Newbury Racecourse: Lizzie Kelly does it again - Betfair Hurdle triumph on outsider Agrapart

Written by Tony Millett on 14 February 2016.

Nick Williams & Lizzie Kelly & trophiesJockey Lizzie Kelly, who works for Neil King's Ridgeway Racing at Burderop close to Barbury Castle, has done it again.

In December she became the first woman jockey to win a grade one race - guiding Tea for Two to win the Kauto Star Novices Chase at Kempton.  Now she has won Britain's richest handicap hurdle riding Agrapart to an eleven length victory in the Betfair Hurdle - and an £88,000 first prize.

While Tea for Two had been a fancied entry in a seven horse field, at Newbury on Saturday (February 13) she faced a field of 21 other horses riding an outside chance that went from 20-1 to 16-1.  

In the process she beat the much fancied Mullins-trained entry Blazer (who came home ninth) and Paul Nicholls' Modus (hampered at the fourth fence by faller Dicosimo) - one of five entries in the race for owner J.P. McManus.  

Agrapart is trained by Lizzie's step-father, Nick Williams who was very impressed by Lizzie's ride in a big field race with testing ground: "As a rider, she has got better and better and I thought this was a nice, cool performance. She is very cool with a head for the big occasion."
 
"[Agrapart's] not entered in anything at Cheltenham. We didn't really think that Cheltenham was particularly his track - he is very much a soft/heavy ground horse as well - so we didn't make any entries for the novice hurdles there."

The David Pipe-trained gelding Starchitect was chasing Agrapart but made a terrible hash of the final flight.  Lizzie Kelly rode on to take the race: "In a way it is a surprise because this kind of race...they are very kind of kamikaze and you have to have a good run.  He was brilliant - he did it for me."

Before the race: leaving the parade ring Agrapart leads Starchitect into the last (photo: Newbury Racecourse)The winner's enclosure

"It has been a great season and I have beaten all the goals I set myself. I am lucky that my parents are able to put me up on good horses and let me just be a jockey and get on with it. I am also grateful for the support I have had from owners."
 
"I have always thought jockeys should celebrate more when they win. These big days are not guaranteed. I also lost a close friend recently which reminded me that we are not invincible and are all human beings."

Newbury's Betfair Super Saturday was, as one headline put it, a day for "Girl Power".  First season trainer Kerry Lee's Top Gamble winning the Betfair Exchange Chase with Richard Johnson aboard - beating the 6-5 favourite Dodging Bullets. Last year she took over the Presteigne yard from her father Richard Lee.  Top Gamble was her sixteenth winner.

It was thought the meeting would be a tussle for supremacy between Paul Nicholls and the Irish champion trainer Willie Mullins, but the laurels mostly went elsewhere on a rain soaked but crowded and cheerful day's racing.  

'The Tank'If an up and coming young woman jockey and a newly licenced woman trainer stole the headlines, the crowd may remember most the emotional return to Newbury of Denman. 

Now rising 16 years-old, 'The Tank" - as he was known - was applauded in Newbury's parade ring before racing started, and then led out the entrants for the race named after him - the Class One Betfair Denman Steeple Chase.

Denman gets the feel of Newbury's turf againAs soon as he was out on Newbury's track he seemed to come to life: "He really wants to join in - pity he can't", said a Denman fan watching from the stands. 

After he had taken the field down towards the start, he was galloped at incredible speed back along the track and over the finish line - to cheers from the crowd.

He certainly looked superb - much better than his age implies. Fit for a race, but not for a repeat of his famous Gold Cup win.  That is racing history.

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Mark's story: Broad Hinton trainer Sally Randell writes about Mark Hampson who died at Prospect Hospice earlier this month

Written by Sally Randell on 23 May 2016.

Mark Hampson, the Royal Artillery Gold Cup and BrodieSunday, May 1 was a sad day for all of us at the yard - Mark Hampson our great owner and friend lost his battle against cancer.

Mark, father to our star Jockey Brodie Hampson, battled cancer in 2009 and was given the all clear in 2010. He had a great few years following Brodie's career after she started working with me when she was 16 - after she finished school.

Brodie grew up in the Barracks of 47 Regiment Royal Artillery in which Mark Served for 23 years and in which I served for five years. Mark was loved by all and was a very well respected soldier. He fought for our country in Bosnia, Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan and in the middle of all that he did a six month UN tour in Cyprus.

It is towards the latter part of Mark's career that our fantastic story began. We ended up in the same Battery together - Mark was a sergeant and I was put in his detachment for one very cold tactical exercise on Salisbury Plain.   It was down to him that three inches of snow never affected our morale. Mark had great Army spirit and he made digging trenches all night to keep warm into a fun exercise instead of a bad one!

Before I left the Army I did a three month stint working at the regimental stables where Brodie (then aged 11) kept her pony. She was very shy and didn’t say much and everywhere I turned she was there following me.

She finished school just at the point when I had set up my first yard in South Wales and she came to work for me and we haven’t looked back. A mini bus full of fans came from the Army Barracks to watch her first point-to-point ride - which she won!

Brodie wearing Mark's racing colours on point-to-pointer Spare Change - with Sally RandellFrom then on the whole family was hooked.

Mark brought Brodie her first pointer called Spare Change and we designed his colours and had them made. He was a great horse for us but he had second-itis and had four second places on the bounce!

In 2014 Mark's cancer came back and we made a plan to find a horse suitable for the Military races at Sandown Park. Brodie, as the daughter of a serving soldier, is eligible to ride in the Royal Artillery Gold Cup for the rest of her life.

We purchased Fort George for Mark in September 2014 and prepped him for the race in February 2015. Unfortunately Brodie broke her collarbone in a fall two weeks before the race, so I got the leg up to replace her. It was a privilege to ride for Mark in the race - and to come a very respectable fourth.

We all feared the worse as Mark's condition deteriorated and in December 2015 he was taken into Swindon Hospital and given 30 days to live. It was by a miracle that he got a bed in the Prospect Hospice in Wroughton where, with expert care, he kept fighting on.

(l to r) Callum, Brodie, Mark and Jan Hampson, Sally Randell in the Sandown paddockAs the Sandown meeting in February got closer, Mark was still keeping very stable and when the entries came out for the 2016 Royal Artillery Gold Cup it seemed as though fate took a hand. A Bangor-on-Dee race meeting was abandoned due to waterlogging and a suitable horse Jennys Surprise came into the mix for Sandown.

Jennys Surprise was trained by my partner, Fergal O’Brien. He gave Brodie the leg up and Mark leased the mare for the day to run in his colours.

On the day of the race it was like someone from above was making our magical day happen: Mark, who had hardly left the Hospice in two months, felt well enough to go to the races.  The family was there with Mark: his wife Jan, his son Callum and daughter Brodie.

During the race Jenny looked sure to be beaten - two fences from home she was still fifteen lengths behind the leader. But she kept creeping closer and a fine jump at the last saw her gallop on and pass her two rivals to lead just before the winning post. It was a special and an emotional day, but it made Mark's fight end with wonderful meaning.

Brodie went on to win ‘Jockey of the Month’ for her special win and even rode my first winner as a trainer nine days later on Mark's horse Goal at Southwell.

Mark will live on due to his special friends and family - and now he has his name on the wall at Sandown Park to remind us all of him - and to remember such a wonderful man and a wonderful story.

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Marlborough company's dominant role in Rio Olympics' equestrian events

Written by Tony Millett on 31 July 2016.

Canada's Rebecca Howard & Riddle Master in the Barbeury ERMThirty-four horses flown from Stansted Airport, have arrived in Rio for the Olympic equestrian events - among them are ten British-based combinations who are supplied with feed and supplements by the Marlborough company Keyflow.  

The ten include three members of the home Olympic team - Brazilian event riders based in Britain.

This company probably has more British-based Olympic horses on its books than any other feed company.  Cam Price, Keyflow's founder and its managing director, told Marlborough.News: "We are extremely honoured and privileged to be feeding that number of Olympic horses."

Sir Mark & Tim Price see theie horses off on their way to RioThe Brazilian eventing team is trained by a Keyflow director, the very experienced New Zealand Olympian, Sir Mark Todd.  The home team's Keyflow trio are Carlos Parro (based in Shropshire), Ruy Leme da Fonseca (based in Wantage) and Marcio C. Jorge (based in Baydon.)

It was Marcio Jorge who caused a sensation during the Event Rider Masters competition at the Barbury International Horse Trials early in July with his near perfect dressage test to lead the world's top riders at the end of the first day - his score of 32.5 was the best dressage score to date in the ERM's series.

He took overall fifth place in the ERM's Barbury leg.

Another official Keyflow rider at the Games will be Canada's Rebecca Howard.  She used to be based in Marlborough, but is now based at Little Cheverell near Devizes. This will be her second Olympic Games as a member of Canada's eventing team.

The New Zealand eventing squad has three Keyflow riders:  Sir Mark Todd (based at Badgerstown), Jonelle Price (Minal) and travelling reserve Tim Price.  Another Keyflow eventer is Swedish Olympic team member Ludwig Svennerstal, who is based at Sir Mark Todd's yard.

Marcio congratulated at Barbury - a coach Sir Mark Todd looks on Marcio interviewed by ERM's Alice Plunkett Marcio Jorge in the ERM cross country at Barbury

The other two Keyflow riders now in Rio are the British show jumpers Michael and John Whitaker.

Coming soon: Keyflow binsSo the feed experts at Keyflow will be keeping a careful eye on the Rio results.  But they are busy too following Keyflow's takeover of Chestnut Horse Feeds - a Warwickshire feed company that was three times the size of Keyflow.   This branch is now based in north Nottinghamshire.

Some of the Chestnut staff - like sales manager Sharron Harrington - have moved across to Keyflow.  One of the main attractions in this tie-up was Chestnut's use of bulk bins for delivery.  These wheeled bins stand one metre high and hold 200 kilos of feed - and they avoid the use of environmentally unfriendly paper or plastic sacks.

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Marlborough rider Chelsea Pearce gains a sponsor - and is climbing the eventing ladder

Written by Tony Millett on 26 April 2016.

Chelsea Pearce with Kilnaboy Buffet and his Longcroft rugMarlborough eventer Chelsea Pearce has just gained her first financial sponsorship. Bristol company Longcroft Building Services Limited will be supporting her this season.

Longcroft Building Services specialises in refurbishing, maintaining and repairing residential and commercial properties.  In particular they have a strong reputation for their work on period properties needing materials sympathetic to the age and style of the building.

Longcroft also sponsor the Stow-on-the-Wold National Hunt trainer Graeme Macpherson - he describes his sponsor as "an ardent National Hunt racing enthusiast".

No doubt he is referring to Longcroft director, company secretary and racehorse owner Mrs Laura Day who has first hand experience of the eventing world and has a promising hurdler, Kayf Blanco, at Macpherson's yard.

Chelsea has already had sponsorship in kind from the Pewsey firm Aqueos, which produces revolutionary brands of care products, from the well-known riding boots, equestrian clothing and accessory company Ariat, and from Haygain equine hay steamers.

Chelsea Pearce is seventeen and studying for her A Levels and also for an Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence with Hartpury College. After next year's exams she plans to take a gap year before going to university

Chelsea & Kilnaboy Buffet winning the Portman ONu18 eventThe 2016 eventing season has started well for her. Earlier this month she came first on Kilnaboy Buffet in the Open Novice under-18s competition at the Portman Horse Trials in Dorset.

And just last Sunday (April 24) she came fifth on Albert VI in the Hambleden International Open Intermediate under-21s competition: "I was delighted with this result as this was only our fourth Intermediate and a definite step up from our other Intermediates."

"I picked up a few more time penalties than I would have liked, but Hambleden is quite a testing track in the woods and Albert is a big horse and the constant twisting and turning back on yourself made it difficult for us to get into a good rhythm. It’s the equivalent of guiding a juggernaut through the trees rather than a nippy BMW!"

At the very start of the season she had a nasty fall at the Aldon International event when Djakota EB somersaulted at an obstacle during the cross country. Despite a very sore shoulder she then rode Albert VI to take ninth place in the Open Intermediate under-21 class.

Eight-year-old Djakota EB was evidently none the worse for the fall, as two weeks later Chelsea brought him in at fourth place in the Goring Heath Open Novice under-18s event - out of 39 entries. She is now close to stepping up to intermediate level eventing competitions.

Last month she was asked to ride former Grand National winner Comply or Die in the champions parade at the Cheltenham Festival: "It was a great experience - I was really honoured to ride him." Perhaps that's what gave her start to the new eventing season such a distinctive boost.

Next weekend she will be going to Withington Manor Horse Trials - nearly to Cheltenham again - aiming to take another step up the eventing ladder.

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Newbury's bet365 Festival: will Coneygree make the Hennessy Gold Cup?

Written by Tony Millett on 18 November 2015.

Neil Mulholland's horses check Newbury's turfWith ten days to go before Newbury's premier fixture with the Hennessy Gold Cup on the third day of the bet365 Festival, press day at the course was a bit overshadowed by news of the favourite - the Mark Bradstock trained Coneygree.

Sara Bradstock, Mark's wife and assistant, told the assembled notebooks, voice recorders and cameras that the previous morning the eight-year-old winner of the 2015 Cheltenham Gold Cup had shed a shoe.  If there was an abscess in the foot it might 'pop out'.   But, she warned, "If there's a deep seated bruise it's different."

"This sort of problem can", she said, "improve very quickly, but we need to get him out and galloping by the weekend."  Coneygree was the first novice winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup since 1974 and earlier this month won Sandown's Listed Rising Stars Chase by 25 lengths: "He came out of that very, very fresh and well - he's in great nick."

Neil MulhollandWilliam Greatrex Nicky Henderson

Three top trainers - Warren Greatrex, Nicky Henderson and Neil Mulholland - brought horses to Newbury for a work out on the flat course which was riding pretty softly.  It is a special year for the sponsors Hennessy who are celebrating their 250th anniversary - with the 59th running of their Gold Cup.

Marlborough interest in the big race will be with Barbury castle trainer Alan King's grey Smad Place who leaped to the fore of the ante-post betting with his win at Kempton on November 2.  King told Marlborough News Online that Smad Place was 'fit and in good form'.  Prospects? A little shrug and a nod to the windows as the rain battered against the glass.

In last year's Hennessy "He came fifth and finished very tired.  The spark had gone."  But after that win at Kempton, King said, "Two days later he was back cantering."

William Greatrex & Cole HardenKing's other Gold Cup entry, Ned Stark will only make the cut if higher weights scratch: the race has a maximum field of 24 runners.  And after his wonderful run at Cheltenham last weekend, Annacoty was scratched on Tuesday morning. But King will have two or three entries on each day of the Festival.

The Warren Greatrex trained Cole Harden is targeted at the Festival's bet365 Long Distance Hurdle: "I'm very happy with him" - and out on the course he looked a hundred per cent.  

Whisper cools off after his gallopAnother horse entered for the Long Distance Hurdle (the race that precedes the Gold Cup) is the Nicky Henderson trained Whisper.  He has won major hurdle races at Aintree (twice) and Cheltenham and won his only previous start at Newbury - his prize money stands at £237,188.

But Henderson says: "This time last year he was in no man's land - it was awful.  I don't know where he went - it was a complete walk about.  Now he's come back."

Also from Nicky Henderson's yard was the seven-year-old gelding Josses Hill who made the switch the chasing last season winning at Doncaster and finishing third in the Grade One Arkle Trophy Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March when, Nicky says simply, "He got handicapped."  

"He's been straight and accurate.  Last year - he thought he was brave and awfully good, but would then lose confidence and he froze in mid air.  I just hope he's a different kind of horse this year."  But Henderson's hopes for the Hennessy rest with Bobs Worth - the 2013 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner.

The Druids Nephew Neil Mulholland brought two of his Hennessy entries - The Druids Nephew and The Young Master - and along for the ride was Si C'etait vrai .

Eight-year-old The Druids Nephew is currently lying seventh in the weights.  His career best over fences was his win in a three mile, one furlong chase at the Cheltenham Festival.  But he was beaten 25 lengths behind Many Clouds in last year's Hennessy.

Out on the Newbury course he certainly did not look like the horse that reappeared in Wetherby's Grade Two West Yorkshire Hurdle on October 31 - and finished sixth.  He will be ridden by Noel Fehily.

Young Master ridden by Sam Waley-CohenAnother of Mulholland's Gold Cup entry's is The Young Master.  He was ridden at Tuesday's Newbury work session by Sam Waley-Cohen.  No sooner had the pair left the parade ring for the course, than it was announced that Sam's father Robert Waley-Cohen and his racing partners had bought a half share in the horse from Dajam Ltd.

The six-year-old The Young Master - now rated 150 - will go on to be entered for the Welsh Grand national - and may go for the Grand National in 2017.

Jump racing fans arriving at Newbury for the Festival - the course's first jumps meeting of the season - will see some changes. The new bridge over the railway will be open for the first time on the first day of the bet365 Festival - Thursday, November 26.  And there will be a new big screen beside the parade ring.

The housing development around the course is proceeding apace - there are now 400 families living in the racecourse community.

But in November 2016 they will be 'shrinking down' the Festival from three to two days: "To give blockbuster days of racing."

The Clerk of the Course said the going on the chase course on Tuesday (november 17) was good to soft, and soft on the hurdle course. What would it be for the Festival? "We expect quite nice weather - but cold."

And finally, finding your perfect parking space is not a challenge confined to town centres: the most successful trainer during the Newbury’s Festival gets to choose where he wants his own exclusive and permanent parking space to be - last year's winner of racing's most enviable 'Keep out' sign was Many Clouds' trainer Oliver Sherwood.

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Marlborough College's Jemima Stratton wins National Jumping Championship

Written by Tony Millett on 06 August 2016.

Jemima and prize (Photo: Julian Portch) A young rider from Marlborough College has been crowned individual senior winner at the Hurstpierpoint College National Schools and Pony Club Jumping Championships (August 4).

Jemima Stratton, who lives in Salisbury, was victorious in the Senior Schools division riding her own Jefke – who is known in the stable as ‘Rambo’.

“He acts like his namesake!” said Jemima, who turned 14 last week. “We event and compete in Pony Trials, and are aiming for the European Championships. He definitely finds the showjumping phase the easiest.”

It was Jemima’s first time competing at the All England Jumping Course at Hickstead in West Sussex: “I didn’t have a plan in the jump-off as I have never done one on him before. But he’s really quick and seems to turn for the next jump before I’ve even asked him to.”

Jemima and Jefke provided two perfect rounds to keep all the poles up in a competitive class.  They posted a time of 39.14 for the jump-off to beat her closest rival by a tenth of a second.

Deputy Headmaster of Hurstpierpoint College Tim Leeper (see photo) was on hand to present the prizes.

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Marlborough rider Chelsea Pearce chosen for British team at Junior Euro Championships in Italy

Written by Tony Millett on 04 September 2016.

Chelsea Pearce & Albert VI in CIC2* dressage at Barbury Seventeen-year-old Chelsea Pearce, who is based near Marlborough, has been selected for the eventing squad to represent Great Britain in the International Equestrian Federation Junior European Championships in Italy later this month.

She will be taking her own eleven year-old Dutch gelding Albert VI.  In July she completed her first CIC2* eventing competition at the Barbury International Horse Trials - a step towards being chosen for the GB team.  In June she had been named  on the long list named for the championships in Italy.

Since then she and Albert have returned good results in Open Under 21 Competitions at Cholmondeley Castle and Wellington.  On both occasions they were clear and without time penalties in the cross country.

Chelsea told Marlborough.News:  "I am delighted and very proud to have been selected to represent my country. Albert has been a real professional this season and has continued to improve."

"I owe a huge thank you to my Trainer, Annabel Scrimgeour, who has worked tirelessly this season improving our dressage and of course I wouldn't be able to achieve this without my Sponsors and Supporters: Ariat Europe, Aqueos, HAYGAIN Hay Steamers and Longcroft Building Services."

"I am very much looking forward to the championships in Italy and am very grateful to the selectors for giving me this opportunity."

The Championships will take place at Montelibretti, just north of Rome between September 22 and 25.  The Junior GB team is sponsored by Racesafe - the makers of body protectors for riders.

The British Junior team won bronze at the 2015 championships in Poland

The full team of six riders is:
Felicity Collins, 18 from East Sussex, with the seven year old German gelding, RSH Contendor, owned by Ms Vicky Collins and Mrs Avirna Milton
Richard Coney, 17 from Lincolnshire, and his own eight year old Irish gelding Kananaskis.
Phoebe Locke, 16 from Somerset, and the eight year old Irish gelding Union Fortunus, owned by Phoebe and Miss Jamie-lee Day
Chelsea Pearce, 17 from Wiltshire, with her own 11 year old Dutch gelding Albert VI
Chelsea Round, 17 from Warwickshire, and her own nine year old British gelding Fleetwood Mac V
Bubby Upton, 17 from Suffolk with Eros DHI, a seven year old Dutch gelding owned by Mrs Rachel Upton
First reserve will be Storm Straker, 17 from North Yorkshire, with her own 14 year old Dutch gelding Well Designed.

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Marlborough town council's support for Greatwood's work with retired racehorses and disadvantaged young people

Written by Tony Millett on 26 February 2016.

Greatwood's founder & managing director receives the cheque from Mayor Margaret RoseGreatwood, the charity based at Clench Common that looks after retired racehorses and use them to help disadvantaged children, were voted one of Marlborough Town Council's small grants. 

They were awarded £928 as match funding for six St John's Academy students to attend one of their 'Developing Confidence' courses.

On Thursday (February 25) the Town Mayor, Councillor Margaret Rose, her Deputy and Mayor elect, Councillor Noel Barrett-Morton and his wife, and five of their fellow councillors and the Town Clerk visited Greatwood for a tour and the presentation of the cheque.

They were shown round by Mrs Sasha Thorbek-Hooper, Greatwood's full-time fundraiser and met some of the 47 horses currently being looked after by Greatwood and some of the young people benefitting from one of the charity's many courses.

Donations and grants like this one are needed as match funding because schools can no longer afford the full fees to send their students to alternative providers of specialist courses - like Greatwood.  

Greatwood price their courses at a level to attract as many students as possible, but even then for some courses this means there is a shortfall against the amount the school can afford, and that is where the match funding comes in.  With enough donations coming in Greatwood are sometimes able to offer fully subsidised placements.

The councillors heard how young people - from six year-olds upwards to 24 year-olds - can benefit from working with animals whether they need help with low personal esteem, behaviour problems or lack of confidence.  

Many of the disadvantaged young people who attend Greatwood courses have reduced expectations of progressing into education, training and on towards employment.  And although not yet an accredited provider of apprenticeships, they are working closely with the Northern Racing College to develop appropriate courses that will provide entry to work in the equestrian industry and similar areas of employment.

It was sobering to hear that Greatwood are having more young people sent to them with post traumatic stress   disorder - in some instances arising from primary schoolchildren's experience of domestic violence.

Among the retired racehorses the councillors met was 24 year-old Deano's Beeno.  Trained by Martin Pipe he had 57 starts under rules and had 13 wins - including an Ascot long distance hurdle in 2003.  In this eight length victory he was ridden by AP McCoy who recently rated the ride on Deano's Beeno his eighth most memorable.

Meeting Deano's Beeno Ravastree & Forgery enjoying their exercise sessionStudents Daniel and Shaun meet councillors with Sasha Thorbeck-Hooper (centre)(click to enlarge)

During his career Deano's Beeno won £268,500 in prize money and is now Greatwood's star attraction - and he looks extremely fit and well.  Not all Greatwood's horses have had such illustrious racing careers - some, though bred for racing, have never made the start tapes.

Deano's Beeno companion at Greatwood is Paul Cass - a gelding made it to the start once:  a two mile National Hunt flat race at Catterick in 2000.  He came fifteenth out of the field of fifteen - and was fifteen lengths behind the fourteenth placed horse.  Of course he gets the same welcome and the same treatment at Greatwood as other racehorses.

Greatwood needs to raise £500,000 a year to continue to look after the horses and develop educational courses.  Each horse costs £8,000 a year in food, straw, and vets' and farriers' bills.  

Besides finding retired racehorses that can really help young people, one of the charity's aims is re-homing horses - not always an easy or speedy way to cope with these horses who are no longer earning their keep at training yards.

The charity's next big fundraising day is Newbury Racecourse's Greatwood Day on Saturday, 5 March.  The card includes the Grade 3 Greatwood Gold Cup - always a highly competitive race.   Further details here.

Students get a taste of the hard work that keeps Greatwood going

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