Weekend Racing Review - a winner for Bill Aitchison

Maid of Houxty (Henry Brooke) jumps the last on her way to victory

A red letter day for owner-breeder Bill Aitchison and wife Carol when their 8yr old mare Maid Of Houxty gained a well deserved first victory when winning over 3 miles in a handicap chase at Newcastle on Saturday.
This was the yard's first winner for Bill, to add to his several winners over jumps in the past few decades.
She jumped with renewed confidence here, probably appreciating the softer conditions underfoot, and put in several race winning leaps in the latter stages of this event. Taking it up with 5 fences to go, she was joined in the lead 3 out by the seemingly smooth travelling Le Grand Vert, but the mare responded gamely to the urgings of Henry (Brooke) to assert between the last two and kept on well to win by 3½ lengths.

Hopes were high pre-race as the form of her previous race when 3rd at Ayr had been working out extraordinarily well with the winner, 4th and 5th horse all winning next time out. Now, just who was second I hear you ask|?  (Rose's Gentleman De Mai for collateral form students, get him added to your tracker).

And in the very next race, we almost made it two on the day for Dodlands when Enemy At The Gate ran a very fine race to go down by only ¾ of a length to Fabuleux du Clos the pair having drawn well clear of the field and battling it out over the second last flight.
Appreciating the step up in trip to 2½ miles as well as the more testing conditions, Henry had our gelding to the fore from the off and was still travelling well jumping the second last. But approaching the final hurdle, the held up Fabuleux du Clos ranged upsides to challenge and just had a little bit more toe than Enemy At The Gate on the run-in.

We've been patient with Enemy At The Gate who showed promise in his first season in 2021-22 but had a period on the sidelines prior to a couple of comeback runs in January & February this year. He looks the type to continue to improve and has a bright future.

Enemy At The Gate jumps upsides the eventual winner Fabuleux du Clos over the last

We also had a couple of runners on Carlisle's Sunday card.

Bollin Matilda made a promising debut at Ayr three weeks ago and re-appeared over 2m 3f in the maiden hurdle here. She didn't seem to jump nor travel as well in the more testing conditions this time - she's a lightly made filly - but remains one to target small handicap hurdles next season.

But one who did relish the ground was Eden Mill in the 2m 3f handicap hurdle. Craig kept him prominent from the get-go and, jumping well, he went on approaching 2 out. This looked a race-winning move as he jumped the last still in the lead, but there were a couple who finished quite strongly and despite keeping on all the way to the line, he was run out of it in 3rd place, beaten a short head and a neck.

Agonisingly close, especially since his stable mate Enemy At The Gate was beaten narrowly and in similar circumstances yesterday at Newcastle.