Tidal Bay states World Hurdle case (From Durham Times)

Tidal Bay states World Hurdle case

12:35pm Friday 5th February 2010

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YET again, the weather has played havoc with race meetings this week, with many of them cancelled, including Doncaster’s high-profile fixture last Saturday and Newcastle’s Wednesday’s meeting.

With the help of frost covers, last Saturday’s Cheltenham meeting beat the weather, and in doing so it gave Howard Johnson his biggest winner of the season, when Tidal Bay came home in front in the Betfair Cleeve Hurdle at the odds of 14-1.

The nine-year-old, who is better known for his exploits over fences, like winning the Arkle Chase Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival back in 2008, was having his first run over hurdles since April 2007 and relished it, in a bid to take over from the former star of the yard Inglis Drever.

Brian Hughes was the man aboard on Saturday, due to stable jockey and regular partner of Tidal Bay, Denis O’Regan being injured with a broken collarbone for the second time this season. Before the race, Tidal Bay was 25-1 to win the Ladbrokes World Hurdle in March, a race Inglis Drever was successful in a record-breaking three times, but bookmakers quickly reacted and cut him to around 10-1.

Johnson was obviously delighted and said: “He’s enjoyed himself today and we had to do something as I was getting knocked and the horse was getting knocked.

“We entered him in this and the Argento Chase today, but it got to about a minute to 12 and I thought I’d save myself £500 and take him out of the chase so I don’t get tempted to run him.

“I rang Graham (Wylie, owner) and told him I’d schooled him over two sets of hurdles and eight poles, he’d jumped great and we would have a go at the Cleeve.

“He’ll be 10lb better if the ground dries up as he doesn’t like dead ground and it was pretty dead out there, but he’s an honest horse. When we tacked him up today, my head girl told me he was number 13 when he won the Arkle and he was number 13 today, so I thought that will do for me.

“He’s in the World Hurdle and I don’t fancy going back chasing at the minute, but I’ll have a word with Graham and see what he says.”

With the jumping suffering at present recently, it’s nice to have plenty of all-weather action to keep an eye on. Normally at this time of the year it can be quite average horses plying their trade, but on Tuesday, a very smart horse from the David Barron yard warmed us up.

The horse in question was Poet’s Place, a five-year-old who is now two from two and on the evidence of this performance he will have little problem making an impact on turf as well.

Running in the colours of Elaine Russell, who lives close to Thirsk, Poet’s Place benefited from an inspired ride from her future son-in-law Philip Makin.

Afterwards, the winning rider said: “We’ve always liked him at home and David has been very patient training him, and it was made all the more special that my girlfriend Sarah and her parents were able to be here.”

Later in the month, Makin will have bigger fish to fry, when he heads out to Dubai to partner Barney McGrew for trainer Michael Dods, who was dealt a blow this week when his stable lost Alfathaa.

The five-year-old gelding had to be put down after breaking a leg in a freak accident in his horsebox while waiting to be loaded to a British Airways plane at Stansted airport, enroute to Dubai.

Catterick is hopeful that this afternoon’s fixture will take place, despite calling an 8am inspection. The seven-race card is due off at 1.05pm and the penultimate race, a 2mi handicap chase, can go the way of the Ferdy Murphy-trained Ockey de Neulliac who was unlucky last time out when falling at the final fence, when holding every chance at Newcastle.

Doncaster might have been beaten by the weather last weekend, but it looks set to race tomorrow and what a cracking card it is. A few of last week’s races have been carried forward, meaning there is a mammoth eight race card starting at 12.50pm.

Yesterday morning, Keith Reveley was weighing up his options for his stable star Tazbar, who holds an entry at Doncaster as well as Musselburgh on Sunday.

“At the moment we’d be favouring Doncaster as it’s a big galloping track and it should suit him well,” said Reveley.

“The entries are certainly competitive, but the Musselburgh race looks good as well. I’d rather be taking good horses round Doncaster than round a pacey track like Musselburgh.

“He’s dropping back in trip, which isn’t ideal, but we don’t have that many options for him and hopefully we’ll get some decent ground and he bounces off it.”

Tazbar holds an entry in the RSA Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, but Reveley admits the ground will need to be on the fast side if he is to line up.

“He’s got the entry so we’ve got the option but he certainly won’t be going if the ground is soft and we know how they water there now,” added the Saltburn handler.

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