Once again, the Bowen brothers dominated the weekend’s jump racing.
Cartmel is a happy hunting ground for the family and Mickey took five horses there for the Cumbria track’s first meeting of the season on Saturday. Cartmel had obligingly laid on two three mile-plus chases and the yard had two runners in each, ridden in both cases by Sean and James. The dynamic duo had very different experiences in the first of them. Sean went off in front on Fairlawn Flyer, who was seeking a fourth consecutive win. His stamina was guaranteed, having won the Highland National at Perth over almost 3m7f. He jumped well and when one of his opponents closed in on him a quarter of a mile out he pulled out more to win decisively. Meanwhile James’s mount Jerrash was making mistakes in last place, and after leaving his hind legs in the water jump the jockey was unseated at the next obstacle.
James Bowen and Nicky Henderson (photographed) have been in fine form this month and their sixth winner of the new season came with Fresh As A Daisy in a good 2m4f mares novice hurdle at Uttoxeter. She settled in second place for most of the race until taking the lead between the last two flights. She forfeited the advantage due to a poor jump there, but Bowen drove her back in front in the final 75 yards without resorting to the stick.
Leading Force and Art Of Diplomacy provided a 1-2 for the Bowen boys in the three-mile chase. In a four-horse contest both looked in trouble half a mile out, only for fortunes to change rapidly in the way that National Hunt races. First Art Of Diplomacy, with James on board, got his second wind and took over in front, going like a winner. Then Sean on the odds-on favourite Leading Force made up ground to move ahead when landing over the final fence and forged six lengths ahead passing the post. It was his 25th winner this month.
James Davies rode Miss Maverick to win at Hexham a fortnight ago but rather than ride her at Uttoxeter on Sunday (where she won) he went to Fontwell for six rides and scored on the most fancied of them, Clinton Lane. This one, trained by Mark Gillard in Dorset, hadn’t fared too badly in his latest couple of outings. Dropping back a few furlongs in distance and making the running did the trick.
Tim Vaughan has had a few runners on the flat lately, the most recent being Raging Al, who was fourth in a 1m4f maiden at Beverley on Saturday. The four-year-old was outclassed here but should come on for the race, his first since showing a glimmer of ability when fifth at Sandown for Ralph Beckett last July.
Our next meeting at Chepstow is this Friday 30th May. And further ahead, it’s Country and Western race night on Saturday 7th June, which is also Derby Day
