ESSEX FARMERS &
UNION, MARKS TEY, MONDAY APRIL 17
Lucy Franks brought
to an end a frustrating run of second places to notch a hard-earned first
winner in the PPORA Novice Riders= Race at the Essex Farmers and Union Point-To-Point at Marks Tey on
Monday.
Sure Future has run
four times, filling the bridesmaid=s berth on three occasions, since being bought by Franks=s father, George, from
Sutton near Woodbridge.
But this time
everything fell into place as Sure Future, who is trained near King=s Lynn by April Gingell, was
delivered to challenge at the penultimate obstacle and stayed on strongly to
score by two lengths.
Franks, 26, who was
brought up in Suffolk but now lives in London where she works for Merrill
Lynch, was rendered almost speechless with happiness afterwards. On recovering
her composure she revealed: ASure Future is a nightmare ride at home and jumps around all over the
place. He=s not nasty, he=s just quite a quirky
character.@
Fast ground meant
that only 22 runners contested the six races and, sadly for the large crowd,
the Men=s Open resulted in a
walkover for the James Owen-partnered Dunrig, who was giving trainer Joe
Turner, from Ampton near Bury St Edmunds, his ninth winner in the past four
weekends.
Dunrig was not
allowed to rest on his laurels, as he turned out again less than two hours
later to finish second behind Sure Future, this time partnered by Kelly Smith,
who shares a house with Owen in Newmarket.
One horse that did
enjoy two victories on the card is the George Cooper-owned broodmare, Busters
Sister, as she was responsible for both the Maiden Race winner, Iceni Ruler,
and the Confined Race hero, Monarch Ruler, to complete a very rare family
double.
Both are trained at
Raydon, near Hadleigh, by Robert Cundy, and were ridden by Wymondham=s Rupert Stearn, who, in
landing his first ever brace, moved alongside David Kemp on the 11-winner mark
at the top of the East Anglian Jockeys= Championship.
Monarch Ruler was
much the faster of the pair in gaining his third course victory of the
campaign, and his fourth in total. But Cooper feels that Iceni Ruler, who had >lost a good pull on her
girths since running at Cottenham= may prove to be just as good as her brother in the long term.
Cooper was also quick
to berate his fellow owners who had chosen not to risk their horses on the firm
ground. AThe course is in as good a
condition as it has been at this stage of the season for many years,@ he asserted. AIt=s level, and this old turf
has such a good root structure that it will always have some juice in it.@
The other two races
went to galloping companions from Kent. Funny Money, trained near Sevenoaks by
Helen Sarchet and ridden by her son, James, was ten lengths too good for
Pampered Lad in the Restricted Race.
And the Ladies= Open went to
owner-trainer-rider Julie Wickens, from Lingfield, after her mount, Storm
Castle, got the better of a good battle with Spring Gale and Castle Arrow.
The Essex Farmers and
Race One (Open Maiden Race): 1 Mrs F A Cooper's Iceni Ruler (Essex
Farmers and
Race Two (Restricted Race): 1 Mr James and Mrs Helen Sarchet's
Funny Money (Old Surrey, Burston and W Kent) (J Sarchet), 2 Mr J
Race Three (Men's Open Race): 1 Mr J M Turner's Dunrig (
Race Four (Ladies' Open Race): 1 Miss J Wickens'
Race Five (Confined Hunts): 1 Mr G I Cooper's Monarch Ruler (Essex
Farmers and Union) (R Stearn), 2 Mr Ray Newby's Runningwiththemoon (Cambs with
Enfield Chace) (Miss K Smith), 3 Mr A G Chinery's Baron Bernard (
Race Six (PPORA Novice Riders): 1 Mr George Franks' Sure Future (
ENDS