History-making O'Brien steals show
Tom O’Brien set a new record for the most wins in a season for a conditional jockey with a 383-1 treble aboard Lincoln’s Inn, Xila Fontenailles and Good Book at Warwick.
The 20-year-old overtook Joe Tizzard’s tally of 91 victories in the 1998-9 campaign when collecting for his governor Philip Hobbs on Lincoln’s Inn in the opening Entertain Clients At Warwick Racecourse Maiden Hurdle.
O’Brien, who had ridden a staggering 73 winners by the end of November, moved alongside Tizzard’s record on Sunday and went one better as Hobbs’ 3-1 shot bounded clear on the run to the line to score by three and a half lengths from Onefourfun.
The jockey said: “It has been some day for me and that would be about my third treble.”
Hobbs added: “Tom has been with me for three years and has been a great addition to the team.
“He is improving all of the time and with him and Richard (Johnson) in the yard, it is never a problem sending good horses to two meetings as there is always someone to ride.
“Tom’s uncle is Aidan O’Brien so he has always been around good horses.
“Aidan and Tom’s dad, Jim, have been great influences.”
Paddy Merrigan was handed a three-day ban (March 31, April 1-2) for using his whip with excessive force aboard the pulled-up Limestone Boy.
Despite entering the history books, O’Brien did not rest on his laurels and ensured the grey Xila Fontenailles (7-1) held the late rattle of Iron Maid by a short head in the Racing UK Mares’ Only Handicap Hurdle.
O’Brien’s 94th victory came when Good Book (11-1) found a new lease of life fitted with a first-time visor in the Flat Season Next Handicap Hurdle Chase.
Hobbs added to his tally on the final day of jumping action at the track this winter with a short-priced double which was completed when the JP McManus-owned Tritonix landed the spoils in the Banbury Novices’ Hurdle.
After leading the field into the straight, Tony McCoy enjoyed the luxury of stealing a peak through his legs to look for non-existent dangers before scooting clear over the last for a three-length success.
Hobbs said of the 4-7 favourite: “I am not sure of the plan – I will have to talk to the boss (McManus) but Aintree is a possible as he is not short of speed and a flat track will suit him.”
The weights in the Sponsor At Warwick Novices’ Chase favoured Patman Du Charmil, and so it proved as the five-year-old collected in determined fashion under Paddy Brennan.
Nigel Twiston-Davies’ charge pulled clear after the third last but had to be kept up to his work in the closing stages.
Having jumped the final obstacle with a useful advantage, the 2-1 chance was harried along by Classified but kept finding more and had two and a half lengths in hand at the line.
Twiston-Davies said: “He has won well and the weights favoured him.
“His owner lives in Liverpool and likes having runners at Aintree so he will go there for something next month.”
The Naunton handler was another to saddle a quick brace when 11-10 favourite Rowdy Yeats scored twice inside 24 hours with an all-the-way rout under Tom Scudamore in the Weatherbys Bloodstock Insurance Handicap Chase.
Twiston-Davies added: “I left him in here with the poor weather forecast just in case anything happened to Wincanton.
“He won there easily though so we let him take his chance and it has worked out well.”
Another grey got on the scoresheet in the concluding Racing UK Amateur Riders’ Handicap Hurdle with the Matthew Mackley-ridden ridden Muntami staying on best for a three-quarter-of-a-length call over Tarkesar.
There was a sting in the tail for Mackley, however, after he was hit with a one-day ban – the date to be notified by the Horseracing Regulatory Authority - for not giving his mount time to respond on the run-in.
