The team at Southwell Racecourse worked tirelessly over the weekend to get on today’s frosty event at the All Weather Nottinghamshire track with Clerk of the Course, Paul Barker, telling Sky Sports At The Races channel that his men with tractors in force “started preparing at short notice on Saturday evening, working from 8 o’clock at night to 8 in the morning with a team of six in two shifts that continued through on Sunday, with an increase to nine members on Monday” as they each battled the elements in order to get the racecourse ready in the coldest of weather conditions for a 13:25 start today.
The first race of six on a slow to standard fibresand track and the biggest and best of the day, the Head Your Hunch At Betway Handicap, was won by 3/1 favourite Mulzim ridden by Daniel Muscott and trained by Mike Murphy with the 13:55 Betway Casino Handicap won by Irish gelding, Onebaba, as Clifford Lee rode to victory for Tony Carroll ahead of Qaaraat, who won on its previous outing at Southwell two weeks ago.
In race three, the Bombardier British Hopped Amber Beer Handicap, over little more than seven furlongs, was won by Daafr, who’s second successive victory in a week at Southwell gave trainer Antony Britain something more to smile about than cash in the pocket. Cam Hardie on a horse that just loves the all-weather riding home to a £3,429 winning prize.
There was an Irish winner in the 14:55 race four as Cheat came in at 12/1 as Owner/Trainer Paul D’Arcy who retires his duties tomorrow, thanked John Egan for steering his horse home ahead of Billy Garrity’s, Richard Fahey owned Deb’s Delight, but in the last two races of the day Fahey got his reward to trump d’Arcy’s fantastic story, during the class 6 Betway Handicap, winning with Lions Vigil, an American 6/4 favourite owned by Nick Bradley Racing but trained by Fahey with Ben Curtis on the back to victory ahead of 10/3 shot Straight Ash. Before Aradous came home for the Irish Trainer ahead of 9/4 favourite Silent Performance in the 15:55 Bombardier Maiden Stakes as Barry McHugh rode home the winner.
A fantastic event staged by Southwell and thanks to a teams hard work over recent nights in getting it going regardless of the snow, next up is Thursday afternoon where the weather is anticipated to be warmer with going back to standard for another days meet at the all-weather.
*Main image @Southwell_Races Aradous wins the last race of the day for Richard Fahey.
