A treble from three runners was a great way to enjoy a warm evening at Fontwell on Thursday.
SOMESPRING SPECIAL was the first to strike in the opening race on the card, a recent recruit FAROUK DE CHENEAU was then successful an hour later before PURE THEATRE completed a tremendous three timer with a willing victory in a tight finish.
Somespring Special is a big, strong straightforward mare who enjoys her racing and doubled her score over hurdles for the Yeo Racing Partnership with a pleasing win from the front with the help of a positive ride by Ben Godfrey who is building a decent strike rate at Fontwell.
She just wants to get on with things and should make a nice chaser.
I was delighted to see Farouk De Cheneau make a winning debut for us in the handicap Chase over two and a half miles ridden by Sam Twiston-Davies in The Owners Group colours.
He is classy, knew his job after finishing second twice over fences for Nicky Henderson last season and there should be more to come from him.
Elite Racing and the Owners Group have a few horses with us now and Farouk De Cheneau is a lovely type to have to run at this time of year.
Pure Theatre was a first winning ride for our yard for Jack Martin, a promising conditional who is based with Philip Hobbs and Johnson White. While I felt her handicap mark of 105 was workable, it was important to employ a decent claimer to reduce her weight by 7lbs.
Jack has been riding out for us over the past few weeks, is very keen and took his chance with both hands.
Pure Theatre is a sound jumper, enjoyed the step up in trip and found more when pressed late on to score by a neck in the colours of Potwell Racing Syndicate IV.
Most of our squad are already turned out to grass for the summer but I’d kept a few in training after all the rain over the past month and it was a bonus to have a treble on nice, safe ground at Fontwell mid May.
But with temperatures rising and the ground drying up by the day, I imagine we will be pretty quiet over the summer as usual before getting going again towards the end of October once the rain comes.
