Just a day after Newmarket's Craven meeting confirmed that the new flat racing season has arrived, Bath Racecourse cut the ribbon to its first fixture of 2013.
With the grandstand ruled out of action on health and safety ground, course officials were pensive as to how this would affect attendance numbers at the opening Friday night fixture. They need not have worried.
A sizeable crowd filed through the gates on a chilly spring evening to witness the seven-race card that included the Listed Landsdown Fillies' Stakes as the feature.
Bath's season opened with a victory for Hungerford-based trainer Clive Cox and stable jockey Adam Kirby. Possibly the most visually impressive winner of the evening, Beldale Memory dictated terms up front under Kirby before showing a lovely turn of foot to kick clear from the rest of the field with one-and-a-half furlongs to run, going on to score readily by two-and-a-half lengths, The firm favourite, Beau Nash, of the Hannon stable, finished a clear second with Ed McMahon's Capitulate completing the placings.
The same duo, Cox and Kirby, were to go on to bigger and better things when the new stable recruit, Place In My Heart, fought off allcomers to land the feature race of the night.
Jumping to the lead alongside Andrew Balding's Swansong and the well-tried Jwala in the the Landsdown Fillies' Stakes, Place in My Heart stayed with the pace as the pressure was turned up two furlongs from home and defied all comers to battle on to victory and land some valuable black-type ahead of fast-finishing favourite Caledonia Lady and Bryan Smart's Excellette.
As well as collecting third in the Landsdown, Smart had earlier tasted success in the Bathwick Tyres Handicap. Space Artist, under Tom Eaves, made all the running - which was to be the theme of the night - and landed a battle-hardened, gritty victory for connections.
Space Artist seemed to be under pressure a long way from home but to the gelding's credit, he fought and fought, going on to win by the barest of margins from the swooping duo of Small Fury and Shrimpton.
Mick Channon saddled an obligatory Bath winner with the speedy Shore Step saluting in the second on the card.
In another one-paced affair, Martin Harley took up the running with Shore Step, who was matched stride for stride by race favourite, Zhiggy's Stardust. As Zhiggy Stardust began to tire at the one-furlong marker, Shore Step found a touch more in the tank and accelerated clear of the field, allowing Harley the luxury of easing the gelding down close to the line with Dilgura and Assertive Agent staying on well for second and third respectively.
The fifth race on the card, the Bathwick Tyres Bristol Fillies' Handicap, was dominated in the betting by Sir Henry Cecil's sole runner on the card, Running Deer, who was sent off a 2/1 favourite.
However, it was to be a brilliant performance in the saddle that dominated the outcome of the race as Rosie Jessop gave an exhibition in front-runner riding. Her mount Boonga Roogeta bounded to the lead and remained there from the barriers to the finish line.
Jessop set a fair tempo on Peter Charalambous' charge and had the field well strung out rounding the turn. Entering the home straight proper, it looked for all money as if they chasing pack would catch Jessop but Boonga Roogeta kept finding. As Moment in Time attempted to draw alongside for one final challenge, Jessop gave her mount one more push, letting Boonga Roogeta forge another margin clear and go on to score an impressive win.
Favourite backers had to wait until the penultimate race on the card to find a winner. Apprentice Michael J Murphy settled Our Folly at the rear of the field before forging out into the clear after rounding the home turn. Initially struggling to pick up, Our Folly slowly found his stride and began to erase the margin that long-time leader Fuzzy Logic had put on the field.
As the shadow of the post loomed large, Our Folly clawed home by a neck and finally gave the punters, and trainer Stuart Kittow, something to smile about on what had been a night for the bookmakers.
Having struggled to have found a winner for six races, the favourite backers were rewarded for their patience with a second well-fancied horse securing the final race on the card - again by the barest of margins in a dramatic photo.
The well-bred Chosen One, of the Ruth Carr stable, tracked the leaders before pulling out into the clear a furlong from home. Similar to Our Folly in the previous race, Chosen One was slow to take his stride before sweeping down the outside to deny Where's Reiley, who had led up until the dying stride. Molly Jones, under Liam Keniry flew home late for third in an eye-catching run and could be one to follow next time out.
It was a fantastic evening of racing at Bath who did a grand job in accommodating the crowd, despite not having use of the Grandstand. It was a fabulous sight to see the available enclosures busy and the betting ring full of life and this can only be a positive for the racing industry.
Bath will race again on Tuesday, April 30, with the action beginning at 2.20pm.
