Call Me A Winner! James Whitaker lands the Winter Grand Prix at Arena UK with Just Call Me Henry
Monday 04 December 2023
James Whitaker topped the Winter Grand Prix at Arena UK’s second Winter Classic show of the 2023/2024 series with the consistent Just Call Me Henry – his reigning HOYS Grade C Champion.
“This was only his second Winter Grand Prix – he’s only an 8-year-old and we jumped our first at Aintree in October – and a great win,” said James, who had travelled to Arena UK with a little trepidation. “It was frozen and snowy at home so he didn’t get any work for two days before and I did wonder how it would go.”
Twenty-eight competitors came forward over course-designer Mark McGowan’s 12-fence 1.40m track with nine returning to tackle the jump-off against the clock.
“The jump-off didn’t go according to plan, it wasn’t as smooth as I’d have liked but Henry was really jumping and on good form. He’s naturally quick and doesn’t have a backward step and I has the luck of the draw going last so it all fell into place,” said James, after securing the win by 0.73 seconds.
Jude Burgess eased Oilina into second place with Joe Trunkfield filling third on Greenacres Vanquish.
Henry, an 8-year-old by Argento, James’ uncle John Whitaker’s former 5* ride, and out of a Kannan mare, was bred by Murray McLeish and Steve Fag and bought by James as a 3-year-old.
“He’s a lovely guy in the stable and on the ground and loves cuddles, but when he’s ridden it’s like he has ADHD, he cannot stop doing something silly! He spooks and get’s sharp and is very playful. It can be quite annoying but it’s what gives him the edge competitive wise and makes him a good horse,” explained James.
“I was concerned when we travelled to Arena UK so I popped him around the 1.20m and he was fine, but in the first round of the Grand Prix he was ‘off his trolley’, but luckily in the jump-off, he relaxed.”
Sandy McLean topped the early 1.40m in a seven-horse decider by 0.25 seconds on his consistent 12-year-old Gino F – winner of the Arena UK Major Grand Prix in September and Northcote Stud’s Winter Grand Prix – and Madison Heath won the concluding 1.40m single-phase with almost three seconds to spare on Ivory.
Kerry Harris and the wonderful ‘Wellie’ Wellington M belied his 20 years to head the Winter 1.35m in the usual inimitable style of ears pricked and always looking for the next fence. Eight of the 36 starters returned for the jump-off with Kerry and the Quidam De Revel x Cash gelding cutting every conceivable corner to win by 1.22 seconds. Joe Trunkfield had to settle for second on Greenacres Vanquish and Serena Kullich slotted Benfields Victory into third.
Sven Hadley topped the Winter Grade C on Castlefield Blue. Only seven of the original 44 starters returned for the jump-off with Sven and the Irish-bred 8-year-old Plot Blue daughter outpacing them by 0.60 seconds. Joss Williams eased Tankardstown No Diggity into second ahead of Thomas Pritchard’s Calcourt Hero in third.
Adam Morgan jumped to the top in the Blue Chip Dynamic B and C with Joplin I, the Starpower TN x Verdi 9-year-old forging ahead in the 14-horse decider to win by 2.67 seconds. Chris O’Bryan steered Jazzy Reuvekamps into second and Abi Walters guided Darling Du Loir into third.
Harry Bateman secured the top spot of the Blue Chip Karma Performance Qualifier with Mister VDP. A total of 58 competitors bid for the qualifying tickets on offer to the Blue Chip Championships over a single-phase 1.20m track with Harry and the Carrera VDL x Indorado 6-year-old, also winner of a later 1.20m, winning by 0.52 seconds. Michael Fursedonn eased Charmeur Z V into second with Isabella Castle in third on Be Wild.
Jessica Botham headed the 20-strong Winter 1.25m single-phase with Jane Starkey’s 11-year-old mare Zosia (Cevin Z x Gunner B) with 0.24 seconds in hand over Michael Whitaker on Maserati LH.
The partnership of Jessica Cunnington and Iminko 5 have become somewhat of a six-bar specialist at Arena UK and clocked up their third consecutive win in just over two months over the series of vertical rails. The stallion first won in September at the Major Grand Prix show, proved it was no fluke at the end of October at the first of Arena UK’s Winter Classic shows and made it a hat-trick just a month later as the sole clear in the final round.
Image: courtesy of Arena UK
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