Gina Andrews was denied the opportunity to make history with cross the card victories at Godstone on Sunday by a fall in the restricted race three fences from home when in contention.
Nigel Padfield’s Orchard Hill had made all of the running and was looking to give Gina her fifth success of the day when making a mistake and falling. This allowed Stingthebookies trained by Hannah Jones and ridden by Will Hickman who at the time of Orchard Hill’s fall was starting to lay down a challenge, comfortably clear of his only other remaining rival and provide the only area victory of the day.
Gina had won the first four races on the card riding the favourite on every occasion. The first victory came in the 2mile 4 furlong maiden on Bunny Boru who only had the one rival and won easily 6 lengths ahead of Rumsden Rah Rah. The following Conditions race again over 2miles 4 furlongs saw Gina sitting behind the leaders on Pass The Glass before taking up the running after the final open ditch and then opening up an unassailable advantage.
The third race of the day was the area’s feature race the South East area Grand National over 3miles 6 furlongs. Unfortunately only 3 runners took their chance and it was the winner of the same race in 2018, Man Of Steel trained by Alan Hill who pounced once again under a patient ride by Gina, at the last fence to deny Strollawaynow victory by 3 lengths.
The open maiden was another three runner affair and this provided the closest finish of the day in which Forgiving from Tom Ellis’s yard and Jappeloup trained by the Grissell team at Brightling battled to the line with Forgiving gaining a ¾ length advantage at the vital point in time.
Gina and Latenightpass only had one rival for the concluding conditions race. Once again Gina was happy to sit and wait until heading out on the final circuit when she urged Latenightpass to move past Max My Boy and Hannah Jones. Max My Boy managed to make a final challenge at the penultimate fence but was working a lot harder the Latenightpass who cruised home comfortably to win by a length.