Magic, our Maurice!
8th November 1991

Maurice Barnes saddled his first winner as a licensed trainer when Santella Bobkes won the novice chase at Hexham last Friday.

Maurice will always treasure the Yarridge Heights track.

As a raw amateur he rode Proud King to victory at Hexham nearly 25 years ago.

It was the first winner of a riding career, the highlights of which were victory in the 1979 Aintree Grand National on Rubstic and the Scottish National on Quick Reply in 1972.

The latter was trained by Harry Bell and Maurice rode reguarly both for Denholm trainer as well as partnering the horses trained by his father Tommy on his farm at Ousby.

Training

A crushing fall at Cartmel brought a premature end to Barnes' career in the saddle.

He has been training with modest success over the past three seasons frequently sending out horses to make the frame but finding outright victory elusive.

Santella Bobkes has been in this yard for under a year having been a useful hurdler with Guy Harwood for whom he won in good company at Wolverhampton in October 1989.

Sold for 6,000 guineas to West Cumbrian trainer Jack Birkett, Santella Bobkes slipped a tendon off his hock early last season but owner Gordon Campbell gave him to Barnes to see if he could manage to bring the gelding back to racing fitness.

It has been a remarkable feat of patience by Maurice to restore Santella Bobkes to a condition that has enabled him to run within 12 months of an injury which normally causes the end of a horse's racing career.

Santella Bobkes re-appeared at Sedgefield earlier in the autumn. He showed promise on his first two outings and his run at Hexham last week was the first time that Maurice Barnes had raced him over three miles.

The extra distance brought the gelding's stemina into play and despite a couple of sloppy jumps Santella Bobkes was always in command and ran on strongly in the home straight.

Barnes has seven horses currently in training and apart from his recent winner can look forward to further success from the likes of Dinsdale Lad, Lordship and Positive Action.

Dinsdale Lad lacks pace. His jumping can also be erratic but he has reached the frame on several occasions this season and ran well last time out when third to Just Frankie at Catterick.

Fashion

Lordship likes a sound surface but has had problems with his legs. Owned by Maurice's father-in-law, the former Cumbrian cricket captain Harold Millican, the gelding has plenty of ability.

If Maurice can work the oracle with Lordship in a similar fashion to his success

with Santella Bobkes the gelding should soon be in the winners circle.

Positive Action is a newcomer to the Little Salkeld yard having previously raced in Ireland. He has run two promising races at Sedgefield and Hexham weakening over the last two flights after showing up prominently.

Positive Action needed this experience and loks certain to improve.