Despite the showers, the crowd at Godstone on Saturday enjoyed a bumper day of racing with three pony races before eight point-to-point races.
It was a successful day for the lady jockeys who won six of the eight races. Local jockey Katie Featherstone had a double on the day with her two horses which she also owns and trains. The first came on Secret Cargo who took up the running on the final circuit to win the Level 2 Conditions race for Veteran Horses, six lengths clear of Tim Vaughan trained Designer Destiny. Katie’s second victory of the day was aboard Imperial Acolyte who challenged the long-time leader Trappist Monk at the penultimate fence and a battle on the run to the winning post saw him win the Level One Conditions Race finishing two and a half lengths ahead of Trappist Monk.
The battle to be the National Leading Lady Jockey of the season continues and both Izzie Marshall and Gina Andrews found themselves in the winner’s enclosure at Godstone. Izzie won the first race of the day, the Restricted race on Alan Hill trained Soldier Unknown with Tim Vaughan’s Ringsend John in second and Gina Andrews and For One Night Only in third. But Gina was in the winner’s enclosure for the Mixed Open as Loughan justified favouritism to win by one and half lengths with Kelly Morgan trained Go Go Geronimo in second.
Gina Andrews was quickly back in the winner’s enclosure as Benefaktor won the Level Two Conditions race over two miles four furlongs in a close finish with Tight Call trained by Tim Vaughan only a head behind in second place.
Having already seeing three of his runner’s finish second, Tim Vaughan was finally able to celebrate a victory as Bumpy Evans ridden by Ed Vaughan won the twelve runner maiden comfortably by eleven lengths having led from the second circuit, with Gina Andrews in second on Crepapy.
The meeting had benefitted by the addition of the JRL Flat Race for four and five year olds and with the safety factor being exceeded by one runner the race was divided into two divisions. The first division saw success for Mark Grant trained Force In Milan who was ridden by Daniel Kyne. Force In Milan picked up the pace over the second circuit and battled with Katie Croft trained Steal The Moves ridden by Freddie Mitchell into the finishing straight where Force In Milan managed to gain the advantage to take the victory.
The second division also had an exciting finish as Izzie Marshall led turning for home aboard Alan Hill trained Kingston Bresil, but she had Gina Andrews aboard Robert Chanin trained Just A Glance hot on her heels and in the final furlong of the race Just A Glance pulled clear of Kingston Bresil to win by three lengths and give Gina a treble on the day.