OWNER-RIDER Nick Romain and trainer Rebecca Ffooks were in dreamland after Terrierman gave them their first winner at the Old Berkshire Hunt meeting at a windswept Lockinge Racecourse yesterday. The couple, who live at nearby Ardington and are getting married in October, stable the nine-year-old - their only horse - at Henrietta Knight's West Lockinge yard.
Romain, 27, a contracts manager with resource management company Veolia UK, was having his 11th ride and jumped Terrierman alongside leader Order In Court and Freddie Henderson at the fifth-last in the Webbs Builders Merchants Old Berkshire Hunt Members, Subscribers & Farmers Race. His mount, bought for £6,000 out of Tom Lacey's yard at the Goffs UK Doncaster Sales in May 2022, then powered away to score by 30 lengths from the 2019 winner as only two of the four runners finished on ground officially described as Good, but riding 'dead' following morning downpours.
Romain said: "I ride at the weekend, and it is my hobby and I love every minute of it. I am over the moon and very pleased for Rebecca. It is a dream come true. He keeps improving and I keep learning on him."
Ffooks, 26, racing secretary to Paul and Oliver Cole, was saddling her 10th runner, and she said: "I'm ecstatic. I am so proud of Nick. "This is massive for him. He works in an office and is a true amateur. It's brilliant down at Henrietta's. There will be a champagne bottle popped when we get back to the box."
Harry Greasby and Skipthecuddles have both had to wait to record their first wins between the flags, but they finally cracked it in the Luck Greayer Keeper-Jockey Conditions Race (Level 2). Greasby, 19, who hails from Winchcombe and now works for Alan and Lawney Hill at Aston Rowant, was having his 26th ride when partnering the 12-year-old owned and trained by Tim Underwood at Beedon, near Newbury.
Skipthecuddles, who won a bumper, two hurdles and a chase under rules for Graeme McPherson, meanwhile, was opening his pointing account at the 13th attempt after being purchased for £12,000 at the Goffs UK Doncaster Sales in August 2021.
Greasby struck the front after winging the third-last and, despite drifting down the hill on the run-in, his mount still had enough left to hold off Frisson Collonges and Freddie Henderson by three lengths. Greasby said: "It is just brilliant. I would like to thank everyone who has helped me along the way. He's a very quirky horse. He needs to be amongst horses and not away from them."
Underwood admitted Skipthecuddles had been frustrating, saying: "He is lairy. He was only four lengths behind Kemboy at Cheltenham. He is such a thinker. I have tried cheekpieces and blinkers. I might blindfold him next time!"
Peter Bryan took the day's riding honours with a double on Arthur's Sixpence in the Bear At Wantage (Arkell's Brewery) Conditions Race (Level 1) and Zee Man in the James Hambro & Partners Mixed Open. Bryan and Arthur's Sixpence, trained by Georgie Nicholls at Kingston Lisle, won a similar contest over three miles at this meeting 12 months ago, and they repeated the trick over a shorter 2m 5f trip after hitting the front at the second-last before going clear to triumph by four lengths from Gabrial The Great and Thomas Murray.
The nine-year-old is owned by Bryan's Shropshire-based parents, Willie and Mandy Bryan, and his grandfather, David Smith, with the winning rider saying: "I am delighted for mum and dad. They bred him, so it's really nice for him to win for them. We hope to go to Ludlow in a couple of weeks. He likes a quicker surface and got away with it with his class today."
Bryan works for Archie Watson in the mornings and in the afternoons for Nicholls, who said of her charge: "He loves Lockinge - it is going to be his annual outing!"
Bryan made it a quickfire double when taking the mixed open aboard Zee Man for Wellesbourne trainer Fred Hutsby, who went on to notch a double of his own with Joe Kidd in the finale. Polydora made the running in the day's feature race, but Bryan always had Harry Myddelton's mount in his sights and after joining him on the final circuit, Zee Man galloped away to score by six lengths, with Epi Sacre third for the second successive year.
The nine-year-old, second in a Warwick hunter chase 11 days earlier, was providing a welcome change of luck for Hutsby, whose two runners at Kimble on Saturday were pulled up. "We needed that," he said. "This horse has been a star. Eight times he has run now and when he's got round, he has hardly been out of the frame. I was a bit worried because he had only run a week last Thursday."
After receiving the Lockinge Challenge Cup, owner Marcine Marshall, from Fulready, near Shipston-on-Stour, said: "I bought him from Olly Murphy and Fred has been amazing. We have had a lot of fun with him this year. I just can't believe it. I am thrilled."
Hutsby's afternoon got even better when Joe Kidd made it third time lucky in the closing Charles Russell Speechlys Maiden, which with eight runners took the day's tally to 37.
The eight-year-old, named after a Western movie character played by Clint Eastwood, had failed to complete on his previous two starts, but made amends under a fine front-running ride from Oliver Boyden to romp home by six lengths from Dunworley and Charlie Case.
Hutsby said: "He has had leg trouble and I've been patient with him. I said to the lad be positive and he did everything right."
Boyden, 21, works for Olly Murphy, and was riding his third winner. He added: "I am very grateful to Fred for giving me the ride. The horse jumped brilliantly."
Owners Margaret and Richard Jukes made the trip from Newcastle Emlyn in Carmarthenshire and were delighted to be in the winner's enclosure with the home-bred son of Kalanisi out of their mare, Just A Whisper.
Explaining how the gelding came to be named, Margaret said: "Joe Kidd is one of the cowboy legends, and we have a friend who is a great authority on it."
Bloodstone, second on his last three starts for Buscot Park owner-trainer James Henderson and his jockey-son, George, gained a deserved success in the Dubarry Restricted. George sent the eight-year-old to the head of affairs at the fourth-last in the 2m 5f contest and they stormed home by eight lengths from Great Colewood and Robert Hawker.
It was the rider's first winner since he had partnered the son of Court Cave to victory in a Horseheath maiden on New Year's Eve 2021 when Dale Peters trained the gelding. George said: "It has been far, far too long. He is a lovely horse and has been runner-up three times. Today he was much more straightforward."
The meeting was preceded by three pony races, sponsored by Pinewood School, and the opener for novice riders saw a first winner for Rosie Twiston-Davies, 9, daughter of Naunton trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies, on Follow The Stars.
William Pearman, 14, from Brockamin, near Leigh, in Worcestershire, triumphed on Mysterious Lady in the 138cm ponies and under open, while Harry Vigors, 13, from Aldbourne, near Marlborough, took the honours aboard The Green Monk in the 148cm and under open.
OWNER-RIDER Nick Romain and trainer Rebecca Ffooks were in dreamland after Terrierman gave them their first winner at the Old Berkshire Hunt meeting at a windswept Lockinge Racecourse yesterday. The couple, who live at nearby Ardington and are getting married in October, stable the nine-year-old - their only horse - at Henrietta Knight's West Lockinge yard.
Romain, 27, a contracts manager with resource management company Veolia UK, was having his 11th ride and jumped Terrierman alongside leader Order In Court and Freddie Henderson at the fifth-last in the Webbs Builders Merchants Old Berkshire Hunt Members, Subscribers & Farmers Race. His mount, bought for £6,000 out of Tom Lacey's yard at the Goffs UK Doncaster Sales in May 2022, then powered away to score by 30 lengths from the 2019 winner as only two of the four runners finished on ground officially described as Good, but riding 'dead' following morning downpours.
Romain said: "I ride at the weekend, and it is my hobby and I love every minute of it. I am over the moon and very pleased for Rebecca. It is a dream come true. He keeps improving and I keep learning on him."
Ffooks, 26, racing secretary to Paul and Oliver Cole, was saddling her 10th runner, and she said: "I'm ecstatic. I am so proud of Nick. "This is massive for him. He works in an office and is a true amateur. It's brilliant down at Henrietta's. There will be a champagne bottle popped when we get back to the box."
Harry Greasby and Skipthecuddles have both had to wait to record their first wins between the flags, but they finally cracked it in the Luck Greayer Keeper-Jockey Conditions Race (Level 2). Greasby, 19, who hails from Winchcombe and now works for Alan and Lawney Hill at Aston Rowant, was having his 26th ride when partnering the 12-year-old owned and trained by Tim Underwood at Beedon, near Newbury.
Skipthecuddles, who won a bumper, two hurdles and a chase under rules for Graeme McPherson, meanwhile, was opening his pointing account at the 13th attempt after being purchased for £12,000 at the Goffs UK Doncaster Sales in August 2021.
Greasby struck the front after winging the third-last and, despite drifting down the hill on the run-in, his mount still had enough left to hold off Frisson Collonges and Freddie Henderson by three lengths. Greasby said: "It is just brilliant. I would like to thank everyone who has helped me along the way. He's a very quirky horse. He needs to be amongst horses and not away from them."
Underwood admitted Skipthecuddles had been frustrating, saying: "He is lairy. He was only four lengths behind Kemboy at Cheltenham. He is such a thinker. I have tried cheekpieces and blinkers. I might blindfold him next time!"
Peter Bryan took the day's riding honours with a double on Arthur's Sixpence in the Bear At Wantage (Arkell's Brewery) Conditions Race (Level 1) and Zee Man in the James Hambro & Partners Mixed Open. Bryan and Arthur's Sixpence, trained by Georgie Nicholls at Kingston Lisle, won a similar contest over three miles at this meeting 12 months ago, and they repeated the trick over a shorter 2m 5f trip after hitting the front at the second-last before going clear to triumph by four lengths from Gabrial The Great and Thomas Murray.
The nine-year-old is owned by Bryan's Shropshire-based parents, Willie and Mandy Bryan, and his grandfather, David Smith, with the winning rider saying: "I am delighted for mum and dad. They bred him, so it's really nice for him to win for them. We hope to go to Ludlow in a couple of weeks. He likes a quicker surface and got away with it with his class today."
Bryan works for Archie Watson in the mornings and in the afternoons for Nicholls, who said of her charge: "He loves Lockinge - it is going to be his annual outing!"
Bryan made it a quickfire double when taking the mixed open aboard Zee Man for Wellesbourne trainer Fred Hutsby, who went on to notch a double of his own with Joe Kidd in the finale. Polydora made the running in the day's feature race, but Bryan always had Harry Myddelton's mount in his sights and after joining him on the final circuit, Zee Man galloped away to score by six lengths, with Epi Sacre third for the second successive year.
The nine-year-old, second in a Warwick hunter chase 11 days earlier, was providing a welcome change of luck for Hutsby, whose two runners at Kimble on Saturday were pulled up. "We needed that," he said. "This horse has been a star. Eight times he has run now and when he's got round, he has hardly been out of the frame. I was a bit worried because he had only run a week last Thursday."
After receiving the Lockinge Challenge Cup, owner Marcine Marshall, from Fulready, near Shipston-on-Stour, said: "I bought him from Olly Murphy and Fred has been amazing. We have had a lot of fun with him this year. I just can't believe it. I am thrilled."
Hutsby's afternoon got even better when Joe Kidd made it third time lucky in the closing Charles Russell Speechlys Maiden, which with eight runners took the day's tally to 37.
The eight-year-old, named after a Western movie character played by Clint Eastwood, had failed to complete on his previous two starts, but made amends under a fine front-running ride from Oliver Boyden to romp home by six lengths from Dunworley and Charlie Case.
Hutsby said: "He has had leg trouble and I've been patient with him. I said to the lad be positive and he did everything right."
Boyden, 21, works for Olly Murphy, and was riding his third winner. He added: "I am very grateful to Fred for giving me the ride. The horse jumped brilliantly."
Owners Margaret and Richard Jukes made the trip from Newcastle Emlyn in Carmarthenshire and were delighted to be in the winner's enclosure with the home-bred son of Kalanisi out of their mare, Just A Whisper.
Explaining how the gelding came to be named, Margaret said: "Joe Kidd is one of the cowboy legends, and we have a friend who is a great authority on it."
Bloodstone, second on his last three starts for Buscot Park owner-trainer James Henderson and his jockey-son, George, gained a deserved success in the Dubarry Restricted. George sent the eight-year-old to the head of affairs at the fourth-last in the 2m 5f contest and they stormed home by eight lengths from Great Colewood and Robert Hawker.
It was the rider's first winner since he had partnered the son of Court Cave to victory in a Horseheath maiden on New Year's Eve 2021 when Dale Peters trained the gelding. George said: "It has been far, far too long. He is a lovely horse and has been runner-up three times. Today he was much more straightforward."
The meeting was preceded by three pony races, sponsored by Pinewood School, and the opener for novice riders saw a first winner for Rosie Twiston-Davies, 9, daughter of Naunton trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies, on Follow The Stars.
William Pearman, 14, from Brockamin, near Leigh, in Worcestershire, triumphed on Mysterious Lady in the 138cm ponies and under open, while Harry Vigors, 13, from Aldbourne, near Marlborough, took the honours aboard The Green Monk in the 148cm and under open.
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