Young Harrison takes trio of pony victories on first outings

A BUDDING jockey has taken his first steps to fulfilling his dream after taking a hat-trick of pony victories at as many different Grade 1 tracks.

Harrison Salkeld started training with the North Herefordshire Pony Club once he was old enough, with the support of local trainers Tom Symonds and Clive Boultbee-Brooks.  

Last month he travelled down to Ascot and won his first ever race on his beloved little pony. It was an incredible experience for him to win at one of the greatest racecourses in the world, aged just nine, on a pony that had never raced before.

Next up it was Cheltenham, the big one as far as Harrison was concerned. The track where all his heroes rode. Harrison delivered a cool ride in a nail-biting finish to win on again.

Walking in to the much coveted winners enclosure with his grandparents and fellow pony club members there to support, was quite something for him.

Then we travelled to Haydock and Harrison only went and did it again, reeling in the leader late on to win by just a neck.

Winning three pony races on the trot in your first season of pony racing after recently turning 10 is no mean feat.

Meanwhile, there was a double for brother duo of Harry and Dan Skelton with wins of Riskintheground and Symbolic Spirit at Hereford Racecourses’ end of the spring season fixture last Friday night.

Riskinthground was sent off the even money favourite in the two-mile five-furlong race against three rivals and it was a business as usual as Skelton moved his mount up to challenge at the second last fence and despite a slight mistake they drew clear to win smoothly by two and a half lengths from Kauto the King.

The family double was completed later in the evening with the win of Symbolic Spirit in the two-mile handicap hurdle.

All was going to plan for Skelton as his mount moved into a slight lead at the second last hurdle but the challenging favourite Captain Attridge had overcome a mistake at the final hurdle and was challenging hard all the way to line, ridden by Lee Edwards, but Skelton’s mount held onto win by a diminishing length.

With Dan Skelton chasing the National Hunt trainers’ championship and his brother Harry the riders championship, the winners will set them up for the with Dan moving onto the 18th and Harry onto the 14th winner mark respectively.

The two-mile Handicap Chase saw the Matt Sheppard trained Famoso sent off a 3/1 favourite to record another course win but despite a valiantly attempt it was the Welsh trainer Christian Williams who sent out the winner Tonto Foley to win by three and three-quarter lengths with the 20/1 shot Ben Buie a further 10 lengths back in third place.