Archive - Monday, 5 February 2001


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Heidi abuses Inn's hospitality

LAST week's Doncaster meeting provided some high quality sport, even if local connections did not have too much joy.

The feature event, the Pretemps Great Yorkshire Chase, turned out to be a great Yorkshire contest.

After a thrilling dual in the closing stages, the well-fancied Inn At The Top, trained at Helperby by Jim Turner, was just run out of it by the 20-1 outsider, Heidi III from Micky Hammond's Middleham yard.

Although he has been training successfully for some time, big race success has just eluded Jim Turner. Inn At The Top is a really game battler and certainly gave the impression that he stayed this stiff three-mile trip, which he was tackling for the first time.

He is entered for the Grand National and, provided that the going is good, is likely to take his chance in the marathon showpiece. Inn At The Top is a fine jumper, and if he takes to the Aintree fences could well be a serious contender in the world's greatest horse race.

Four years ago, Inn At The Top won another of the big races on Great Yorkshire Chase day, the River Don Novices Hurdle. In 1999 this race went to Barton, before Tim Easterby's gelding went on to Cheltenham success.

Last year Barney Knowes won for Malton handler Mark Peill, who has now sadly given up training and this year Tim Easterby had the only Ryedale contender, Rum Pointer.

Rum Pointer should have been in action at Catterick a week ago but waterlogging caused that fixture to be abandoned and the hurdler was diverted to the Town Moor racecourse.

This year's River Don Hurdle was, perhaps, a little sub-standard but when Russ Garrity sent Rum Pointer on as they approached the final turn there was never much doubt about the outcome. Legal Lunch mounted some challenge but Rum Pointer was a convincing winner.

With Tim Easterby at Cheltenham with Barton, he was represented at Doncaster by his newly-appointed assistant trainer Keith Stone. There was something of dja vu about this arrangement as back in the halcyon days of Sea Pigeon and Night Nurse when Keith was travelling head lad for Peter Easterby.

After a successful spell as a trainer in Malton, Keith went east and spent several years training in Malaysia. Now back home he will be a valuable member of the Great Habton team.

Updated: 11:14 Friday, February 02, 2001