Dougie’s rollercoaster

At 12.30pm, he rode a winner at Uttoxeter before dashing back to Wetherby in time to ride in the 2.55, in which he was lucky to emerge unscathed from a crashing fall.

Costello is being supported by Andy Nicholls, the boss of Malton Marquees and an avid follower of National Hunt and point-to-point racing. Even Nicholls, however, must have been rocked by the outcome of Costello’s contrasting double-header last weekend.

At Uttoxeter, he rode the Malcolm Jefferson-trained Cape Tribulation to a comfortable win in the opening race. But, after speeding back up the A1 to Wetherby – still in his riding gear – to partner a couple of horses for his boss, John Quinn, Costello took a pile-driving fall on the first of them, Gold Heart, in the feature race of the card.

Having smoothly worked his way into the race, Gold Heart was produced by Costello to challenge for the lead at the third-last fence when the French recruit misjudged the obstacle and turned a virtual somersault, firing his rider into the turf.

Miraculously, Costello was none the worse for his dramatic tumble and scrambled away from the fence, on all-fours, to escape the risk of being trampled by following horses.

As for Gold Heart, he cantered back up the course, riderless.

“That was some fall. It was good that he got to his feet, but I daresay he’ll have a headache for a few days, the way he landed,” said Quinn, adding, “Luckily, Dougie is alright.”

Costello was so ‘alright’ that he was able to go out and ride again half-an-hour later, aboard Quinn’s Edas, who finished third in the handicap hurdle. It was, as they say, all in a days’ work in the precarious life of a jump-jockey.

“That’s how it goes, sometimes,” said Costello, who is delighted to have teamed-up with Malton Marquees, whose name he now carries on his riding breeches in every race he rides. “It’s really good to have a sponsor, it all helps in keeping the show on the road,” he added.

Nicholls had previously supported Ryedale jockey David O’Meara for three years and when he retired from riding this autumn, he was keen to continue a sponsorship with another local jockey.

Nicholls said: “It was very successful with David, it worked well for both of us. And we were keen to carry on the sponsorship with another jockey when David retired. It was him who recommended Dougie to us, and we were only too pleased to act on his advice.”

He added: “It makes sense for Malton Marquees, as a local firm, to sponsor a local jockey. We provide him with riding and racing clothing and, in return, he carries our name when he goes out to ride.”

Nicholls is well-known within racing circles, through his business. “We’ve done a lot of work at racecourses like York and Thirsk and we also cover several point-to-points.”

In Dougie Costello, he is hoping his company is associated with plenty of thrills, and, after last Saturday, not so many spills.

THE success of Cape Tribulation at Uttoxeter enabled this highly-talented horse to make a winning debut over hurdles.

One of last season’s leading performers in bumpers, the gelding has since scored under Flat rules. On Saturday, after being sent off the 7-4 favourite over two-and-a-half miles, Cape Tribulation came home with five lengths to spare.

“That was a nice start to his hurdling career,” said trainer Malcolm Jefferson. “He’s going to get three miles over hurdles, and I see him as a nice dual-purpose horse in the making.”

The Jefferson stable is flying at present. Further successes last week included The Panama Kid at Sedgefield and Wot Way Chief at Newcastle. The latter was returning from a racecourse absence of 429 days, but was fit enough to do himself justice and run out a ready winner over two miles.

“He jarred a leg, which is why we had to give him a break,” said Jefferson, of the horse he secured from Norton Grove Stud. “But he’s never given us any cause for concern since returning to training and he had a good, steady preparation. He’s a horse I’ve always liked, and he’s a horse who was always going to be better for time, so it wasn’t the end of the world that he had to have a lay-off. Two miles would be an absolute minimum for him; he’ll stay three miles-plus if we want him to.”

While Wot Way Chief was ridden by Dougie Costello, The Panama Kid, fulfilling his bumper promise by making a successful hurdling bow at Sedgefield, was partnered by Oliver Williams.

Conspicuous by his absence at present is stable-jockey Phil Kinsella, who has been ruled out for six weeks after sustaining a fractured right shoulder.

Bizarrely, Kinsella, who suffered his injury in a fall at Haydock a couple of weeks ago, rode a winner – According To Pete – at Hexham the following day. He also went on to ride at Sandown, but, on pulling-up one of his mounts, he suffered a loss of power in his right arm. It was only then that he realized the extent of his problem and X-rays confirmed a fracture.

It is desperately bad luck for Kinsella, who secured the Jefferson job at the start of this season and who had made a wonderful start. Hopefully, he will be back in action by Christmas.

Injuries are, inevitably, part and parcel of a jump-jockey’s life and Ruby Walsh became the highest-profile casualty at Cheltenham last weekend when a heavy fall necessitated an emergency operation to remove his spleen, which had been damaged after he’d suffered a hefty blow to his stomach.

Amazingly, Walsh has set his sights on returning to the saddle in three weeks time, But such a target could be totally unrealistic, if Dale Gibson’s experience is anything to go by. The North Yorkshire Flat jockey underwent identical surgery to Walsh after a fall at Beverley a few years ago and, although he had the added complication of broken ribs, he was out of action for five months.

Gibson said: “Hopefully, Ruby will not be out for too long and I wish him a speedy recovery. But from my experience, I would suggest he takes it very steadily. There tends to be a fair bit of muscle wastage around the stomach following the operation, and that takes time to build up again.”

Richard Fahey, after a vintage year on the Flat, is now enjoying a productive period with his jumpers.

Bolodenka and Dzesmin provided the Musley Bank trainer with two hurdling wins in the space of 24 hours last weekend, with Whatyouwoodwishfor adding his contribution to the stable scoresheet by scoring on the Flat in the same weekend period.

Bolodenka, a classy handicapper on the level, opened his account over timber at Newcastle on Friday under Brian Hughes, who was also in the saddle when Dzesmin followed-up at Wetherby on Saturday. The latter was bred in Poland and is a former winner of the Polish Derby.

Fahey and Hughes came close to completing a Wetherby double when Freeloader was caught and beaten into second place only in the final hundred yards of the handicap hurdle.

Whatyouwoodwishfor, who scored in a blanket finish at Great Leighs on Saturday, left Paul Hanagan just five winners short of achieving his seasonal century.

MICK Easterby’s talent at successfully bringing horses back from lay-offs, was illustrated yet again at Wolverhampton last weekend.

The Sheriff Hutton trainer produced Gramm, who had been sidelined for five months, to win under Graham Gibbons. And, although he started at 16-1, he did not go un-backed, having been supported from 33-1.

While Gramm is probably worthy of further attention as he seeks more success on the all-weather circuit this winter, stable-mate Sharadiyn is likewise worth following. Easterby produced him to win a bumper at Sedgefield last week, Oliver Greenall’s mount proving just too strong for the hot favourite, Vivona Hill.

Smart Socks is proving to be a step ahead of the handicapper since joining Paul Midgley’s Ryedale yard.

Previously trained in Ireland by Frances Crowley, the gelding was bought privately by Roger Fell and sent to Midgley, and has proceeded to win three of his last four races.

His latest success came at Southwell last week when Smart Socks benefited from a waiting ride from Jamie Moriarty.

“The week before at Doncaster – and it was partly my fault – he hit the front too soon, so this time I told Jamie to hang on him longer and it seemed to suit the horse. He’s progressing nicely and we might just leave him now and then bring him back out again on the all-weather after Christmas,” said Midgley, who has enjoyed his best-ever season as a trainer.