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January 2010
Hope you all had a good Christmas and New Year! Hopefully the weather will improve in the next few weeks and training can commence in earnest - maybe we will have a proper summer this year (we can but dream!) The dates have been approved for our meetings for 2010 and as soon as the race schedules are set then they will be posted here. However if anyone has any constructive ideas regarding racing then please do not hesitate to contact us. Heres to a prosperous 2010.
July 2009
What a difference a month makes! In June the weather could not have been better but come July it was an entirely different story. At 6am on the morning of the races the rain was pouring down with parts of the track waterlogged. It was in some considerable doubt if the meeting would go ahead. Would it stop raining? Would the track dry out in time if it did? Several phones calls were made to various trainers and their concensus was that it had forecast a good afternoon and that the races should go ahead if at all possible. A decision was made later in the morning to go ahead with the races and everyone rallied round to make things go as smoothly as possible. The decision proved to be a good one with the weather clearing out to make way for sunshine and some very competitive racing. One trainer and driver in particular were pleased that the racing went ahead -David and Megan Taff from North Wales as they had five wins during the course of the afternoon. Two of these wins came in the first two grade o races with Pantihistamine and New York Sweetheart, following these later in the afternoon with another grade 0 win with Boat Toy. The next four races on the card were the heats qualifying for the final to be held later in the afternoon over a mile and a quarter.The first heat was won by Howards Contender driven by Mick Lord closely followed by Vicky Gill with Duggans Jackpot, the second heat saw Another Man for Andrew Cairns come home first with Alan Haythornthwaite on Rhyds Native second, Megan Taff then had her fourth win of the afternoon on Premier Dream with a very popular Magical Star for Erica Brian in second. The final heat was won by the evergreen 14 year old Abittoboot ably driven by Georgina Nicholson just beating Cams Artist and Andrew Cairns by a short head. All these 8 horses advanced to the final at the end of the day. The trot was another competitive race with the ever consistent Tommohawk winning for Shane Ward. Tommohawk seems to be a specialist round Pikehall having worn the trot at the June meeting, the next two places been filled by Londoners Lee Rix and Johhny Foy with Philadelphia Roth and Overmars. The London these then run over to the next race with Gary Clark taking the honours in the grade 3 race with Mach Little beating June winner Squaws Fella into second place. The grade 1 and 2 race was Alan Haythornthwaites only win of the meeting driving Whitestar Hanover with Vicky Gill taking second on Little Legs. Young driver John Howard then won the grade 1 race with his fathers Howards Gigolo beating Georgina Nicholson and Tumbleturn into second place. Jim McInally then visited the winners enclosure with Stormy Seas, second spot going to the somewhat unluckly Richard Haythornthwaite with CFs Staten Island. Erica Gleissner then won the final lower grade race of the day driving Ginas Boy beating Alan Haythornthwaite and Keep in Touch into second place. It was then time for the horses to appear for the final. Would Megan drive her fifth win of the day or would Howards Contender show his class and keep up the winning streak for Mick Lord and John Howard, or maybe one of the others would prove an upset to the favourites. It proved to be the icing on the cake for Megan with Premier Dream beating Cams Artist by half a length with Duggans Jackport being a further half length back in third.It was a good decision to run the races as the track held up well, and the crowd was treated to some competitive racing. For full results please visit the British Harness Racing Club website bhrc.org.uk
June 2009
What a brilliant day weather wise and race wise we had on 14th June. The weather could not have been kinder with wall to wall sunshine, making track conditions near perfect. The large crowd were treated to a 13 race international card with 8 of the best horses from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland competing for the first prize purse of £2,500 in the Pikehall Platinum free for all pace. However this race was preceded by 12 more races and what competitive racing was enjoyed. The first three races were for grade 0 horses (these horses have never won a race) the first being won by Midlands club member John Wright with Tommys Gold, the second by Jim McInally (a scotch man living in Wales!) with the three year old A Dollar a Day and the third grade 0 was won by Irish raider John Richardson with Talavary Cherokee. John is a regular visitor to Pikehall and does not very often go back to Ireland without a win to his name. The next five races were for grades 1 to 3 and which appeared on paper to be very competitive and so they proved to be, Race 4 was won by Anthony Fettahs Squaws Fella ably piloted by Andrew Cairns, next up was the turn of Pam Haythornthwaite to visit the winners enclosure with her grey Glenarn Boy who seems to improve every time out. Race 6 again went over the Irish sea with John Richardson driving another grey Rhyds Laag to victory, race 7 going to London via John Ripley with the very well bred Mach Little and race 8 going to current chamption driver Rocker Laidler with the very impressive Rattlesnake Annie. We then moved on to the mile and a quarter "open" grade races. The first one of these was a very popoular win for local girl Kelly Rushton with the dimunitive Disturbin, for which she received the biggest cheer of the day! Briwyns Southside then provided Rocker with his second win of the day and River Inny gave Londoner Johnny Foy his usual accustomed win at Pikehall. The trot race was a hard fought race with another Midland club member Shane Ward with Tommohawk prevailing over Bambi Kir driven by Paul Mather Jnr from Stockport. It was time then for the eagerly awaited free for all. Would the undefeated Irish horse Crown Manhattan (although he is owned by Ruth Phillips from Wales) maintain his run of form, would the raiders from Scotland Dreamfair Samarai or Artisan be able to dent his armour or would it be a very popular win for local horse and BHRC horse of the year The Big Guy. With Rhyds Desire, Scoot Around and Western Jackport all capable of winning on their day a treat was in store. As the start car went away Crown Manhattan shot to the front and was never headed coming home 3 lengths clear in a time of 2.39.4 with multiple Appleby winner Dreamfair Samarai in second and Rhyds Desire in third. For full results please visit the British Harness Racing Club website
2008
Well the July meeting at Pikehall went ahead as forecast but not without some trepidation in the week leading up to it. Would we be lucky with the weather or would it be washed out again as in 2007 ! Quite a few meetings up and down the country had to be abandoned so in the end we were very fortunate to have a nice evening for the races and conditions under foot not too bad either.
The racing kicked off with two lower grade races which were both won in near identical times, Little Benjio, trained in Wales by Bobby Barry and driven by Geordie Andrew Stenhouse winning the first with Ayr Desire from the Haythornthwaite stable winning the second. These were followed by the three mile and a quarter heats - the first being won by Dawbank ably piloted by Peter Mather from Stockport , What a Commotion was 2nd and L N Billy the Kid 3rd; the second heat was another win for Sally Teeboons popular grey Strike Gold partnered by Andrew Stenhouse - however this was not without its drama as Strike Gold reared up before the start of the race and came over backward - but no harm was done and the partnership carried on the form from the June meeting when they also recorded a win, Rhyds Habit and Dixie Chick filled the next two places; the third heat was won by Londoner Johnny Foy driving River Inny with Clemtex and Disturbin second and third. There then followed two more lower grade races the first being won by Sherwood Jasper, another one that also won at the June meeting, and the second one by Jason Podmore driving Big Tom. Once again Pikehall held a very competitive trot and the photo finish had to be called upon to split the first two with Officer Broline for George Powell just getting the better of Tomahawk driven by Shane Ward. The line up for the eagerly awaited final was Dawbank, L N Billy the Kid and What a Commotion from the first heat, Strike Gold and Rhyds Habit from the second heat and Disturbin, Clemtex and River Inny from the third heat. It was a thrilling battle with What a Commotion, Dawbank and Rivery Inny fighting out the finish and once again the camera had to be bought into play to decide the result with What a Commotion beating Dawbank by a short head and Dawbank beating River Inny by another short head with Strike Gold in 4th place. Once again the racing was excellent and a lot of people going home saying that they had not seen so many good finishes for a long time.
Following racing there was entertainment in the bar until late evening which was enjoyed by a large appreciative crowd!
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Despite a morning weather forecast for showers the first meeting of 2008 for Pikehall Harness Racing held on Sunday 15th June had a glorious day with bumper crowds attending.
There was very competitive racing from the 93 horses entered with many of the spoils from the eleven races going to local owners and trainers despite horses from london, york, newcastle and ireland attending the meeting.
Sally Teeboon from Flagg was over the moon with her two winners, her own Strike Gold, and John Mycocks Blue Russian who won a very competitive Cock of The North qualifier in a near record time for the mile and a quarter race. Andrew Stenhouse came in for the drives on both horses as usual pilot Alan Haythornthwaite had commitments to other horses.
Jason Podmore from Uttoxeter won two races with Ayr Kid and Blackfield Lowri. Ayr Kid beating the very useful L N Billy the Kid in a close finish of which Jason must have been very satisfied. Another local trainer driver Simon Clark from Burton on Trent had a winner with the very useful young horse Sherwood Jasper.
Irish raider, and regular at Pikehall, John Richardson came over with four top class horses but had to settle for one race win with the very impressive American Import Forafewdollarsmore. One to watch out for in the coming 3 year old races around the Country.
Both trotting races were won by local trainers/drivers with Colin Trot getting a recent hatrick of wins for Paul Mather from Stockport and Dancer Brodie winning for John Towe from Matlock. Pikehall seems to suit the trotting horses and both races were very competitive.
However not to be outdone by the locals Londoner Johnny Foy drove a double with his own Rhyds Native and Fleecum in the lower grade races.
