Honour High steals the glory at Fontwell

AN excellent performance by a striking grey ensured a strong local interest at Fontwell Park's meeting at the beginning of February.

AN excellent performance by a striking grey ensured a strong local interest at Fontwell Park's latest meeting on Thursday afternoon last week.

Honour High, trained by Lady Herries at Angmering Park, put in a flawless performance in the three mile, three furlong opening novice hurdle race to win with ease.

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Jockey Andrew Thornton reported that the Cloudings Gelding had been going well throughout the race and could have got an even more extended trip.

The horse was bred by Lady Mary Mumford, sister of Lady Herries, and his trainer said: "I am delighted for Mary that he has won. He ran quite respectably as a two-year-old on the Flat. He had speed but developed a hock problem and had a year off.

"It was my fault that we kept him on the Flat and he developed a breathing problem. He had laser treatment , and it took him a few runs before he realised he had been cured. The first time over hurdles he was not confident about himself at all, but Andrew said today that he now has lots of confidence in himself. There should be more improvement to come."

She said she would love to run him over two miles on the Flat, but his jumping had been excellent on Thursday and he had a future over fences.

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Honour High is one of two horses she has for National Hunt racing, and he clearly appreciates some give in the ground, while her second horse, Warningcamp, needs good ground.

That seven-year-old is owned by the trainer's other sister, Lady Sarah Clutton, and won a handicap hurdle last season at Wincanton. He should be back in the frame this year when he gets his preferred ground.

Racegoers were rewarded with a rare sunny afternoon and some excellent racing at Fontwell Park when Crown Racing of Bognor Regis sponsored all races on the card.

The company ensured attractive prizemoney was on offer, which led to well-subscribed and competitive racing throughout the day.

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One local horse to note for the future was Irish bred Russian Around, trained at Findon by Nick Gifford and owned by Robin Eliot.

The chestnut gelding, ridden by Andrew Thornton, was saddled up by the trainer's father, Josh Gifford, because Nick was at Worcester that afternoon, where his horse Sobers was a winner.

In the beginners' steeple chase at Fontwell,Russian Around finished second to Nick Henderson's mare, Classic Fiddle, and was beaten only by a length. Classic Fiddle took the last fence to the right, taking Russian Around with her and doing him no favours. It would have been even closer but for the interference, but stewards ruled that the result was unaffected.

" Nick's horses are in fine form at present. Russian Around didn't have the luck in running today but he enjoyed the race and jumped well. We are very pleased with him. He's a potential Cheltenham horse, though probably next year rather than this- though Nick will obviously decide that," said Josh Gifford.

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Robin Eliot revealed that he was in no hurry with his horse. "I've been to Cheltenham with my horses before and I'm in no rush. I want Russian Around to go when he's ready," he said.

West Sussex jockey Philip Hide (34), who returned to the saddle recently after being sidelined through injury for 11 months, was back in action at Fontwell.

He was a popular guest in the paddock before racing, giving an assessment of the afternoon's racing to come and also rode Almizan, which finished fourth in the handicap hurdler race.

He had originally injured his shoulder in a fall at Musselburgh in February last year, having only just recovered from a triple fracture to his pelvis. Problems with his original injury had hampered his come-back and he wants to go on race-riding for as long as he still enjoys it.

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Moore, meanwhile, has obtained Charles Cyzer's yard at Lower Beeding, where John Jenkins once trained and has finished moving his Flat horses to those premises, while his jumpers have stayed at his Woodingdean yard.

"It's another world at Lower Beeding. Charles Cyzer had invested 1.5 million into improving the facilities, which are outstanding. I'm looking forward to training from there," he said.

A debacle in the handicap hurdle race, when Night Fly fell and interfered with fancied horse Dan Buoy, also bringing down Minaad, another expected to do well, provided an opportunity for Geography.

Trained by Paddy Butler at Lewes and ridden by claimer Robert Lucey-Butler, the horse is a previous course and distance winner, and his enterprising rider seized the chance and finished a good second at 100-1.

For racing and general equestrian see Sussex Horse World, West Sussex Gazette, every Wednesday.