A hat-trick for Doug White

BEAUFORT farmer Doug White captured his “home” hunt race, the Yeomanry Ride, aboard Fil D’Ariane, having led the 32-runner field throughout.

- By CATHERINE AUSTEN

Doug, who is responsible for preparing the track for this circular race, pulled off a remarkable hat-trick in the process: he also won the Grand Military Cup at Sandown in January and the members’ race at the Beaufort point-to-point in March on the 10-year-old son of Gris De Gris.

“He’s a cool horse – very straightforward and a seriously good jumper. He does everything as fast as he can and is brave as a lion,” said Doug, for whom it was a third win in the Yeomanry Ride, having taken it in 2019 and 2014.

Fil D’Ariane is “pretty hairy” to hunt, but Doug can lead the ponies from him and he lives in a barn with Doug’s cows. If the pair can win an open point-to-point or finish in the top three in a hunter chase, a shot at the Foxhunters’ at Aintree would be on the cards after another go at the Grand Military.

A length behind was the Heythrop’s Maurice Linehan and his Cottesmore Scurry winner Heros De Romay.