Something to think about
Robin Oakley
Dining with a Jewish friend after reporting duties had taken me last week to an anti-Semitism conference in Brussels, I was reminded of the tale about the professional circurnciser, who had told someone he met for the first time the address of his premises. When they met a second time the new chum declared, 'I passed your place the other day, but the window was full of watches.' Well. yes,' replied the circumciser. 'But in my trade what would you put in the window?'
This time of year, with the better yards humming with Pre-Cheltenham Tension and trainers uttering a silent prayer every time they feel the legs of their stable stars, it can be very tricky for racecourses to know what to put in their shop window to tempt the decent horses out of cotton wool. Fortunately for racegoers. Ascot succeeded with the £35,000 Amlin Plus Reynoldstown Novices' Chase, a race won in the past by horses as good as Lanzarote, Killiney, One Man and Mr Mulligan. And in the winner, the David Johnson-owned Our Vic, trained by Martin Pipe, we may well have seen one good enough to add to that list in time.
A successful pointer, Our Vic won his three hurdles the previous season smoothly. At Ascot, on only his second attempt over the bigger obstacles, the big, strapping son of Old Vic coasted to a six-length victory over the decent Rosslea. As Martin said, he jumped for fun and was always travelling like a winner: 'He's done it nicely. He's a big strong fellow and it gives us something to think about.' So it does. Our Vic has several Cheltenham entries but so does Therealbandit, also trained by Pipe for David Johnson, and the most exciting find of the season so far. It is a nice way of being spoiled for choice. 'He's got gears to spare,' said his happy owner after Our Vic's victory. And if a few in the stands were inclined to mutter about Our Vic tending to jump left round the right-handed course that is scarcely going to be a problem at Cheltenham, which goes the other way.
The Ascot card kept me scribbling with future prospects because Paul Webber's Full House was a well-supported winner of the two-mile hurdle on his fourth start over jumps, cruising clear in the straight under Tom Doyle, and he, too, looks the sort to do well over the bigger obstacles. A steady approach has paid dividends with Full House, who was a winner on the Flat for Paul Cole but still pretty skinny when
he was bought for jumping. Given a year off, he has filled out nicely and he cruised away from his field in the straight. His beaming trainer admitted that Full House had been showing plenty of sparkle at home and that it had been a mistake to try him over a further distance last time out. The five-year-old, in a yard full of good novice chasers, looks one to watch next season.
One of the nice things about this time of year is that it provides some opportunities for the smaller stables, and two new names entered the lists of those who have trained an Ascot winner. The first to do so was the fresh-faced Epsom permit-holder Laura Sheen, whose Time to Shine took the mares-only novices' hurdle, which opened the card. The Pivotal mare had already won for her trainer, just four months into the job, at Folkestone, and although she may have been helped by Lalagune's fall at the last she won on merit after a previous second at Ascot.
Time to Shine is owned by Laura's mother, Mrs Penny Sheen. Had she attempted to dissuade her daughter from such a precarious career? I asked. 'Yes, but not too hard,' she replied, having an eventing background herself and having had horses with Nicky Henderson when he first started. It may take time for Laura, who has spent time with Brooke Saunders, Nick Littmoden and Harvey Cyzer, to emulate the master of Seven Barrows. But she can hardly have had a better start, even if Time to Shine did run, as former Gold Cup-winning trainer Ivor Herbert pointed out, with her protective boots on the wrong way round. Well, everybody does it with baseball caps, perhaps it will start a new equine fashion trend, Laura, who was still in shock over her success, insisted that Time to Shine still needs time and will be better over fences next year.
The other new name on the Ascot roll of honour was that of Melton Mowbray trainer John Cornwall, who took the handicap chase with the 12-year-old veteran Strong Magic. The fine old Strong Gale gelding, who is rarely out of the frame but had not had his head in front for a while, has won at Liverpool and Huntingdon, too. 'He's
the last of the vintage,' said his owner, who has an affection for Strong Gale's progeny and who has had five winners this season from his nine horses. 'They're all my own,' he grinned. 'That way they don't get taken off you when you win round here.' He plans to run Strong Magic to the end of the season then find a nice point-to-pointing home for him. And while Mr Cornwall was happy to be running a horse at Ascot, let alone winning, he was typical of the smaller yards in immediately insisting that credit be given to winning rider Richard Hobson. 'He's had five winners for me from 23 rides and has got just three left on his 5 lb claim. He deserves more support.' An Ascot winner won't do him any harm in seeking it.
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