Jewers captures Qatar Racing's 8 to Follow top prize
A holiday in New York is on the cards for David Jewers (right) after he scooped the £10,000 top prize in this year's Qatar Racing 8 to Follow competition, which ended yesterday.
A thrilling finish to the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot's QIPCO British Champions Day also impacted on the outcome of the competition, which is organised to generate funds for the charity Racing Welfare.
Before the QEII, Jewers from Chelmsford in Essex, led with 330pts, from second-placed Dhgdale Family on 310pts and a crop of other rivals sitting just behind many, including the first two, had gained 10pts thanks to Simple Verse's third in the QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup.
However, Jewers did not have Lightning Spear in his team, while most of his close rivals did, and that horse was about to run.
Lightning Spear ran a super race, finishing third, beaten half a length and a length by Minding and Ribchester, meaning he gained another 10pts for his stables. Had he won, Jewers would have fallen out of the top five, and if the horse had finished second, Dhgdale Family would have scooped the £10,000 top prize by finishing level on points, but with more wins from their horses during the season.
Jewers, an insurance broker, made the sensible decision to back Lightning Spear in case the horse spiked his place at the head of the table, but looking back on his selections, said: ‚"I tried to get a general spread of longer-distance runners and sprinters my two-year-olds didn't go so well, but the old stalwart Pallasator and Simple Verse did the job.
‚"It wasn't looking too good in the final furlong today, but the Godolphin horse [Ribchester] somehow found a bit more. I've owned horses in the past and take a keen interest in racing, but I've never won anything like this. It's been great fun following my horses through the season, although it only dawned on me a month ago that most of my rivals had similar horses and there weren't many that could take me out.‚"
Jewers plans to use some of his windfall to help son Charlie through university, but he and his wife are also thinking of that holiday across the Atlantic.
The runners-up, Dhgdale Family, gained that name through a slip of the finger when filling in the entry form they are Josh and Diana Dugdale, who win £5,000. Diana, who is a sister of David Redvers, was given some help with her selections, not by Qatar Racing's manager, but by her mother, Mary.
Diana said: ‚"My mother chose horses for me and Josh, for my sister Kate and for herself, but we got the lucky numbers [stable]. About a month ago she rang and said, 'check the website' when we were in fourth or fifth, but we knew Naval Warfare was about to run, and after we visited Andrew Balding's stables the horse ran and won that night, which lifted us up the table.
‚"It was close today, and I'd already spent the £10,000 in my head, but £5,000 is lovely I'm going to spend it on a lot of very nice Christmas presents. For myself!‚"
Rob Middlemiss from Galashiels in Scotland took £2,500 for coming third. He said: ‚"I took part in the competition last year, and was sent a reminder about this year's competition by email, so decided to have another go. At the finish it was all in the lap of the gods. I would have gone second if Lightning Spear had won today, but winning £2,500 is very nice and will pay off a few debts.‚"
Colin Dewynter held onto fourth and wins £1,000, while Simon Allen leapfrogged past Beck Styles to claim the £500 fifth prize thanks to Lightning Spear's 10pts.
Photograph of David Jewers: Laurence Squire