Caointiorn  trained  by Stephane Wattel and ridden by Theo Bachelot, an 8-1 shot, came from last to first with a sweeping run down the outside when successful over seven and a half furlongs in the Listed Prix Miss Satamixa (16 runners), a Fast-Track Qualifier for Britain’s All-Weather Championships, at Deauville, France on Polytrack this week.

The four-year-old Stormy Weather filly is guaranteed a free start in the £150,000 32Red.com Fillies & Mares’ Championships over seven furlongs at Lingfield Park on All-Weather Championships Finals Day, Good Friday, March 25, 2016.

French trainer Stephane Wattel

British challenger Pack Together (Richard Hannon/Christophe Soumillon, 5.1/1), who is owned by Her Majesty The Queen, disputed the running after entering the straight but faded out of contention approaching the final furlong and came home 11th.

Caointiorn’s powerful surge took her to the front well inside the final furlong, one and three quarter lengths ahead of another strong finisher, Sea Front (Eric Libaud/Alexis Badel,10/1), with the 3.3/1 favourite Ameenah (Frederic Rossi/Olivier Peslier) a head back in third. Volunteer-Front (Mick Channon/Charles Bishop, 9/1) was the first home of the three British challengers in fourth, a further short-head in arrears, after taking the lead just inside the final furlong before finding no extra.

Alfajer (Marco Botti/Cristian Demuro, 5/1), the third British-trained raider, stayed on to be fifth, another half-length behind. The winning time was 1m 26.77s.

Competitive racing leads up to All Weather Finals at Lingfield Park on Good Friday Photo: ARC

The third All-Weather Championships run from Thursday, October 29, 2015 and culminate with All-Weather Championships Finals Day on Good Friday, March 25, 2016, at Lingfield Park. The seven races on All-Weather Championships Finals Day are worth a total of £1.1 million

Horses can qualify for one of the races on Finals Day by racing three times on an All-Weather surface in Britain, France or Ireland. Horses need to be high enough rated to run in one of the seven Finals, each worth at least £150,000, or they can make sure of participation by winning a Fast-Track Qualifier, which grants free and guaranteed entry.

The other way to qualify for one of the Finals is to run three times during the Championship period, including twice on a designated All-Weather surface in Great Britain, Ireland or France and at least once on dirt at Meydan, Dubai.

A NEW Equine Veterinary practice is now based at Moorcroft Racehorse Welfare Centre, Huntingrove Stud. Slinfold, where manager Mary Henley-Smith oversees the retraining of ex-racehorse so they can go on to a future outside racing.

Rory O’ Shea MRCVS has become the centre’s dedicated vet and now runs his practice out of the centre.  After qualifying as a vet, Rory specialised in Equine and along the way has been mentored by some of the very best equine vets in Europe.

Rory O’ Shea

He explained: “To me qualifying was important, but seeing practice and working with the very best in the UK, Ireland, France, and Belgium has been essential. I am most fortunate to have been asked to become the dedicated vet for Moorcroft Racehorse Welfare Centre because it has always been a pleasure to assist with the veterinary aspects of the retraining  and rehoming programme there.

“Mary is hugely experienced and a true professional and the achievements at Moorcroft are a testimony to that. Moorcroft operates professionally, efficiently and calmly and has developed Moorcroft into a centre of excellence. Having our practice based on site will enable that concept to be developed even further and for us it will be a symbiotic relationship. We have already begun a series of informative lectures/demonstrations which have been well received, and these will continue,” he said.

Rory examining an ex-racehorse

Rory added: ” The tranquil horse friendly environment at Moorcroft is exactly that which we were looking for. The facilties, to us, are second to none. We are now neither daylight nor weather dependent, so in addition to our fully equipped ambulatory service, we can offer our clients excellent facilities which include a central location near to Slinfold/Horsham, easy access and ample parking by appointment on a 24/7 basis.

“We see a very big future in regenerative medicine ( AVS, PRP, BMAC and Stem Cells) and we provide this service both on site and also in an ambulatory capacity as the service can be run as a mobile laboratory from my fully equipped practice 4×4 to our clients.”

He is surrounded by horses 24/7 for outside his work he competes on showjumpers owned by himself and his girlfriend, and has competed up to and including Grand Prix with his own home-produced sporthorses.

Rory competing on one of his own horses

A winter series of lectures at Moorcroft is being held in the new indoor heated lecture facilities, which were provided through a grant by the Racing Foundation.

Rory has made a significant contribution to these during winter months, covering a variety of topics to help horse owners, sometimes in conjunction with other experts, which have been well-received. In the December lecture he worked with farrier Grant Lichtenburg  to cover a range of foot and shoeing topics, with both of them giving practical demonstrations and slow motion videography.

The next lecture is on Equine Backs and is to take place on January 9.Tickets are £10 per seat. Book your place by text, phone or email to: 07929 666408 or moorcroftracehorse@gmail.com

Rory’s Moorcroft veterinary practice can be contacted on 07547 361011

KEMPTON’S meeting on Boxing Day produced some thrilling racing-but one particularly special achievement for a Sussex trainer came towards the end of the meeting.

Sheena West, who trains at Lewes, sent out Cannon Fodder to win the Mares’ Handicap Hurdle for four-year-olds and upwards, worth almost £13,000 to the winner. It was a very special victory for this mare is far smaller than most racehorses.

Sheena said the eight-year-old mare, owned by the Cheapskates,  is more like a pony because of her diminutive size, but she took her on with the intention of giving her every chance in her racing career and has been rewarded with some consistent results.

Cannon Fodder with trainer Sheena West (left), jockey Marc Goldstein and owners following her Plumpton win earlier in the year, Photo: Jeannie Knight

Cannon Fodder has been ridden by local jockey Marc Goldstein during her career and this was her second and most significant victory to add to 14 good placings achieved so far.

Marc said following the Kempton win: ” She is a great little mare with a really  big heart. Every run is over the maximum trip and she has to go on and stay. She’s like a pony and never gives in. She can never get a breather in during the race because of her size.”

Prior to this Kempton victory, from February this year she ran seven times and had been in the first four in all races, bar one, where she uncharacteristically fell- all with Marc riding.

The Boxing Day win was a highlight in her career, taking on top horses, some of which had already won more than £280,000 in prize money in top races.

Jockeys David Bass and Leighton Aspell both had doubles in testing conditions at Fontwell Park’s well-supported Boxing Day meeting yesterday when there were some eventful races and many many runners failed to complete in the testing conditions.

The opening Southern Cranes and Access Ltd Juvenile Hurdle Race produced a good winner when Harley Rebel, trained by Neil Mulholland, owned and bred by Stephen and Gloria Seymour, was ridden to a well-deserved victory by 7lb claimer Shane Quinlan.

Harley Rebel with jockey Shane Quinlan  and owners Steven and Gloria Seymour Photo: Jeannie Knight

Mr and Mrs Seymour had bred the horse, were there when the Cockney Rebel gelding were born. Mrs Seymour said: “We’re delighted. We had been waiting for the right race and he ran so well that there should be more to come.”

The horse won comfortably by nine lengths from Gary Moore’s Searching, ridden by son Joshua, which finished a well-beaten second.

The second race, a 2m1f handicap chase, was won Showboater, trained by Ben Pauling,  under a great ride from David Bass. who was the only finisher. The six-year-old stayed clear of mayem  after Highbury High was unseated early in the race and went on to create havoc when running loose for the remainder of the race. In the chaos Youm Jamil unseated his rider and Tea Caddy fell at the second last, while Too High For Me was pulled up.

Jockey David Bass with Showboater trained by Ali Stronge
Photo: Jeannie Knight

The testing conditions had their impact in the Mares Novice Hurdle where there were just four runners.The highly eventful 2m1f handicap chase at Fontwell is won by Showboater, who was the only finisher.

Jockey Leighton Aspell was in control throughout on board Oliver Sherwood’s smart four-year-old The Organist (1-7 favourite) which finished 28 length clear of trainer Ben Pauling’s Cassie with David Bass in the saddle, which was in turn 45 lengths clear of the remaining two runners.

The Winterfields Farm Handicap Hurdle attracted a competitive field of nine runners and a sparkling performance from Nick Gifford’s Prouts Pub back over hurdles, following two poor runs over fences.

The six-year-old was ridden to a fluent 10-1 victory by Leighton Aspell, delighting the Nick Gifford Racing Club. He took the lead two from home and went on to win by 16 lengths fom Mick Channon’s Needless Shouting.

Prouts Pub with Leighton Aspell and the owners’ group Photo: Jeannie Knight

Nick Gifford was represented  by his wife Ruth, who said: ” He won that so well. We sent him chasing this season after he had won and been placed over hurdles because he had schooled so well over larger obstacles at home. But he didn’t seem to enjoy it. He had two bad runs over fences, so we switched him back to hurdles and he clearly enjoyed it today.”

Prize presentation to Prouts Pub owners’ group by  Mike Sadler (left)of Winterfield Farms Photo: Jeannie Knight

Permit holder David Weston, who is based near Marlborough, was delighted with the performance of his home-bred bay mare At First Light, owned by Elle Tanner, in the Mares Handicap Hurdle Race, where she won by three-quarters of a length , ridden by David Bass, beating good hurdler Tambura of a length. He said: This mare goes on any ground. We have been patient with her and this was her fourth win over hurdles.”

Jockey David Bass with At First Light and connections Photo: Jeannie Knight

Only two of the six runners completed in the Handicap Steeplechase over three miles one and a half furlong chase, with Call The Detective, trained by Ali Stronge at Eastbury ridden by Felix De Giles coming home 27 lengths clear of the only other finisher, Brendan Powell’s Lady From Geneva ridden by Leighton Aspell.

Trainer Ali Stronge with Call The Detective and jockey Felix De Giles  Photo: Jeannie Knight

The final Conditional Jockeys Handicap Race went to Michael Blake’s Hassadin, ridden  by 3lb claimer Harry Cobden, with a six length victory over Chris Gordon’s Love’s Destination, ridden by 5lb claimer Lewis Gordon, with Gary Moore’s Torero in third with George Gorman (8lb) in the saddle.

The next meeting at Fontwell Park is on Sunday January 24 at 1pm with a seven-race card of winter afternoon racing.

Don’t miss one of Fontwell Park’s big raceday of the year tomorrow when  A Winter Wonderland raceday promises competitive action with racing supported  by locally based Southern Cranes and Access Ltd

Premier Admission tickets are now sold but Grandstand & Paddock tickets  are still available. Gates open at 10.30am with the first of seven races at 12.20pm.

 With an afternoon of Boxing Day Racing, reindeer and sleigh, facepainting, games stalls and a beer marquee among the facilities there is plenty for all the family.

Along with the seven races on the card, the King George VI at Kempton Park will also be shown on the racecourse screens. Anyone under 18 goes free.

Thanks for everyone’s support on 2015. I look forward to welcoming you back in 2016!