The local Culworth trainers’ club made a quick impact at Towcester’s Thursday meeting which only went ahead after three inspections.
Tony Middleton has only been based next door to the village for six months but the opportunity to re-launch his career in partnership with former trainer Milton Harris is proving a success, and Va’Vite kept the positive trend going.
The six year-old Vinnie Roe mare (9/2) took the 2m 5f mares’ novices’ hurdle by a length and a quarter under James Banks from Bebinn, which is trained by Middleton’s neighbour Ben Case.
However, this meant odds-on backers had their fingers burnt with 4/9 shot Jean Fleming finishing only third.
Middleton said: “That is the seventh winner we have had at Culworth and this mare has won three since last August and she takes her races well.”
The Middleton and Harris partnership has taken off and the former said: “Milton is better at dealing with people while I work best with horses.”
The third trainer in the new Culworth triangle, on the Northants/Oxfordshire border is Alex Hales, but the Trafford Bridge stables handler had to make do with runners-up spot in the 3m handicap chase which followed, with Royaume Bleu coming home four and a half lengths adrift of Quayside Court (4/1).
Quayside Court’s trainer Claire Dyson was enjoying a Towcester success at the second meeting running and said: “Gerald Quinn is an under-rated jockey while the horse is honest and genuine. His jumping has kept him in it.”
Robin Mathew has only two horses in training at his Cotswolds base but they have been responsible for four winners this season.
“Bally Sands won at Warwick on Sunday and Bravo Riquet (13/2) kept the running for his second course success of the season.
Mathew said: “This horse has been rejuvenated this season. He is a nervous chap but likes to pass horses.”
Venetia Williams and Jennie Candlish were both at Cheltenham, with the former having a 50/1 winner in the Byrne Group Plate with Carrickboy but she was on the mark at Towcester with Opera Og (5/1) in the 2m 3 1/2f novices’ chase. Meanwhile, Candlish, whose Cross Kennon ran an excellent race in the World Hurdle, was represented at Towcester by her partner Alan O’Keeffe with Party Rock (8/11 fav) taking the 2m handicap hurdle.
The next Towcester meeting is a week on Monday, March 25.