DIARY – SANDOWN PARK – SATURDAY 25 APRIL 2009
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The day dawned cloudy, with the threat of showers. There were a few spots of rain as I drove
to my local supermarket at 07:20 to fill up my car with petrol. However, the sky soon cleared and the
outlook became good, with blue sky and fluffy white cumulus clouds. I set out for Sandown at 09:50, as the gates opened at 10:30 and
I wanted to park on the tarmac area in the centre of the course. My journey on the M25 and A3 went well, and
there were no unexpected hold-ups through Esher, I arrived to park at 10:40
and, as hoped, there was still room on the tarmac area for my vehicle. I parked up, and walked to the centre course
ticket booth to buy a grandstand ticket for £27, then walked across the
course and purchased a race-card for £3, before going through the Surrey Hall
to position myself on one of the seats next to the Parade Ring. I decided to sit with my back to the main
stands, opposite the podium, so that I could get a good view of the pre-race
presentations and, hopefully, take a photo of the Flat vs. Jump jockey
competitors too as they posed prior to the race. There was quite a cold breeze but, when the
sun appeared from behind the clouds, it was pleasantly warm. The Parade of Champions took place at 12:15. Parading today were Kauto Star (Gold Cup
winner 2009 – above right); Big Buck’s (World Hurdle winner 2009); Denman
(Gold Cup winner 2008 and runner-up 2009); Mon Mome (Grand National winner
2009); and last but certainly not least, Voy Por Ustedes (Order of Merit
winner 2009 – above left). Whilst the horses were parading, Nick Luck from Racing UK
interviewed Alan King, who spoke about Voy Por Ustedes’ exploits during the
past season and his hopes for the new one.
Alan hopes to have some better chasers in his string for 2009/2010. (Yes, I think it would be nice if Choc had
some very good rides for his own stable in some valuable steeplechases.) Sir Robert Ogden’s Racing Manager, Barry Simpson, collected the
Order of Merit trophy on behalf of his employer. In addition to the prize money, there were
large donations to two nominated charities.
Paul Nicholls was Top Trainer.
AP McCoy climbed onto the podium, holding his daughter Eve, to collect
the prize for Top National Hunt Jockey for the season (with 14 consecutive
wins now). The 1,000 Club also joined
him on stage – jockeys who have ridden 1,000 or more winners during their
career - appearing were Mick Fitzgerald, John Francome, Stan Mellor, Richard
Johnson, Peter Niven and Adrian Maguire.
JP McManus’ Racing Manager, Frank Berry, accepted the award for Top
Owner on his employer’s behalf.
Unfortunately Aiden Coleman was held up in traffic so missed the
presentation for Top Amateur. The horses from the Parade of Champions having left the Parade
Ring, it was soon time for the first race of the day. This event is the annual Flat vs. Jump
jockeys race. The jockeys representing
flat racing were Ryan Moore, Darryll Holland, Alan Munro, Richard Hughes,
Jimmy Fortune and Dane O’Neill. The
jump jockeys were AP McCoy, Sam Thomas, Ruby Walsh, Jamie Moore, Richard
Johnson and Choc. Ryan Moore and AP,
as Champions of their respective codes, wore gold breeches. Before joining their owners and trainers, the jockeys came up
onto the podium, the Flat jockeys first, followed by the Jump jockeys, posing
for a quick group photo or two. Choc’s
mount in this race was chestnut, Carlitos Spirit. Once mounted, Choc exited the Parade Ring
behind Ruby and they cantered to the start together. I set out to walk through under the
grandstand and down to the course-side rails to watch the race.
The
market leaders were AP’s mount, Nisaal, and Spotty Muldoon ridden by Dane
O’Neill. Ruby’s mount, Collateral
Damage, got a little worked up in the stalls.
Then they were off. Darryll
Holland sent Twilight Star into the lead, and he was followed by Shanzu and
Ocean Legend with, on the wide outside, Choc aboard Carlitos Spirit. At the back were Spotty Muldoon, Bustan and
Mount Hermon. Soon Choc sent his mount
into a clear second. As
they came into the straight, Twilight Star still had a substantial lead, and
he ran on to win by a diminishing margin of 1¾ lengths. Ruby got serious on Collateral Damage and
drove him into 2nd, which was where he finished, holding off a late drive
from last year’s winning combination, Sam Thomas and Bustan. Ocean Legend under Richard Hughes finished
4th. Choc finished 7th.
I
returned to the Winners’ Enclosure to see the horses come back. Choc unsaddled his mount at the top of the
horse-walk and walked back to the Weighing Room with Tony McCoy. I then walked over to the Parade Ring in
preparation for the next race. Choc
didn’t have a mount in this one. There
were 8 runners, and 3 of them were greys – American Trilogy, Sporazene, and
Gringo. Once the horses had exited the
Parade Ring I set out to watch the race, although I couldn’t quite reach the
course-side rails as it was too crowded.
The
start of this race was at the beginning of the home straight. Then they were off. Sporazene
took up his customary place at the front of the field. He was followed by Alsadaa, Cedrus Libani,
and Songe. American Trilogy was in
5th. At the back was Numide. The
almost white leader was around 10 lengths in front as they turned into the
back straight. The fancied Songe was
getting reminders by the end of the back straight and was the first to be beaten. Upon reaching the home straight, Sporazene
began to fade. Alsadaa had taken up
the running before the 2nd last flight and went on to win. Numide took 2nd but he too faded, being
overtaken by both Gringo and American Trilogy as they ran up the hill to the
line.
I walked around to the Winners’
Enclosure to see the victor come back, before returning to the Parade
Ring. It was now time for Choc’s 2nd
ride of the day, and he would be aboard Rear Gunner in the Handicap
Hurdle. Once mounted, Choc did one
circuit of the Parade Ring before exiting via the horse-walk. I set off to view the race although, once
again, I couldn’t get a position near the course-side rails.
The start of this race was on the far
side of the course. Then they were
off. The field was led off by
Dantari. Prominent were Cockatoo, French
Opera, and Tasheba; at the back was Silent Wind. Choc was taking an inside line in around
7th position. Up the straight for the
first time, Dantari jumped the 2nd flight very slowly, losing the lead, but was
soon disputing it again with French Opera. Upon reaching the far straight, Rear
Gunner began to drop back through the field.
And, after making a mistake at the 3rd last, Choc then pulled him up
before the 2nd last flight. Into the
final straight, the lead changed hands a number of times before the race was
settled. Outsider, Mister Benedictine,
had taken the lead by the 2nd last, Tasheba then took over. He was challenged
by Callisto Moon close home, but Sangfroid came on the outside of the field with
a final burst to take victory.
Choc
dismounted and walked beside his mount as he returned to the unsaddling area. He then walked back to the Weighing Room. It
was now time for Choc’s final ride of the day, and his final ride of the
season for that matter! Choc was
riding one of the three Paul Nicholls’ representatives in this race – Ruby
Walsh was to ride Twist Magic, Sam Thomas was on board Oumeyade, with Choc
aboard Andreas (last year’s winner of this race and one of Choc’s winning
mounts at the Cheltenham Festival in 1997).
All three jockeys stood together in a group when they arrived in the
Parade Ring. Soon it was time to mount
and, as Choc waited for Andreas to approach so he could be legged-up, he came
across to the paddock-side rails just in front of me. He leaned back against the rails, and I had
time to admire his beautiful blonde curls as they emerged from beneath the
back of his helmet! (And I couldn’t
help admiring his bottom too!)
Once
Choc had set off down the horse-walk I went to watch the race. I would have liked to get close to the
open-ditch as I do during the winter fixtures, but it was too crowded
today. This prevented me taking any
action photos. The
start of this race was at the start of the home straight. Soon they were off. Oumeyade
led them off, with Santa’s Son and Twist Magic prominent. Kalahari King, at the back of the field,
made a mistake at the first obstacle.
Choc was in 6th place at this stage.
Down
the back straight, Mahogany Blaze started to make progress. Choc was relegated to last by Kalahari King,
but regained 6th place with a better jump at the open-ditch. Choc took Andreas wide of the field and
made headway into 4th by the end of the back straight. Enlightenment was the first to come under
pressure and drop out. Into
the final straight, Twist Magic and Santa’s Son disputed the lead, with the
former soon taking over and staying on strongly to win. Mahogany Blaze was his nearest challenger
most of the way up the home straight, but he was overtaken just before the
line by Kalahari King. Santa’s Son
faded into 4th. Andreas had weakened
to finish 5th.
I returned to the Winners’ Enclosure
to see the placed horses come back.
Choc dismounted in the unsaddling area and walked back to the Weighing
Room for the final time today. After
the race, Paul Nicholls confirmed that Twist Magic had been very
temperamental this year and had even been playing up at home. But they had changed his routine, and it
seems to have worked! It was now time for the main event of the day,
the Bet365 Gold Cup Steeplechase (formerly the Whitbread Gold Cup). I was
disappointed that Choc had no ride in this year’s renewal. However, 14 horses did go to post, the
fancied Darkness having been withdrawn earlier in the day.
I
have to confess that I didn’t go to watch this race live, as I stayed by the
Parade Ring and watched it on the big screen.
The
start of this race was at the beginning of the home straight, so the distance
is just over two circuits of the course.
Then they were off. The
field was initially led by AP McCoy aboard Hennessy. Kilbeggan Blade was prominent, as was
Lacdoudal. Oscar Park unseated Timmy
Murphy at the 2nd fence, the open-ditch.
As they travelled down the hill, the Irish raider, Church Island took
up the lead as they cleared the 3rd fence.
Verasi was at the back of the field, along with Laskari. Church
Island retained the lead to complete another full circuit, with Kilbeggan
Blade, Lacdoudal and Hennessy still leading the remainder of the field. Briery Fox made a mistake at the fence down
the hill, as did Hennessy. As the
field travelled down the back straight, Lacdoudal set off in pursuit of
Church Island, who was still well clear of the field. By the Pond Fence, Briery Fox had improved
into 3rd place. Lacdoudal
had taken over by the 2nd last, but Briery Fox overtook him to take the last
in front. However, they hadn’t counted
upon AP McCoy and Hennessy, who came with a late final burst to beat everyone
on the line! A big race victory for
trainer, Carl Llewellyn.
I went over to the Winners’ Enclosure
to see the victor come back, before returning to the Parade Ring to watch the
horses and jockeys to arrive for the first of 3 flat races to end the card. I know I went to the Sandown Park
Mixed Card event last year, but I couldn’t have noticed how tiny most of the
flat jockeys are! Jump jockeys are a
variety of normal heights, they are just slim! Instead of watching this race, I went
to buy fish and chips, returning to settle by the Parade Ring to consume
them. But I will give you the result!
It
was now time for the 7th race of the day, in which last year’s Derby
runner-up, Tartan Bearer, was competing. The horse was very excitable in the Parade
Ring.
I
did go to watch the race from near the course-side rails, and it was a very close
finish with Tartan Bearer just getting up on the line to take the spoils,
Pipedreamer having been sent clear by Jimmy Fortune just failing to steal the
race.
Having
seen the victor return to the Winners’ Enclosure, I went across to the Parade
Ring to see the competitors for the final race before setting off to wait by
the exit to the course-crossing in preparation to leave as soon as the final
race had been run.
The horses having passed the winning
post, the stewards permitted spectators to cross the course, so I set out
immediately for the car park to collect my vehicle, and I made such a quick
getaway, that there was no queue to exit the course, and I was held up in just
a very short queue to join the one-way system out of Esher. My route took me back to the A3, and
then clockwise around the M25 to return to Hertfordshire and home. I arrived back at 17:55. |
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