Poulton has dark horse for next year’s Grand National
RIVER BUG MIGHT END 100-YEAR WAIT

Jamie Poulton has a dark horse for the Grand National.
Not the next week’s Aintree marathon, but for the renewal in 12 months’ time.
When River Bug won the Hasseroder Southern National at Fontwell last Saturday, he virtually wrote his own script for an attempt on the real thing next year.
“He’s a super jumper and he obviously stays a long distance,” said Poulton of the eight-year-old.
“There is a possibility he might go to Aintree for one of the minor races next week but it is more likely that he will go to Punchestown a few days later where the ground is almost certain to be on the soft side.
“Then his programme will be geared towards next year’s National.”
It is exactly 100 years since Shannon Lass emerged from Poulton’s Telscombe stables to win the Grand National and both trainer and owner, Keith Ingram, are determined that the yard will produce another winner of the world’s most watched horse race.
It is only by a happy stroke of luck and some Irish blarney, that River Bug is at Lewes at all.
His owner Tunbridge Wells based Ingram, a racing adviser and organiser of the syndicate Ormonde Racing, went to Ireland to look for a two-year-old to send to Jamie.
Poulton said “I have known Keith for years.
“We used to play cricket together and he’s always been very keen on racing and run a successful advisory service.
“Now he has won two races in a month.
Having decided on the two-year-old named Dodger, breeder John Quinn persuaded Ingram to have a look at River Bug who had run in a couple of point-to-points and shown promise.
The two soon shook hands on a deal that Ingram certainly does not regret, because within days of his arrival in the UK, River Bug had won at Towcester.
“It’s a dream come true because not everyone thought it was a good idea to by the horse.
“But I trust John Quinn and, as he pointed out, River Bug was ready to run straight away.
“What with the prize money at Towcester and a good bet, I covered my cost within a fortnight!”
River Bug was pulled up in the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham afterwards, but, none the worse, his win at Fontwell brought his total price money to more than £22,000.
He owes the Ormonde syndicate absolutely nothing!
Poulton said “The Cheltenham run came a bit too quick after Towcester.

New Owners cheer on River Bug win

The Irish arrived a week early for Cheltenham, when Kildare trainer John Quinn saddled his Festival runner River Bug for a warm-up win in the handicap chase, writes Bruce Jackson.
Part of Sussex also laid claim to the victory, as River Bug had been snapped up the previous weekend for £16,000 by south coast-based Ormonde Racing.
River Bug has joined Jamie Poulton’s Lewes yard, but will run for Quinn at Cheltenham, with the trainer aboard,
in the National Hunt Chase.
Keith Ingram, one of the winning owners, said: “Oliver Fairbridge is the main organiser of Ormonde Racing and we went to Ireland last Saturday to look at four two-year olds of John’s but he sold us this chaser. He said we’d have fun with him.
“We thought it only fair to let him run in John’s name at Cheltenham but he will lodge with Jamie.”
David O’Meara made the most of the spare ride, taking over from Tony Dobbin, who was on compassionate leave after the death of his brother in Ireland.

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Handicap Chase (Class F)

1. RIVER BUG (IRE) 8 9-13 .. (74) D O’Meara (5)
Ch g by Over The River (FR)-Fiona’s Wish (Wishing Star) (John A Quinn) held up, hampered 7th, headway 11th, led 14th, stayed on well
2. 6FANDANGO DE CHASSY (FR) 9 11-4..(88) A Maguire
b g Brezzo (FR)-Laita de Mercurrey (FR) (Dom Luc (FR)) (Mrs L Wadham) held up, headway 11th, led briefly before next, outpaced 13th, rallied 3 out, stayed on under pressure (bet of £2,000-£600)
3. shd DELICEO (IRE) 9 10-4 .. (74) M Bradburne
br g by Roselier (FR)-Grey’s Delight (Decent Fellow) (M Sheppard) prominent, chased winner 3 out, soon ridden, stayed on same place from next
4. 11/4TIME TO PARLEZ 11 10-13 ..(83) R Thornton (C J Drewe) let 2nd to next, remained handy, ridden 8th, dropped rear 11th, rallied 2 out, hampered last, eased near finish
5. 9WOODLANDS BEAU (IRE) 10 11-11b(95) J P McNamara (R H Alner) held up, mistake 10th, headway next, led 12th to 14th, mistake 3 out, soon ridden, weakening when jumped slowly last
6. 26AUBURN SPIRIT 7 11-1 ..(85) D Creech (M D I Usher) chased leaders, mistake 6th, weakened 3 out
B. LOVABLE OUTLAW (IRE) 11 1-2tv ..(86) E Husband (Miss M E Rowland) chased leaders, hampered and brought down 7th
P. CHATERGOLD (IRE) 10 10-10 .. (80) Su Curran (P Wegmann) let to 2nd, led 3rd to 6th, led 9th to 11th, soon weakened, tailed off when pulled up before 14th
P. NATIVE ISLE (IRE) 10 9-9 oh4 .. (70) Mr D Crosse (5) (D J Caro) held up, always in rear, tailed off when blundered 4 out, pulled up before next
P. MAYBESEVEN 8 10-5 .. (75) J A McCarthy (M J Wilkinson) prominent, let 6th to 9th, led 11th , soon headed, weakened 14th, behind when pulled up before last
P. GARYHALOO (IRE) 9 12-0 b’ .. (98) B J Crowley (Miss Venetia Williams) held up in touch, mistake 4th, joined leaders 7th, dropped rear 11th, headway 13th, weakened approaching 2 out, behind when pulled up before last
P. THURSDAY-FOURBALL (IRE) 8 9-9 oh14 (70) M Foley (5) (R Curtis) held up, always behind, hampered 7th, blundered 9th, tailed off when pulled up before 14th
P. ELEGANT SPRITE 9 11-7 .. (91) W Marston (D J Wintle) held up, headway 7th, weakened 4 out, pulled up before next
13 ran TIME 7m 19.90s (slow by 58.30s SP TOTAL PERCENT

NON RUNNERS: Who Dares Wins (horse box broke down),
Sumboy (IRE) (horse box broke down)
1st OWNER: Mrs Dorothy E Quinn BRED: John Doyle
TRAINER: John A Quinn at Blackmiller Hill, Co. Kildare
2nd OWNER: C J Hays
3rd OWNER: The Blues Partnership

TOTE WIN £3.40; pl £1.80, £1.30, £2.00: ex £12.70: csf £12.62: tricast £74.66

ANALYSIS
This big field produced a strong pace. RIVER BUG had the race won starting uphill and impressed with his stamina as he came home strongest. He is moving to Jamie Poulton’s but he will race a Cheltenham (in the National Hunt Chase) still under John Quinn, who will also ride him. If these exertions do not prove too much, he is a strong contender for that race.

Poulton sets sights on the champagne

Harry Poulton, riding his fifth winner in all, went to the top of the Bollinger Champagne amateur riders’ series when clinching the latest round with an enterprising ride on Summer Cherry in the ten-furlong handicap, writes Tom O’Ryan.
The three-length winner is trained by Jamie Poulton, the rider’s uncle, who said: “Harry’s back with me after spending two years with Gary Moore, who gave him a great grounding. It would be fantastic if he could win this series, because he hopes to turn professional next year.”
Harry Poulton was quick to acknowledge the support he has had in the series, “I must thank Keith Ingram and John Roberts of Ormonde Racing not only for sponsoring me but also for giving me the opportunity to ride Summer Cherry this season. I’d also like to thank them for travel-ling so far in support of me both last week when we were second at Chester and this. Hopefully I justified their faith. I’d like to give Keith a special mention as he is my agent and has worked really hard this season booking
my rides.”

Bargain buy River Bug relishes stamina test

RIVER BUG bought almost as a second thought on a shopping trip to Ireland, proved himself a real bargain when landing a thrilling Hasseroder Southern National, writes Lee Mottershead.
Giving trainer Jamie Poulton his second big Fontwell win following Male-Ana-Mou’s success in the 2000 National Spirit Hurdle, River Bug made much of the running in the three-and-a-half-mile contest before holding the late charge of revitalised Garruth.
Winning joint-owner Keith Ingram had gone to Ireland earlier this year with the intention of purchasing a two year old but, on the advice of breeder John Quinn, came home with a staying chaser as well.
He said “Like only an Irishman can, John convinced me to buy this eight-year old point-to-pointer as, unlike the two-year-old, he was ready to go.
“We found a race for him at Towcester and landed a good gamble and then ran him in the four-miler at Cheltenham just for a day out.
“We’ve always had this race in mind as all he does is gallop and jump. He’ll have a deserved rest now.”
Poulton missed the race, preferring to cheer on Arsenal at Highbury, while River Bug’s rider Liam Cummins was completing a double, having earlier landed the novice hurdle on Johnlegood.

Racing Post

ANALYSIS
The drying ground meant this wasn’t quite the slog that had seemed likely in the morning, but the front two are proper stayers and had the contest between them for the final three-parts of a mile.

RIVER BUG went into the race quite unexposed under Rules. In his first season in Britain, having previously contested points and hunter chases in Ireland, he had been successful at Towcester on his British debut before having no chance at the weights in the four-miler at Cheltenham. Racing off an 18lb higher mark than at Towcester, he led for much of the contest and held off Garruth gamely after the last. His stamina came into its own as one by one they dropped away on the final circuit but, as much as anything, the gelding’s sound jumping won him the race.