James Whitaker pilots Just Call Me Henry to Stoner success at Hickstead
Thursday 22 June 2023
Huddersfield-based James Whitaker won today’s opening international class at the Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby Meeting.
When James rode in for the Stoner Jeweller’s Vase on Just Call Me Henry, he did so without expectations – at just 8-years-old, the talented youngster – by James's uncle John Whitaker's former top ride Argento – was one of the less experienced horses in the class. Having been drawn sixth to go out of 46 entries, James had to rely on the original plan of action he’d made while walking the course to get the job done.
But that’s exactly what he did, and throughout the afternoon’s class in the International Arena, his fault-free and super-fast round put the pressure on everyone else, and none could better their winning time.
The gelding, who was bought as a 3-year-old from Murray McLeish, is “a fantastic horse” according to James. “He won the 7 and 8 Year Old class at the Royal International here last year, and so this year, I thought I’d try him in bigger classes and see how he gets on. He’s very, very good, but I don’t know how long I’ll be able to keep him, because there are so many people looking for very good horses at the moment!”
“I’m more happy for the horse than anything, as he’s only an eight-year-old,” he adds. “I didn’t think I was going to win it, to be honest, but he’s naturally quick. I didn’t know what he’d do when we got in there, so me and my brother made a little bit of a plan to do the turns and let him learn – and because he’s so quick, he exceeded what I was thinking he’d do.”
The Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby Meeting takes place from 22-25 June at Hickstead in West Sussex. Tickets are available online or at the gate, and the action will also be shown live on Hickstead.TV and ClipMyHorse.TV.
Image: Boots and Hooves Photography
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