A Triumphant few days for Herefordshire

Thu, Mar 19, 2009

IT has been a triumphant few days for National Hunt racing in Herefordshire.

Not only at the Cheltenham Festival, but also closer to home at Hereford Racecourse.

The best hopes for success at Cheltenham undoubtedly lay with the horses of Venetia Williams.

But few people could have foreseen the turn of events that saw two victories for the King's Caple stables in the space of one afternoon.

The trainer openly admitted that she was struggling to get Kayf Aramis to win even a maiden hurdle race. That was achieved at Chepstow Racecourse last month.

But then the horse, backed in perhaps unexpectedly to 16-1 at Cheltenham, was victorious in the Pertemps Final.

The celebrations were not over though. The Festival Plate then came down to a battle between stable mates Something Wells and Ping Pong Sivola, with the former taking first place at 33-1.

The success story almost continued in the John Smith's Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter Racecourse. Flintoff had a great chance, but had to give second best eventually. The Scottish National, in which he was third last year, could now be a possibility.

However, jump racing rolled on to Hereford Racecourse on Monday, and the first two races fell to local horses.

Zorro De La Vega, from the Wellington Heath yard of permit holder Peter Kelsall, won the paddypower.com Handicap Chase, and then Oddshoes, out of Kevin Prendergast's Sellack stables and ridden by Hereford-born jockey Richard Johnson took the paddypower.com Maiden Hurdle.

It was a vintage afternoon for Richard Johnson who enjoyed two more winners on horses from trainer Philip Hobbs.

*The next racing at Hereford Racecourse is next Thursday 26 March. Gates open at midday for a first race time of 2pm. Grandstand admission is £14. Accompanied children aged under 16 enter free of charge. For more information telephone the racecourse on 01432 273560.

Author:  Katie Stephens

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