Character comes good in Warwick
Character Building put up a superb display of jumping to notch a smooth success in the Visit Warwick Artsmarket Here Sunday 10th December Beginners’ Chase.
The 15-8 favourite traded for the lead the whole way with Get My Drift as they slowly burned off the opposition at a good pace.
Russ Garritty fired Character Building into the fences in the back straight and the six-year-old responded every time before hitting the front three out.
He showed signs of inexperience on the run-in but still held on for a two-length verdict.
Garritty said: “That is only his sixth run over obstacles and his second time over fences. He is still a big baby and he started looking round towards the line.
“You would like to think he is an Aintree type but he is still only in his apprentice year. But he should be a lovely fun horse for the future.”
Risk Runner (100-30) ran out an easy 11-length winner over Salesin in the Herbert Family Introductory Juvenile Novices Hurdle.
Trainer Alan King said “I thought some of the ex-Flat horses might be too good for him but he has enjoyed that and his jumping was a lot sharper.
“At Uttoxeter, he was more deliberate and he has probably learned from that run. He has picked up £20,000 and we could well give him an entry for the Summit Hurdle at Lingfield on Saturday.”
That win initiated a near 20-1 double for King and jockey Robert Thornton after Trigger The Light (7-2) took the Kirsty And Mark Bettis Wedding Anniversary Maiden Hurdle from the unlucky Killard Point.
Trigger The Light only got the verdict by a short head after collaring the odds-on favourite who was disqualified 18 days ago after winning over course and distance.
King added: “He is still a big baby but he jumped well. We will fiddle around with him but he is a lovely staying chaser in the making and he will go over fences next year.”
Jockey Graham Lee took some of the credit for the win of Kickahead (12-1) in the Arnold Lodge School Handicap Hurdle.
Lee rode the four-year-old over course and distance last time and told trainer Ian Williams that the horse needed holding up after he was run out of it when taking up the running at the third last.
Willie McCarthy took over this time and he adopted a patient approach before powering away for a five-length success.
Williams said: “Willie McCarthy was very patient on him but I was a little concerned when he hit the front after the second last.
“I thought he had got there too early but he has run on well.”
Misty Dancer (9-2) shrugged off trainer Venetia Williams’ ground worries to take the Thomas Merrifield Commercial Handicap Chase.
The seven-year-old took up the running approaching the third last to beat Jupon Vert by five lengths.
Williams said: “There was nothing for him for a fortnight where we were going to find better ground than here.
“It is better ground on the chase course and softer in the straight but by then he had done his winning.”
Age proved no barrier for 14-year-old Mr Dow Jones in the Keith Matthews Birthday Celebration Handicap Chase.
Mick Fitzgerald and Mr Dow Jones were quite content to sit behind long-time leaders King Bee and Curly Spencer but rounding the home turn, he was well poised to pick them off.
The 9-2 shot duly came through to win by five lengths from Glen Warrior.
Trainer Keith Goldsworthy said: “All I told Mick was to be patient with him because he knows what he is doing.
“It’s the same way that Richard Johnson rides him and he would have been on board today had he not been claimed to ride King Bee.”
Mr Dow Jones is in the Welsh National but Goldsworthy added: “He won’t get in at the weights but if they ground came up heavy, I might just throw him in.”
Carl Llewellyn and Malcolm Denmark appear to have another exciting recruit to the winter game in Den Of Iniquity (8-1), the impressive winner of the Herbert Family Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race.
The Supreme Leader gelding was always up with the pace and the five-year-old stormed away from his rivals for an eased down 14-length success from Oshkosh.
