Garden Party homes in on the finish line at Les Landes. (0796556)
THE Queen’s old horse, Garden Party, has won its first race for the Bougourds.
The chairwoman of the Guernsey Race Club, Ruth Bougourd, and her husband Tom recently purchased the five-year-old which was once part of the Queen’s extensive collection of horses.
The light-bay produced the goods for its new owners in the CI Champion Hurdle Meeting at Les Landes in Jersey when he won the fourth race on the card, the Plantagenet Handicap.
‘We were thrilled,’ said the daughter of Ruth and Tom, Jackie Brehaut, who helped look after Garden Party on the day.
‘It’s nice to get one over Jersey.’
Garden Party started the six-horse race off the pace as two horses went off ahead.
With only two furlongs left of the one mile and 100-yard race, he looked out of the running, but from nowhere he came from behind to cross the finishing line first by three-quarters of a length.
The victory saw the Bougourds collect the Superensis Perpetual Trophy and £600 prizemoney.
Fellow Guernsey horse, Genane, which is owned by local bookmaker, Trevor Gallienne, came home in third place.
Garden Party was ridden by trainer Venetia Williams jockey, Rob Kirk.
This year’s Grand National winning jockey, Liam Treadwell, also rides for top trainer Williams and he also rode Garden Party at the horse’s first outing for the Bougourds at the GRC annual meeting on L’Ancresse in May, where he came third in the SG Hambros Handicap.
Article posted on 27th June, 2009 - 2.29pm
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