Sennelys Park Gold Cup / Midland Womens XC League
Saturday 27th October 2007
THE ALTERNATIVE RACE REPORT

This year produced a huge increase of fillies starting this annual event over thirty two furlongs, up from ten last year to sixteen this. Now at this point I have to say my coverage of this canter is sketchy due to a filly from the Rugby AC Stables snapping a fetlock right in front of Pat and me, which necessitated much activity between me and St John in his pretty van before treatment could be administered. Which meant I never saw the carnage at Bechers brook, though there's a good piccy of the Dalkins filly making a bit of a splash on the facebook web site thingy. Going was soft to good with Bechers quite reasonable this year. 192 runners completed the course, which, considering Reebok have withdrawn sponsorship from this event, is very good.

As usual the Officials decided against starting gates in order to allow the usual neighing and whinnying at the start line.

First home for the Birchfield stable was a self coached filly Josie Grey (Yes, horses are clever) which delighted me as I have known her since she was fetlock high. She finished 9th. Second scorer was Northern filly Amanda Dalkins who was a bit restive as she was being flown off to Italy after the race with the stallion Davies who finished second in the Male event, after making a bit of a splash at Bechers she finished 20th. Sally Latham, one of a twin pair of thoroughbreds from the Sutton area from the prolific Whitehouse stable closed the scoring in 36th. Rachel Cook, a highly dependable if slightly older filly from the Newnham stable split the pair to finish 37th. The other twin thoroughbred, Sarah Rudge finished 39th. Next came a first yearling, Roxanne Russell, Whitehouse stable again, who, despite an excited start settled in well to come back in 43rd.

Elena James, Newnham stable, making a welcome return to competition was 58th.

At this point any horse wanting an individual mention would have to throw its rider or kick a race Marshall, so in descending order we have, Carter the unstoppable in 83rd. Claire Beaumont 116th, Lisa Dimbleby 124th, Rachel Stenhouse 130th , Sarah Capewell 131st, Rachel Denham 154th, Holly O'Meara 155th, Emily Evans 156th. Finally the wondrous Wendy Morant in 190th.

Not many people know this, but, running in disguised colours was a young filly called Sophie Williams also seen on facebook in Bechers at the same time as Amanda. She will be a welcome addition to the Newnham stable and Birchfield as she finished 11th.

The Team result was an excellent 3rd place.

Eddie Cockayne.
Senior Women's Team Manager,
Road & XC
07836 500 464.