Chepstow International CSI2* - Round Up
Tuesday 02 May 2017
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At a busy, popular and sunny Chepstow International, Peter Charles claimed a convincing victory in the feature 2* Grand Prix on ABC Quantum Cruise.
Technical questions and related lines tested the initial fifty-nine competitors, and fifteen found all the answers to reach the jump-off with Yazmin Davis setting an early target on Zilverster. 2016 winner Keith Shore was determined to retain his title and inside turn to the double looked sufficient as he swept into the lead with 1.03 sec in hand. But Peter had other ideas, and following similar lines, smoothly cut the time by an incredible 1.96 seconds.
Peter has nurtured this OBOS Quality x Cruising eight-year-old since his purchase from Robert and Annabel Shields 18 months ago and he has high hopes.
“He’s probably the best eight-year-old in the world right now, he’s jumped clear after clear in world ranking classes,” said Peter.
Joe Clayton claimed the medium tour 1.40m grand prix on new ride of one month Luron S Z, a Lord Z 10-year-old owned by Geir Gulliksen.
“I’m very grateful to Geir for the ride, he looks to be a good one,” said Joe.
Alfie Bradstock topped a hard-fought, 13-strong jump-off to take the small tour grand prix by half a second on Di Wilson’s home-bred nine-year-old mare Tiger Bright.
“She deserved to win one, she’s been second so many times,” said Alfie.
Paul Barker hit form to take a hat-trick of wins. Second in the first day’s big tour 1.40m, Paul landed the big tour 1.40m two-phase and medium tour accumulator with Spring Equestrian Partnership’s Kannan 10-year-old Happy Boy. The pair took the accumulator by just 0.06 seconds and the big tour speed fell to the consistent partnership with 0.93 sec to spare.
Paul’s third win came in the small tour speed, the Lux Z 12-year-old Lux Fabulous galloping ahead to win by 0.52 seconds.
Paul was denied a fourth victory when Jodie Hall-McAteer galloped into the top spot of day one’s big tour jump-off class on the Vincenzo x Heartbreaker 10-year-old Colette to win by 1.78 seconds.
Matt Sampson and the Billy Mexico nine-year-old Billy Tortilla are big on speed. The pair – Welsh Masters Gentlemans champion here two weeks earlier – headed both a big tour speed by 0.44 seconds and also taking the medium tour speed with 1.88 seconds in hand.
“He wants to win more than the rider and the faster you go, the more he tries,” said Matt.
Welshman Mark Edwards kept a couple of wins in Wales, winning the first day’s medium tour single phase on Anthony Hill’s Quartz II Adelheid Z eight-year-old Quidde Du Buisson Z with 0.61 seconds to spare. And Mark added to his winning tally with victory in the small tour accumulator on Charlotte Watt’s eight-year-old Greenvale Cara by 1.39 seconds.
William Rekert posted a win in day one’s small tour 1.30m two-phase, urging Daniek into the top spot to win by 0.69 seconds in the 88-strong class.
Julian Mincher posted a hat-trick of wins in the 1* classes, all with Clare Holland’s Irish-bred 11-year-old mare Calista. They won the silver tour two-phase with 0.74 seconds to spare on day one, moved up to the gold tour accumulator the following day to win with almost a second to hand, and landed the silver tour grand prix on the final day in a hotly-contended six-horse jump-off, winning by 0.73 seconds.
“She wants to win and will turn up while I’m still thinking about it,” said Julian.
Leonie Aitkenhead, 19, landed the 1* gold tour grand prix with tight, smooth lines at the gallop on 15-year-old Westpoint Ferdinand to take the title by almost two and a half seconds.
“I haven’t had the best of shows, this makes up for a little,” she said.
Chloe Winchester doubled up with gold tour wins on days one and three with her Welsh Masters 1.20m champion Sportsfield Our Clare. And Lucinda Roche was another to clock up a double victory with a gold tour win on Izar LB and victory in the silver tour two-phase on Hebe Van’t Palmenhof.
Harry Bateman went all out in the five-year-old grand prix to take the top two places on the Crespo VDL daughter Havanna and the Toulon mare Heerdelon, finishing more than three seconds ahead of the nearest rival.
India Bussey’s final round in the 12-horse jump-off laid claim to the six-year-old grand prix on the Cevin Z gelding Billy Colman with a 0.72 second advantage.
“He’s improved so much since November and has stepped up well,” said India, 16, who has newcomer second round aims for this summer.
Winner of the warm-up and the first day’s speed in the European trials for children-on-horses, Oliver Fletcher was gunning for the grand prix with Dahar, but in the event had to settle for third. Scotland’s Anneliese Aitken proved the quickest with sharp turns and angled fences to take the win on Walk The Line II by three quarters of a second from Angel Tough on Callumbus.
“She’s my favourite by far and so genuine,” said Anneliese on the eight-year-old Walk The Line.
“The standard of the youth teams are better than ever this year,” said selector Tony Newbery. “The standard in the children-on-horses is amazing and they look very strong this year. And I’m pleased with the depth of the junior under 18’s and young rider under 21’s – we could almost pick two teams out of each!
“Olivia Poole (Connery III) put in a great double clear in the big tour grand prix Connery and Allana Clutterbuck (Vitaal G) jumped a super first round clear in her first world-ranking class and Chelsea Skelton [also clear on Millfield Baloney] put in a good performance. And then we have the mainstays – Harry Charles, Robert Murphy and Jack Whitaker – the future looks good.”
NB: Qualifications will be updated pending grading of results.
