A Monday to Remember at the Fibresand
My old dad used to say that Monday racing was like leftover Sunday roast – sometimes surprisingly good, but you never quite expected it to be the highlight of your week. Well, if he'd been with me at Southwell today, he'd have been reaching for seconds, thirds, and probably asking what was for pudding.
What a card this turned out to be. Six races of proper National Hunt fare on good ground – a rarity for May, let's be honest – and enough talking horses to keep us busy through the summer. The Southwell racecard promised quality, and by George, it delivered in spades.
There's something about Southwell on a crisp May evening that takes me back to my early days following the jumps. The Nottinghamshire venue might not have the grandeur of Cheltenham or the history of Aintree, but it's got character in buckets, and today's action reminded us all why we fell in love with this game in the first place.
Feature Race Fireworks
The evening's centrepiece – that £10,000 maiden hurdle at 5:17 – was always going to be the one to watch, and it didn't disappoint. With Sean Bowen aboard King's Scholar and Harry Skelton partnering Louis Veron, we had two of the finest jockeys in the weighing room going head-to-head.
King's Scholar caught my eye in the paddock – a proper stamp of a horse with the look of eagles about him. There's something about the way Sean Bowen sits on a horse that tells you he fancies his chances, and that quiet confidence was evident today. The fact this one's already qualified for the ARC Summer Novices' Brush Hurdle Series tells you everything about connections' opinion of him.
But don't sleep on Louis Veron either. The Skelton team don't send horses to Southwell on a Monday unless they mean business, and with Harry in the saddle, you know they're not here for the scenery. This looked like a proper education mission – the sort that pays dividends come the autumn.
Sense of Reason, with Tom Cannon doing the steering, brought a rating of 104 from the Flat – always a dangerous combination when they're switching codes. These Flat-bred types can surprise you over timber, especially when they've got a bit of class about them.
Ones to Follow
If you're looking for horses to keep on your side through the summer, today served up a proper feast. In the novices' handicap chase, Seaview Rock looked the business under Sean Bowen. A rating of 116 suggests there's more to come, and the way he travelled through that race had all the hallmarks of a horse going places.
Doc McCoy, partnered by the promising Isabelle Ryder, is another to keep tabs on. There's been plenty of chat about this one in the right circles, and today's performance will have done nothing to dampen the enthusiasm. The partnership between horse and jockey looked to be blossoming – always a good sign for the future.
In the mares' maiden bumper, what a field they assembled! Ten fillies, all making their debuts, with jockeys of the caliber of Sam Twiston-Davies, Tom Bellamy, and Ryan Mania in the mix. Frisky Whiskey caught my fancy – there's something about that name that suggests connections have a sense of humor, and in my experience, the best horses often come with the best stories.
For Her Glory, with Sean Bowen again in the saddle, looked like she meant business in the preliminaries. When you see Bowen getting the leg-up on three different horses on the same card, you know he's having the sort of day that makes other jockeys green with envy.
Jockey Watch
Speaking of Sean Bowen, what a day he was having! Three rides on what looked like live chances – that's the sort of book that gets you up in the morning. The Pembrokeshire man has been in flying form this season, and today's opportunities suggested the big yards are taking notice.
Harry Skelton's presence always adds a touch of class to proceedings. When the champion jockey rocks up at Southwell on a Monday evening, you know something special is brewing. His partnership with Louis Veron in the feature looked like the start of a beautiful friendship.
Lovely to see Tabitha Worsley getting a decent ride on Louie The Legend in the novices' hurdle. The conditional riders are the lifeblood of our sport, and Worsley has been making all the right noises this season. One to watch, both horse and jockey.
Looking Ahead
The beauty of a card like today's is that it sets up the summer beautifully. Those ARC Summer Series qualifiers mean we'll be seeing some of these horses again at the bigger meetings, and the novices will be back with experience under their belts.
King's Scholar, assuming he performed as expected, will be a name to remember when the summer novice hurdle series gets into full swing. The same goes for any of today's chase performers who caught the eye – there are plenty of opportunities for the right sort through June and July.
The mares from that bumper will be scattered to the four winds, but the best of them will resurface in novice hurdles before too long. Keep the names handy – there's nothing quite like backing a winner you first spotted at Southwell on a quiet Monday.
Final Thoughts
Days like today remind you why we love this sport. Good horses, top jockeys, competitive racing, and enough talking points to last until the next meeting. Southwell might not be everyone's cup of tea, but when they put on a card like this, they deserve our respect and our attention.
The ground rode well, the racing was competitive, and there were enough progressive types on show to keep the form students busy for weeks. In a world where we're often told racing needs to change, days like this prove that sometimes the old formula still works perfectly.
Here's to the next one – and to following up on all those promising performances when these horses reappear. After all, that's half the fun of this beautiful, maddening, wonderful game of ours.
