3, 4 AND 6 APRIL
- jakeexelby
- Apr 8
- 4 min read
The Easter Bank Holiday is the busiest weekend of the pointing calendar, with twelve meetings taking place across the country, from Cornwall to North Yorkshire. With four fixtures in the West Mercian Area, along with two in the South Midlands, opportunities abounded for participants from those two areas.
James King continues his remorseless pursuit of a fifth jockeys title and his four winners over the past few days – Rhythm Of Life at Higham in Suffolk, The Dancing Tree for Alan Hill at Buckinghamshire venue Kimble, and a treble at Paxford – saw him go five clear of nearest rival Josh Newman. His successes at the Gloucestershire course were Alaphilippe for Angela Slatter and a double for Francesca Poste’s Station Yard Racing, on Jasmin Des Blins and Kilfilum Woods. Heidi Palin rode her second winner of the weekend on Malinas Glory, a first victory of the campaign for trainer Hannah Lewis.
Gina Andrews is seeking two titles this season – leading female rider and champion trainer. She is so far clear in the former race that she could have stopped riding in January and still won (!) but rode a treble at Dingley in Northamptonshire on Saturday on Rebel Aura for Eamonn O’Donnabhain and Call Me Early and Cheytac, both of whom she trains herself. She is now a remarkable 27 winners ahead at the top of the jockeys race, and has an advantage of six over Chris Barber and Josh Newman as she bids to be crowned top trainer for the first time. Other South Midlands winning riders at Dingley were Ellie Holder (Il Padrino) and Charlie Case (Right Lets Go).
The West Mercian fixture at Staffordshire track Sandon saw local participants go through the card. The progressive Mayor Kingston took the Members for in-form Neil Gittins and promising young rider Felix Barlow, Boley Bob continued his rise up the grades for Joe O’Shea in the first Conditions race, Midnight River – trained by Bridget Skelton and ridden by Heidi Palin – won the Mixed Open, and Chris Barber and Ed Doggrell combined to win the 2m4f Conditions race with Couer D’Alene, like Boley Bob winning for the fourth time this season. Also at Sandon, there were first wins for two trainers – Isabel De Clare taking the Maiden for Gillon Crow and College Road, who he also rode, getting Tommie O’Brien off the mark in the bumper.
The other West Mercian meeting on Saturday was held at Bitterley in Shrophire and, between them, local and South Midlands trainers and riders took home all the spoils. There were doubles for jockeys Zac Baker (Kauto No Risk for Jo Priest in the Members and Glancing Hill for Francesca Poste in the Conditions race) and Sam Burton (Nickie Sheppard’s Samba Mambo in the Restricted and Jane Allfrey’s Try The Money in the Maiden), and Luca Morgan and Harry O’Dwyer teamed up to win the flat race with Spanish Darling. Finally at Bitterley, trainer Ryan Bradford enjoyed a first success with Est Illic in the Novice Riders race. It was also a first pointing victory for Jess Stewart, who had got off the mark under rules last month.
Joe Neal, who trains in the Malvern hills, is very much West Mercian (!) but he took his pointing debutant Hystery Bere to Kimble and won his first race – as both trainer and jockey – since 2023 in the Novice Riders contest. The useful mare All Loved Up won the Mens Open for trainer Harry Brown and rider Hugh Lillingston, while another mare, the Bradley Gibbs-trained Bluescape, took the Restricted.
With three further West Mercian and South Midlands meetings on Easter Monday, there was little incentive for local participants to travel further afield, although Aimee Jones did, travelling to Cothelstone in Somerset to win her third race of the season, this time on Emberscombe.
At Lockinge in Berkshire, the usual massive crowd saw a treble for Lucas Murphy, who now has nine winners in his bid to be national novice champion. His three were 14yo Castletown – owned by his grandfather, trained by his mother and led up by his brother – in the Members, Taghadoe in the Restricted and Kasanova’s Dream in the Maiden. The latter initiated a first training double for Katie Croft, who followed up immediately when Baunmore Jet and Molly Armytage won the ‘Keeper-Jockey’ race.
As at Sandon on Saturday, West Mercian trainers and/or riders were involved in every win at Eyton-on-Severn on Monday. Max Kendrick’s Magnifaik and Sean O’Connor opened proceedings at the Shropshire course, winning the 4yo and 5yo Maiden and giving him his first winner as a trainer in the process. Laura Richardson’s Artic Sting, ridden by partner Huw Edwards, won the older horse Maiden, Harry O’Dwyer took the Mixed Open on Premier Fantasy, Nickie Sheppard’s Yippee Ki Yay scored in the Novice Riders race and Count Frollo – a first winner of the season for Rhiannon Lodge and yet another for Henry Crow – won the Restricted. Rounding off proceedings after a jam-packed weekend, Neil ‘Gitto’ Gittins had his sixth winner from his last seven runners when Blagthebookies and Iola Sankey took the Members race.
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