5/1/99: Mary Reveley's bid to set a modern day record of eight successive jumping winners was thwarted in the opener at Catterick today, but normal service was resumed when she made it nine out of 10 with her next two runners.
The Saltburn trainer had been successful with her final representative of 1999 and followed that with a double at Uttoxeter on Sunday and a four-timer at Musselburgh yesterday with her only runners of the New Year before today.
Ironically the Mother Goose Novices' Hurdle was split at the overnight stage and Mrs Reveley's entries Roveretto and Rum Baba were drawn in separate divisions.
Unfortunately Rum Baba's race was the first on the programme and the Peter Savill-owned gelding never gave any hope of extending his trainer's sequence, eventually coming home last of the 10 finishers behind Pendant.
Half-an-hour later Roveretto won the second division in comfortable fashion by three-and-a-half lengths from Royal Tipple under Alan Dempsey and Mrs Reveley said with a smile: "I should have withdrawn Rum Baba!
"I am not disappointed, it doesn't bother me to be honest, pressure like that never worries me - as long as the horses are running well and are all right that is all that bothers me. It was remarkable to have seven in a row and it was good while it lasted."
The one negative feature of Mrs Reveley's great run is the absence of stable jockey Peter Niven who broke a bone in his neck last month and she went on: "I am gutted for him, and it happened on a horse which was brought down.
"It is so frustrating for him, he can't even drive and I don't think even he knows when he will be back. We are very lucky to have Alan Dempsey and Tony Ross riding for us."
Mrs Reveley and Dempsey teamed up to complete a short-priced double in the Robinson Crusoe Novices' Chase with Woodfield Gale, who stayed on too strongly for Mr Mahdlo to win by two lengths.
Mrs Reveley added: "He was a bit unlucky at Musselburgh, he just over jumped a bit really. He is not that big but he will get stronger as he gets older an will probably be better on better ground."
She had two more runners during the afternoon House Of Dreams finishing second in the handicap hurdle, and Woodfield Ride who was only eighth in the Peter Piper Novices Hurdle.
The Kevin Morgan stable was dealt a cruel blow when Pontevedra died after a fall at Musselburgh yesterday but Pendant lifted the spirits a little when gaining his first success in division one of the Mother Goose Novices' Hurdle.
Pendant was ridden by Adie Smith and before he and Morgan dashed off to Leicester where they completed a 54\-1 across-the-card double with Welsh Mountain, the trainer said: "Another horse jumped on Pontevedra after she fell. She haemorrhaged and died after being taken to the veterinary hospital in Edinburgh. This has made up for it a little bit."
Reggie Buck is proving something of a bargain and recorded his second win from only three starts since being bought for 2,000 guineas out of the Jimmy Harris stable in November when taking the Tote Bookmakers Hurdle (Showcase Handicap) by three lengths from House of Dreams.
The six-year-old finished runner-up on his only other outing since joining John Mackie and had been ridden each time by conditional Brian Reel but Seamus Durack took over this time.
Mackie explained; "Brian has done a very good job on the horse and rides him very well but as it was a Showcase race today we felt we would go for an experienced jockey on him."
Mick Fitzgerald broke new ground as the Jonjo O'Neil trained Cambrian Dawn gave him his first winner at Catterick in the Peter Piper Novices' Hurdle after which the jockey said: "Musselburgh and Perth are the only two courses left where I haven't ridden a winner."
Course and distance winner Castletown Count jumped well for Tony Dobbin on his way to a five-length victory from Girondin at 10-11 in the Hans Christian Anderson Handicap Chase.
Trainer Mick Easterby was moved to remark: "That was my first bet for four months!"
