A Proper Evening's Entertainment
There's something rather special about evening racing at Sedgefield, isn't there? Perhaps it's the way the Durham countryside settles into twilight, or maybe it's just that midweek cards like today's offering tend to attract the sort of horses that are actually trying to win races rather than simply fulfilling engagements. Whatever the reason, Wednesday's six-race card served up exactly the sort of competitive sport that reminds you why we fell in love with this game in the first place.
The going description of 'Good' after some verti-draining work told only half the story – conditions were riding genuinely well, allowing the better horses to show their true colours without the lottery element that can creep in when the ground gets testing. Perfect, really, for spotting the ones to follow through the summer months ahead.
Memorial Races Provide the Meat
The evening's feature contests – the Ron Hatton Memorial and Charles Clark Memorial handicaps – both carried that extra bit of significance that tends to attract stronger fields, and neither disappointed. The Ron Hatton Memorial over two miles and three furlongs looked a proper puzzle on paper, with Dirty Den heading the weights off a mark of 112 that suggested connections still harbour big-race ambitions.
What caught my eye, though, was the presence of Bobbarelli down the bottom of the weights with Amber Jackson-Fennell doing the steering. There's something about that combination that screams 'each-way value' – the horse has been running consistently without quite getting his head in front, while the rider's 7lb claim suddenly looks rather handy when you're giving away lumps of weight to the principals.
The Charles Clark Memorial threw up an even more intriguing contest, with Gasmani looking to justify favouritism from the front of the handicap. But it was Sam's Amour for the Stan Sheppard yard that had me reaching for the notebook – a horse that's been knocking on the door in better company and could find this grade much more to his liking.
Novices Worth Noting
If you want to find tomorrow's stars, you watch today's novice hurdles, and the opening Best Dressed Competitions event served up several horses worth filing away for future reference. Crest of Stars arrived as the form pick with a rating of 112, but in novice company, it's often the unrated runners that provide the most interest.
Docteur Romeo caught the attention purely on the strength of his name – you don't call a horse that unless you're expecting him to perform with a bit of style. Similarly, Royal Rocket suggested connections with genuine ambition, while Winning Paddy carried the sort of name that tends to do exactly what it says on the tin.
The evening's finale, the Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance novices' limited handicap, looked like the sort of race where a well-handicapped sort could make significant improvement. Lake Tiberias topped the weights but showed enough in his previous outings to suggest he could be thrown in at the deep end here, while Peace In The Park represented the sort of yard that tends to have their horses spot-on for these evening meetings.
Mares Get Their Moment
The Royal Ascot Lunch mares' handicap provided a welcome change of pace, and there's always something rather satisfying about watching the ladies compete on their own terms. Lady Caro and Jena d'Oudairies shared top billing in the betting, but at these weights and over this trip, it often pays to look further down the field.
Border Gem struck me as potentially well-treated off 93, particularly with Chad Bament keeping the ride – always a positive sign when the stable jockey sticks with a horse in this grade. Meanwhile, Poet's Muse carried the sort of rating that suggested she'd been campaigned with this type of contest in mind.
The presence of several course-and-distance winners in the field added an extra layer of intrigue – local knowledge counts for plenty around Sedgefield's unique configuration, and any horse that's won here before commands automatic respect.
Looking Ahead
The beauty of evenings like this is that they often serve as stepping stones to bigger things. Several of tonight's runners will undoubtedly pop up at summer festivals, while others might find themselves back here in better company as the season progresses.
Keep a particularly close eye on anything that runs well without winning – Sedgefield form has a habit of working out strongly, and horses that finish close up here often find themselves winning next time out when dropped back into more suitable company.
The combination of competitive racing, decent prize money, and that indefinable evening atmosphere made for exactly the sort of card that keeps us coming back. Sometimes the best racing happens when nobody's really watching – and Wednesday evening at Sedgefield proved that point beautifully.
Roll on the next one, I say. There's nothing quite like discovering your next winner on a quiet Wednesday evening in County Durham.
