Tidal Bay is back with a bang at Carlisle (From Darlington and Stockton Times)

Tidal Bay is back with a bang at Carlisle

1:41pm Friday 7th November 2008

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THE RACING game is at present a bit like that mask of the old Roman god Janus, with one face looking backwards and one forwards. The Flat season on turf closes tomorrow with the November Handicap meeting at Doncaster, while the jumps game is gaining momentum.

Howard Johnson, whose form has been hot of late, sent out last year’s Cheltenham Festival Arkle winner Tidal Bay on Sunday at Carlisle. He won the Colin Parker Memorial Intermediate Chase in foot-perfect fashion and was cut from 8-1 to 6-1 for the King George by VC Bet, who also made him 12-1 for the Gold Cup next March.

Johnson doubled up at the meeting with Companero, who looks a good one to follow, as he landed the beginners’ chase.

He had previously won three point-to-points and two hurdles: here he beat Nine De Sivola, Ferdy Murphy’s Scottish National runner-up last year.

Johnson had also won with Waterloo Road at Newcastle last Thursday. This is another in Graham and Andrea Wylie’s bristling armoury for this season, and was making a winning debut over hurdles in their familiar beige and black colours.

John Wade won there too with La Fortalesa, which he bought recently for £15,000 after finishing fifth on his hurdling debut. He won the juvenile hurdle at Gosforth Park under Brian Hughes, who was last season’s champion conditional (jumps apprentice).

James Reveley partnered Hall Of Flame to win for father Keith Reveley and set the Lingdale team off to a good start at this first jumps meeting at the course.

Wetherby, too, held its opening meeting on Friday and Saturday, but local trainers only won on the first day – while John Quinn’s winner came at Uttoxeter.

At the ‘A1 course’, altered since the road changes on the adjacent highway, Richard Mc- Grath was in double form. He won for Chris Grant on Ngong Hills and on Border Reiver, trained by Tim Easterby and bred by father Peter, who quipped: “Is there a breeders’ prize?”

Brian Hughes partnered another winner in the shape of Resounding Glory who landed the juvenile event for Richard Fahey.

The trainer said, after this second win in Resounding Glory’s two hurdles events so far, that he would look at the Cheltenham Open Meeting and perhaps think about the Triumph at the Festival next spring.

On the jumps front, just to judge by this week’s winners, we have a lot to look forward too.

Meanwhile, back to the Flat, Mark Johnston lies fifth in the trainers’ table (which is, of course, based on prize money) with Fahey tenth. Top, of course, is Aidan O’Brien.

However, if they were judged by numbers of winners, Richard Hannon was top with 179 as we went to press yesterday morning, Johnston second on 147 and Fahey, third on 110.

Kevin Ryan is close behind, stuck like the snake on 99.

The jockeys’ championship is sewn up, unlike last year’s race to the wire, and Ryan Moore had 184 at press time.

However, Jamie Spencer might pip Richard Hughes to second spot, being respectively on 111 and 116 with today and tomorrow to play.

The apprentices’ title, though, is tight at the top with both David Probert and William Buick on 50 apiece.

Michael Dods’ Denton Diva gave Buick the win at Southwell which brought him level in the claimers’ race.

Probert missed a winner Wednesday night at Kempton, as he was caught in traffic, and Buick had five chances to go ahead yesterday. He is serving a suspension today and tomorrow and said: “I’s going to be very tight and tense...we’ve both given it our best shot at taking the title.”

It was a case of doubles all round at Ayr on Saturday, and we were pleased to have found you two of the winners.

Robert Winston partnered Alan Swinbank’s Puy D’Arnac to score well on the heavy ground, although our alternative in that race, the Scots runner Grandad Bill with Middleham’s Kelly Harrison up, found the trip too far.

Winston then won for Mark Johnston on Becausewecan.

Our second tip last week was Fahey’s Quest For Success, and Paul Hanagan duly obliged, later winning again in the trainer’s own colours on Brandane.

Micky Fenton had opened the card with a brace of Tom Tate-trained winners, Distant Memories and Suits Me.

Spencer was in double form, too, next day on Southwell’s allweather track, winning for Alan Swinbank on Tarkheena Prince – which holds an entry in tomorrow’s November Handicap, with the same rider booked – and for David Barron on How’s She Cuttin’. Paul Midgley’s consistent Smarty Socks won under Silvestre de Sousa.

Spencer went to Wolverhampton on Monday to win for Kevin Ryan on Wee Giant, which brought up the trainer’s 99th this term.

Tom Eaves had a double at that track last Friday night, including one for Ryan’s neighbour, Bryan Smart, on Beetuna.

John Weymes also won there that evening too, with Welcome Approach, Chris Catlin in the saddle.

Eaves opened Monday’s meeting for Smart on Smalljohn and Joe Fanning partnered the Johnston winner, Takeover Bid.

Catterick’s final meeting on the level found Greg Fairley in double form, landing one for his boss Johnston on Scarab.

Fahey took the opener with Goodison Glory, Jamie Moriarty up.

Neville Bycroft’s own-bred Shotley Mac followed up his recent win on the course in good style under Franny Norton and may run again at Doncaster tomorrow.

This was the gelding’s fifth win this term.

Eijaaz too landed a fifth career win, three of them coming this season for Geoff Harker, Paul Fessey in the saddle. The trainer said he had not been too hopeful, as the wins earlier were on fast ground, not this heavy.

Meanwhile, down at Southwell, Fahey added an acrossthe- cards double when Megalo Maniac won on the Fibresand again. In fact the first five at the meeting went to North Yorkshire horses, including Dods’ winner mentioned above.

Ann Duffield had landed the opener with Salerosa. Karl Burke won with Irish Pearl and his neighbour, Bill Ratcliffe, praised apprentice Andrea Atzeni for his winning ride on Guto. Burke trains above Wensley at Spigot Lodge while Ratcliffe is in Bolton Park over the Ure.

Tim Easterby was one short of a seasonal 50 when Top Bid won at Nottingham on Wednesday, giving David Allan his 61st this term, his best ever season.

● Northern jockey Dean McKeown, who was banned for four years by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) after the recent corruption inquiry, but who has been allowed to continue riding until seven days after he would receive the full reasons for his ‘warning off’, was stripped of his licence on Tuesday at Southwell for a breach of the non-triers rule.

The Southwell stewards found him guilty of not trying in the maiden auction race, on the 14-1 debutante Rascal In The Mix, trained by Richard Whitaker, after betting support followed by drifting in the market.

They referred the matter automatically to the BHA who responded by immediately removing his licence.

The report of the stewards’ inquiry stated McKeown told the stewards that the filly, who had proved nervous at home, was slowly away, resented the kickback and had to be coaxed into her final effort in the home straight. He said she would not have finished closer for more vigorous riding. Whitaker said that the filly had a history of injury and had proved difficult to train; he was satisfied with the rider’s efforts.

McKeown still intends to appeal his four years’ ban, he said on Wednesday. The BHA said he (and the others found guilty, including trainer Paul Blockley), would be notified of the full reasons for the decisions “in the next day or so”.

The week's winners

Key: unless shown otherwise, all races are Flat on turf. NH = National Hunt (jumps); AW = all-weather Flat; ev = evening meeting; DH = dead heat; Hb = homebred by owner or connections; number in brackets after rider’s name indicates lbs apprentice allowance. The starting price is shown after the horse’s name; F= favourite; J = joint F; C = co-F.

Thursday last week. – Newcastle NH: La Fortalesa 16-1 (trained by John Wade, at Mordon; owned by J Wade, permit holder), ridden by Brian Hughes; Waterloo Road 7-2 (Howard Johnson, Billy Row; Andrea & Graham Wylie), Denis O’Regan; Hall Of Flame 13-2 (Keith Reveley, Lingdale; J Henderson (Co Durham)), James Reveley (3).

Friday. – Uttoxeter NH: Luccombe Bay 11-1 (John Quinn, Settrington; Hb, Mrs M L Luck), Dougie Costello. Wetherby NH: Ngong Hills 11-2 (Chris Grant, Newton Bewley; Stephen Curran), Richard McGrath; Resounding Glory 9-2 (Richard Fahey, Musley Bank; M Wynne), B Hughes; Border Reiver 3-1 (Tim Easterby, Great Habton; Hb (M H Easterby), C H Stevens), R McGrath. Wolverhampton AW ev: Beetuna 9- 2 (Bryan Smart, Hambleton; Prime Equestrian), Tom Eaves; Welcome Approach 15-2 (John Weymes, Coverham; T A Scothern), Chris Catlin.

Saturday. – Ayr: Distant Memories 5-1 (Tom Tate, Tadcaster; JMH Lifestyle), Micky Fenton; Suits Me 6- 4F (T Tate; D E Cook), M Fenton; Puy D’Arnac 3-1F (Alan Swinbank, Melsonby; Barrow Brook Racing), Robert Winston; Quest For Success 11-8F (R Fahey; Rob Lloyd Racing Ltd), Paul Hanagan; Becausewecan 13-8F (Mark Johnston, Middleham; Douglas Livingston), R Winston; Brandana 8-1 (R Fahey; trainer), P Hanagan.

Sunday. – Carlisle NH: Companero 10-11F (H Johnson; W M G Black & Mrs S Johnson), D O’Regan; Tidal Bay 4-11F (H Johnson; A&G Wylie), D O’Regan. Southwell AW: Tarkheena Prince 15-8F (A Swinbank; G H Bell), Jamie Spencer; How’s She Cuttin’ 5-1 (David Barron, Maunby; Chris McHale), J Spencer; Smarty Socks 5- 2 (Paul Midgley, Westow; R G Fell), Silvestre de Sousa.

Monday. – Wolverhampton AW: Smalljohn 10-11F (B Smart; John Walsh & Reuben Glynn), T Eaves; Wee Giant 9-2 (Kevin Ryan, Hambleton; Errigal Racing), J Spencer; Takeover Bid 11-10F (M Johnston; Hb, Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum), Joe Fanning.

Tuesday. – Catterick: Goodison Glory 9-4 (R Fahey; Mrs Gill Gamon), Jamie Moriarty; Scarab 7-4F (M Johnston; Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum), Greg Fairley; Shotley Mac 7-2 (Neville Bycroft, Brandsby; Hb (by trainer), J A Swinburne), Francis Norton; Eijaaz 14-1 (Geoff Harker, Thirkleby; A S Ward), Paul Fessey. Southwell AW: Salerosa 11-1 (Ann Duffield, Constable Burton; David K Barker), Pat Cosgrave; Denton Diva 9- 2 (Michael Dods, Denton; Denton Hall Racing Ltd), William Buick; Megalo Maniac 5-4F (R Fahey; A Long), Tony Hamilton; Irish Pearl 13-2 (Karl Burke, Wensley; Hb, M J Halligan), Fergus Sweeney; Guto 12-1 (Bill Ratcliffe, Wensley; trainer), Andrea Atzeni (7).

Wednesday. – Nottingham: Top Bid 10-1 (T Easterby; John & Marilyn Williams), David Allan.

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