Edgecote P2P_Avonvale Racecourse Vets 12/04/2022 20:24 Page 2
BICESTER WITH WHADDON CHASE POINT-TO-POINT EDGCOTE SUNDAY 3RD APRIL 2022 by Jake Exelby
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ith 40 runners in seven races, the Bicester with Whaddon Chase point-to-point at Edgcote on Sunday 3rd April had the highest turnout of the weekend’s eight fixtures and racegoers were treated to some fine performances, with a Cheltenham disappointment returning to form, a popular veteran landing the spoils and the racecourse debut of a potential future star. The feature race, the Equine Bio Genie Edgcote Gold Cup Mixed Open Race over three miles and five furlongs, saw four go to post and was won by Bradley Gibbs on Premier Magic, who was pulled up in the Cheltenham Foxhunters last time out. Held-up early, the nine-year-old made smooth progress through the field on the final circuit, led six out and scored comfortably by three lengths from early leader Vivaldi Collonges. Outsider Ange Des Malberaux was four lengths third ahead of the winner’s market rival Kalabaloo, for whom the ground was too firm. “His run at Cheltenham frightened him,” said Bradley afterwards. “He normally jumps off and travels well but it took me a circuit and a half to get going today. He would have been more impressive if he hadn’t run at the Festival and he was just better than the others here.” Bradley’s partner Claire Sherriff told me, “We thought he’d be in the frame at Cheltenham but he barely went a circuit. We then took him schooling at Maisemore Park last week to teach some youngsters and he nearly stopped at the first – he hated Cheltenham that much. His jumping doesn’t normally miss a beat but it wasn’t perfect today, so it was nice to see him keep going. We might go for the fourmiler at the evening Hunter Chase meeting – he’ll stay all day – but will it scare him again? He’s a good pointer,
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and this might be his game.” Claire, who is expecting the couple’s first child in July – “It’s a boy and we don’t have a name yet, but we might call him Magic after today!” – confirmed that their other stable star Highway Jewel won’t run again this season but will be back next year. Bradley completed a double – after a crunching fall on his first ride of the day – in the two miles five furlongs Bicester Motion Restricted. Just three faced the starter here and The Jolly Pot attempted to make all, as he had done when winning last time, but Bradley on Dawnie Boy tracked him throughout the final circuit and took the lead three out. He was joined by favourite By Appointmentonly, going better, at the penultimate fence (where The Jolly Pot fell when beaten) but the challenger made a mistake, giving the lead back and – though By Appointmentonly rallied up the run-in – Dawnie Boy held on to score by a rapidly-decreasing neck. Claire explained why the progressive eight-year-old had been off the track so long between scoring at Barbury in December 2020 and reappearing at Larkhill in February. “He had a small operation to remove a floating bone in his knee, then fractured another bone, was out for the season and we couldn’t rush him back. He wants softer ground,” she continued, “And that’s probably it for the season now, but you never know. We’ll see the best of him next year over three miles on soft ground.” It was Bradley’s 23rd winning ride of the season and he has trained 18. “I couldn’t be happier with the way things are going,” he admitted. “Dawnie Boy wants every yard of three miles, but we came here because we knew the
ground would be nice and it’s a stiff track. I didn’t realise how close the second horse was two out but, once I heard him, I got him going again!” Also in double form were Francesca and Charlie Poste’s Station Yard Racing, whose brace was sealed when 13-year-old Summer Sounds, number 13 on the card and achieving his 13th pointing success (lucky for some!) won the eight-runner Vindis Bentley Novice Riders Race. Given a great front-running ride by Amber JacksonFennell, he was headed at the last by Skipthecuddles and looked booked for second but didn’t give up and forced his head in front again just before the line and was given the verdict by a neck. Craigmor, always prominent but never looking likely to land a blow, was eight lengths third. “He’s such an incredible horse,” said joint-owner Jenny Jackson-Stops, whose son James won four on the horse before he retired. “We weren’t expecting much when we got him, and we were lucky to find out how he needs to race – he has to front-run. It’s the first time Amber’s ridden him – I was told she was a tenacious jockey, and the pair didn’t want to be beaten, did they?” Fellow owner Graham Fisher added, “He needed the run at Shelfield Park a fortnight ago – it was his first outing since Cheltenham last year – and I was surprised today didn’t come too quickly for him. He looked like he’s still enjoying himself, he loves ground on the fast side of good, and he’ll probably have two or three more runs this season.” Winning jockey Amber was scoring for the third time in points – all this season – and the fourth overall. “I joined Francesca and Charlie in December,” she confirmed, “And they’ve given me
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