Wintle is the man to follow with Golden Valley treble

8:00am Friday 23rd May 2008

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JOCKEY Adrian Wintle was the man to follow at the Golden Valley Hunt point-to-point meeting at Bredwardine, scoring a treble including wins in the Men’s Open race, the Area Championship race and a division of the Maiden, writes GRAHAM SAVEKER.

With those wins, he took the Mark Richards Memorial Trophy for the leading jockey at selected area meetings.

Aboard Sparklingspirit in the Men’s Open race, Wintle was always handy and he seized the initiative at the fourth-last fence, quickly putting six lengths between himself and his pursuers. He held that advantage at the line from the chasing Seaforde and Itsalf.

Wintle said afterwards: “The decision on how to ride it was left to me so I decided to kick on and take the initiative, he was disappointing last time out but he does need decent ground to show his best.” Wintle and Hanley Swan trainer Andy Hobbs teamed up again an hour later to take the Welsh Border Area Confined Championship race for owner Clive Hitchings with his Saint Reverien.

And the treble was completed aboard Ole Maestro who belied his 12/1 odds with a win in the first division of the young horse Maiden race.

The Newmarket-trained Clash, who had been an impressive first-time out winner for owner and professional trainer Don Cantillon, was made a warm favourite to score again in the first division of the Restricted but the favourite was never travelling well in the 12-runner field.

He was pulled up at the fourth-last when his chance was gone, leaving racegoers to ponder whether his reputed 80,000gns reserve price at the forthcoming Doncaster sales, where the horse was intended to go, might be a shade high.

The race went to the Dominic Devereaux-ridden Here to Eternity who held on a by a neck to deprive Lagosta with All Thyne Greats a further half-a-length back in third place.

Only three runners went to post for the Members race, but it was the ex-chaser Scania Classic, capably handled by Mat Sollit who took the honours by six lengths for owner Clive Price and trainer Steve Lloyd.

Results Members: 1. Scania Classic (M Sollit) 7/4, 2. Mantle of Gold 7/2. Only two finished. 3 ran.

Restricted (Div 1): 1. Here To Eternity (D Devereaux) 12/1, 2. Lagosta 5/1, 3. All Thyne Greats 4/1. 12 ran.

Restricted(Div 2): 1. Major Royal (T Houlbrooke) 5/1, 2. Sykee Savage 2/1 Fav, 3. Wizard Time 3/1. 12 ran.

Open: 1. Sparklingspirit (A Wintle) 2/1 JFav, 2. Seaforde 12/1, 3. Itsalf 3/1. 13 ran.

Ladies: 1. Madge Carroll (J Williams) 10/11 Fav, Touch Closer 8/1, 3. Premium First 11/8. 5 ran.

Area (Confined Championship): 1. Saint Reverien (A Wintle) 2/1, 2. Super Cannes 10/11Fav, 3. Antonine 12/1. 12 ran.

Maiden 5,6,7 yo (Div 1): 1. Ole Maestro (A Wintle) 12/1, 2. Baraka de Baune 5/1. Only two finished. 9 ran.

Maiden 5,6, 7 yo (Div 2): 1. What of It (T Edwards) 2/1 Jfav, 2. Shara’s dream 4/1, 3. See Me Soon 6/1. 10 ran.

Maiden 8yo +: 1. Royal Rocket (D Mansell) 8/1, 2. Oakley Gold 2/1 Fav, 3. Johnny Be 10/1. 11 ran.