DIARY – ASCOT – SATURDAY 19 JANUARY 2009
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Choc’s
main reason for deciding to ride at Ascot today was to compete aboard Karabak in the NH Novices’ Hurdle, the last race on the
card. In addition to riding Karabak for Alan King, he had 4 other rides, 3 of them
for Alan and 1 for Paul Nicholls. His
alternative fixtures were Haydock Park or
Wincanton. The day dawned wet, but this soon cleared and the
sun came out. I was hoping to set out
for Ascot at around 09:30 to 09:45 but, in the event, I visited my friend
Mark to collect my Christmas present (yes, Christmas!) and to take advantage
of his offer of assistance to transfer photos from my mobile phone to my PC
for uploading to this website.
Unfortunately it was 10:00 by the time I’d arrived back home again, so
I hurriedly changed before setting out for Ascot races. My preferred route takes me via Maple Cross,
Denham, Gerrards Cross, Stoke Poges,
Slough and Windsor but, as I was running a little late, I initially decided
I’d go via the M25 and M4, leaving the motorway at the Windsor junction. However, when I was approaching the M4
turnoff, I noticed a sign stating that Junction 7 of the M4 was closed and,
as I wasn’t sure whether that was the Windsor junction, I decided to stay on
the M25 and leave at the Staines/Egham junction
instead. It later transpired that
Junction 6 is in fact the junction I needed but I had to make a snap decision
and, as it turned out, my geographical knowledge didn’t let me down, which
was just as well because I didn’t have a map with me on this occasion. So, having left the motorway at Egham, I came to a roundabout and had to decide whether
it was the Windsor or the Camberley/Bagshot road
which I needed. As Windsor is north of Ascot, I decided to head for Bagshot as I know it is near Bracknell, which is west of
Ascot. Although suffering a few doubts
as I drove along the A30, I eventually came upon a right-hand turn opposite
Wentworth Golf Club signposted to Ascot/Bracknell, so took that road
alongside Virginia Water (the lake) and it was a good decision as it was the
A329 which runs beside the racecourse through Ascot! Just before reaching Ascot High Street, I turned
right at the mini-roundabout, then a left into the free car park. Before leaving
the car I drank a cup of black coffee, decided to put on both a fleece and gillet under my coat to keep warm, and then walked along
the High Street to the ticket office, where I purchased a £15 general
admission ticket before entering through the turnstiles. I purchased a race-card and an ‘Ascot’ pen,
then walked around to the far side of the Parade
Ring to enjoy the sunshine whilst I waited for the horses to enter the
paddock for the first race. I noticed Ruby Walsh chatting to someone at the
edge of the Parade Ring, before he then went across to the podium where he
took part in the tipster recommendations presentation. Choc’s
first ride of the day was aboard Saticon in the
Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle. Once he had
appeared in the Parade Ring I decided to take a walk around towards the far
side in order to take some photos as he exited onto the course. The start of this event was at the beginning of
the home straight. Ray Diamond started
out in the lead, but this was soon taken over by Amore Mio. Choc decided to take an inside line, Saticon starting off in 3rd or 4th place, the horse
diving slightly at the 2nd flight. He
briefly went into 2nd place after Swinley Bottom,
but was ridden from 3 out, turning into the home straight in 4th place. The short priced favourite was Zaynar, who went clear between the last two flights and
won, second was the long-time leader Amore Mio, with Stow in 3rd. Saticon held on
to 4th place. As Choc had finished as a placed runner, he
returned to the Winners’ Enclosure, and I walked through the concourse to
descend the steppings and take photos of him
unsaddling. Once he’d disappeared inside the Weighing Room, I walked around
to the far side of the Parade Ring to wait for the competitors for the next
race to appear. Choc’s
2nd ride was in the next race, aboard Howle Hill,
reverting to hurdles and not wearing blinkers today either. The horses were led off by Lough Derg, Scriptwriter making a bad mistake at the first
flight. Choc held up Howle Hill in rear, on the outside of the field. Many of the runners took a wide course
looking for better ground. Howle Hill made a mistake at the flight before Swinley Bottom and had lost touch some time before they
reached the final straight. Lough Derg was still in front but had 5 challengers as they
came up the straight but none managed to pass him. A popular winner for David Pipe and Tom Scudamore and they received an enthusiastic reception
when they returned to the Winners’ Enclosure. The 3rd race of the day was a Novices’ Chase, no
ride for Choc. The favourite, Free
World, led them off. Roman Villa
wasn’t keen at the start, and Stumped made a mistake at the first fence. Having caught up with the field, Roman
Villa decided he’d had enough as they turned the corner to head for Swinley Bottom and pulled up, despite the urgings of
Mattie Batchelor.
Calgary Bay kept close order with Free World, with Panjo
Bere closing as they came into the final
straight. Free World was overtaken
before the 2nd last by his two nearest pursuers, and although closing on the
line, Calgary Bay was held off by Panjo Bere. A winner for
Gary Moore and Jamie Moore. Choc was riding in the Victor Chandler Chase,
aboard the Paul Nicholls trained Natal.
When he came into the Parade Ring he walked too far out, and had to be
collected by a blonde lady who took him back to meet the connections, Paul
being at Haydock Park today I believe. Once mounted, the horses did a number of
circuits around the paddock, as they were required to be in number order
before exiting onto the course for the pre-race parade. The short priced favourite was Master
Minded, also trained by Paul Nicholls. Once the race had begun, Choc held up Natal in
fourth place of the 5 runners, but made a number of jumping errors as he got
too close to the obstacles, and was relegated to last place before Swinley Bottom.
Master Minded was running and jumping so well that he took the lead
before entering the final straight and went away to win well (as would be
expected). Petit Robin had reclaimed 2nd
place at the end, with Mahogany Blaze 3rd.
Natal had weakened by the 9th fence, and remained in last place,
coming home in his own time. Being the only unplaced horse, Natal was
unsaddled outside and I watched Choc walk back to the Weighing Room. Petit Robin must have cut his near fore as
Nicky Henderson was sponging it down after he had been unsaddled in the
Winners’ Enclosure. Choc didn’t have a ride in the 5th race, a Mares’
Hurdle race. Doubly Guest was led in
at the start by Nicky Henderson, presumably having had problems in previous
races. The grey, Magical Legend, with
Timmy Murphy aboard led them off and Tot of the Knar was running very
keenly. Again, many of the runners
were steering wide to get better ground.
Doubly Guest took up the running later on, and as they came into the
final straight she was one of 3 horses in with a chance, the others being
United and Sweetheart. Doubly Guest
was the first to be dropped, and then Sweetheart made a mistake at the last,
so United claimed victory. It was whilst I waited for the runners for the 6th
race to enter the Parade Ring that I noticed Meally
and a girlfriend sitting on the steps near the paddock exit tunnel, here to
watch and support him today. Choc’s mount in this race was The Hairy Lemon, and the
horse was wearing blinkers as usual. Once the race had started, Choc was positioned
near the back, between runners. Bafana Boy made a mistake at the first and baulked a
number of the runners. The Hairy Lemon
jumped fine, apart from the fence in front of the stands, where he was given
a reminder. Miss Mitch and Oceanos Des Obeaux disputed the
lead, with others taking up the challenge but the former jumped extremely
well and held off all comers to win. 5
runners were pulled up, but The Hairy Lemon was well beaten from the 11th
fence, but did complete the course in 12th and last place! As mentioned earlier, Choc’s
ride in the final event on the card, a NH Novices’ Hurdle, was Karabak. In his
Gloucestershire Echo column Choc had written that this was his main reason
for riding at Ascot, rather than Haydock Park or
Wincanton. The race favourite was
Kangaroo Court, trained by Emma Lavelle, ridden by Jack Doyle. When the race began, Choc held up his mount on
the inside in mid-division, Kangaroo Court was in last place. Karabak took
closer order as they approached Swinley Bottom to
go 3rd, Jack Doyle’s mount also moved through the field. As they came into the final straight, Choc
moved up on the inside to take the lead, and was ridden clear from the last,
winning well from Kangaroo Court, Somersby and Our Bomber Harris. Choc’s 1st winner
of 2009, and 76th of the season. I walked through the concourse to reach the
Parade Ring, and spotted Meally and her friend
descending the steppings to see Choc come back to
the Winners’ Enclosure. I waited for
Choc to dismount, unsaddle, speak with connections, have his photo taken with
the horse and disappear inside the Weighing Room before I set off for the car
park to collect my vehicle and drive home. My route took me via Windsor, Slough, Stoke Poges, Gerrards Cross and
Denham, joining the M25 at Maple Cross to return home. I arrived home shortly before 17:45.
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