At a recent day’s racing at Wincanton racecourse, local trainer, Charles Whittaker, from Frome, was running his five-year-old gelding, Garde Forestier. This was his second running, the first having been before Christmas in a hurdle race over nineteen furlongs, where he finished well down the field.
On this occasion, he was running in the Higos Insurance Services Wells National Hunt Novices hurdle race over a shorter distance of fifteen furlongs. The race tactics appeared to have been changed as the last time he ran, he was back in the field – this time, he was well up with the field but failed to improve position, finishing third in extremely testing conditions.
Charles said after the race he was pleased with the performance and would consider his options as to where he would run next. Enjoying the day at the races with Charles and wife, Hayley, who acted as groom for the day, was friend, James Waldron, from Paulton.
Rosie Sage