HARKAWAY CLUB CELEBRATES 100 YEARS AT CHADDESLEY CORBETT: 2005-2014
- jakeexelby
- Dec 16, 2025
- 4 min read
The ten-year period in question saw all meetings held, record numbers of runners and an end to Dick Baimbridge’s dominance of the Ladies Opens on the card.
The February meeting in 2005 was waterlogged off and eventually held on 11th June – its latest ever date. The ground was firm, but agrivated, and field sizes were decent. An Intermediate race was run at the fixture for the first time. Rider, the late Lorna Brooke, and trainer Steve Isaac both had doubles – they combined to win the Ladies Open with Magicien.
2006 saw a return to the usual February slot, with seven races. Dick Baimbridge won his ninth Ladies Open, this time with Claire Allen – another he led to championship glory – in the saddle on Father Tom. Sam Waley-Cohen won the Mens Open on Moscow Court – unusually, a winner not owned and trained by his father – and future leading National Hunt trainer Jamie Snowden took the Intermediate. Probably the best horse on display was Clive Hitchings’ Saint Reverien, who took the Club Members race with Adrian Wintle in the plate.
A stamina-sapping ten-race card took place in 2007, with four Maidens. All races had double-figure fields, with 123 runners in total. Julian Pritchard was leading rider with a treble, one of which – Twenty Degrees – was trained by former champion jockey Alison Dare, and Will Kinsey had a double. Dick Baimbridge and Claire Allen teamed up again, this time in the Intermediate, and Will Hill won a race at the meeting for the third consecutive year.
Ten races were again on the menu in 2008, with the young and older horse Maidens and the Restricted divided. Again, all field sizes were in double figures and there were even more runners than the previous year, 134. Fergal O’Brien had a training double, with popular grey Marblehead and the appropriately named Fergal’s Find. Another popular winner was Mr Cee for racegoer and owner Nigel Lilley, still going strong now in his 90th year and who has probably visited more point-to-point courses than current racegoer. The equine star of the show was the talented but fragile Mister Banjo, ridden by Richard Burton and trained by Desert Orchid’s jockey Simon Sherwood.
In 2009, there were fewer races and runners – the Ladies Open was reduced to a match – but a genuine top-class performer was present in the shape of Mens Open winner Cappa Bleu, that season’s Cheltenham Foxhunters hero. Jockey Richard Burton and trainer Sheila Crow had a double, as did husband and wife team Dave and Julie Mansell, as part of a stellar season for Dave that saw him finish runner-up in the jockeys’ championship.
The 2009/2010 season saw the Harkaway Club fixture move to the Christmas-New Year date it still holds today. The author remembers a massive entry, but frost in the ground making it unlikely that racing would take place. Although the meeting did go ahead after a delay, fields were smaller than anticipated, but several class acts took part.
Former Coral Cup winner Burntoakboy won the Club Members, the progressive but ill-fated William Somers – one half of a double for Mark Wall – took the Restricted for owner-trainer Tim Sage, Skyhawk and Claire Allen were victorious in a tenth, and final, Ladies Open for Dick Baimbridge and Roulez Cool scored in the Mens Open for Robert and Sam Waley-Cohen.
The Waley-Cohens were on the mark again in 2010/2011, this time with Rumbavu in the Maiden. He would go on to win 14 races, including the Lord Ashton of Hyde’s Cup. Billyvoddan took the Ladies Open for two future champions in trainer Phil Rowley and rider Jane Williams, the Mens Open went to James Ridley and Up There, while another champion trainer in waiting – Jack Barber – enjoyed success in the saddle in the Intermediate.
The 2011/2012 fixture was another with ten races, the Club Members race was divided for the first time, and the action started at 10.00am! The Waley-Cohens were successful at the meeting for the third year in a row, as was jockey Tom Weston, Billyvoddan and Jane Williams enjoyed a repeat success in the Ladies Open, and Sheila Crow teamed up with Tom David for a double, of which the highlight was prolific mare My Flora winning the Mens Open.
2012/2013 was another meeting which only just went ahead, this time due to ground described as ‘Heavy, waterlogged in places’. The author even parked off course, as I didn’t want to risk having to be towed out! Honours went to David Brace with a double – another popular grey in Silver Token won the Club Members, Tom David enjoying more success at the fixture, and Charlotte Pritchard, riding so successfully in France now, took the Maiden on Bringinthebranston. The best horse on show was Mens Open winner Cottage Oak.
The ground was again heavy, although not as desperate as the year before, in 2013/2014, where the most taking performance was Mr Mackay’s all-the-way win in the Restricted, with Ruth Tutton on board. The Open races winners possibly lacked the class of recent years but the mare Executive Benefit – who took the Maiden – went on to better things and Club Members victor Siro Demur, for the formidable Phil Rowley-Alex Edwards partnership – won two Hunter Chases later in the season.
All photos Caroline Exelby except where stated
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