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I was at Huntingdon yesterday – Dominic Elsworth was riding Argento Luna in the Novice Hurdle. She was extremely fractious at the start and had to be dismounted. When she was remounted eventually, she was recalcitrant in the extreme, and refused to line up with the others. Dominic Elsworth dismounted and shooed the horse into line from the ground, and when she started trotting in the right direction, vaulted on, found his irons and set off in the middle of the field.
The horse won impressively.
I wonder if anyone else saw this and was as impressed as me?
Also, any other examples of outstanding horsemanship which stick in the memory? One of mine is (the much maligned) Andrew Thornton’s victory on Kingscliff with no reins.
No, I didn’t see the race at Huntingdon, Benny.
Well done Dominic.
Fred Winter’s ride on Mandarin (I think) in a big race in France, many moons ago, is always quoted as a magnificent piece of horsemanship. I don’t remember actually seeing it though.
Colin
Yep, I was at Huntingdon as well yesterday, Benny – it was the nearest racing has yet come to a competitor adopting a Le Mans-style start!
Dominic Elsworth was helped to an extent by Argento Luna consenting to settle reasonably early on in the race, and also by the fact that, despite this being the stronger of the two heats of the novices’ hurdle, she faced a couple of market rivals in Mutual Respect and Gloucester who are proving easy to pass late on in races.
A fair effort by the mare, though, and a very, very good one indeed by the rider, who’d had a rotten day up to that point after blowouts on Ellerslie Tom (the comments in running of Iain Mackenzie and Steve Payne of; "jumped badly left and braking into fences, led and clear early, violently left handed and headed 4th, last when almost refused 6th and pulled up" are not a word of an exaggeration – the gelding lost it completely) and also on Manshoor.
Another person to experience the highs and lows yesterday was Evan Williams, who recorded a 1125-1 treble with Will The Till, Dontpaytheferryman and Orchard House, but also lost Hypnotic Vibes with a severed tendon. Never let it be said this game doesn’t put its protagonists through the mill.
Full review of the meeting to follow once I’ve finished it.
Jeremy
(graysonscolumn)Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
One of mine is (the much maligned) Andrew Thornton’s victory on Kingscliff with no reins.
Is that the day that it had 3 stone in hand and Thornton had no control of the horse? No wonder it jumped so well.
That would be the one David
Still think it was an awesome ride. Would have been a steering job had he had any steering, but to get him home without reins was a super effort.
Fred Winter’s ride on Mandarin was voted riding performance of all time by the RP readers a few years back ~ it was in the Grand Steeplechase d’Auteuil in 1962 when his bridle snapped at the third fence and Winter had to ride the rest of the contest having absolutely no contact with Mandarin’s mouth. It helped that he had a very willing partner as had Andrew Thornton in Kingscliff. The latter was a sight to behold but not really a great ride as Lensio will modestly admit.
Brawn rather than brains but Scudamore (Peter that is) certainly earnt his fee when Bonanza Boy won the R.P chase a few years back.
Lee
No, I didn’t see the race at Huntingdon, Benny.
Well done Dominic. 8)
Fred Winter’s ride on Mandarin (I think) in a big race in France, many moons ago, is always quoted as a magnificent piece of horsemanship. I don’t remember actually seeing it though.
Colin
Film of this fantastic ride is on a video selection which may well be available on amazon called "Horse Racings Greatest Ever Moments" which also includes a full showing of what for me is the greatest of all Gold Cups, 1964. Arkle’s first beating of Mill House. What a race and of course the greatest horse flat or jumps of all time.
One other great ride that BBC sometimes show on their Grand National programme is that of Tim Brookshaw on Wyndburgh in the 1959 National. A stirrup iron( yes, the iron not the leather) snapped clean through landing over second Bechers. Instead of bailing out as any sane man would have done, Brookshaw proceded to ride magnificently all the way home without any stirrups and was only beaten a length and a half by the winner. But for that Scotlands gallant hero, Wyndburgh, should surely have won (he was second three times and only failed to finish once in seven attempts)
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