When Tom Foley first came over from Ireland to ride jump races in America more than eight years ago, he had a lot of enthusiasm for the sport even though he was short on experience. That passion has not waned, and as the 25-year-old took his last jump ride in the International Gold Cup timber, he ended his riding career with a bang.

Riding Fields Of Omagh for owner-trainer Randolph Rouse, Foley avoided trouble in a race plagued by falls and stole home the winner in the feature of the International Gold Cup meet, The Plains, Va., Oct. 15.

Foley set his sights early on this trophy by winning at the Thornton Hills Point-to-Point (Va.), then at the Virginia Fall Races two weeks later.
But the horse would have some serious company to contend with on the lush Great Meadow course. Ten horses started the 31/2-mile timber race, which included luminaries such as the 2003 Gold Cup winner, Lord Kenneth (Matt McCarron) and his stablemate, the 2004 Gold Cup winner, Chinese Whisper (Christopher Read).

Trainer Jack Fisher decided to ride his own charge, Brick’N Brew’s Sham Aciss, and he also entered the German-bred Mr Bombastic (William Dowling). Rounding out the field were Augustin Stables’ Pleasant Parcel (Stewart Strawbridge), a veteran timber stakes horse, Irvin S. Naylor’s Salmo (Paddy Young), EMO Stable’s Fast Steppin Man (Carl Rafter), the highly regarded Augustin Stables’ Ghost Valley (Jody Petty) and Calvin Houghland’s Chef Bear (Zach Miller).

At flag fall Fisher urged Sham Aciss to take the lead. Ghost Valley and Pleasant Parcel followed him, and the rest of the field settled in behind, biding their time. The war of attrition started at Fence 6, when Salmo chipped in and fell. Next to go was Sham Aciss at Fence 10. At this point, Ghost Valley, Chinese Whisper, and Fields Of Omagh inherited the lead.

On the backside of the course at Fence 15, Chinese Whisper and Read went down, causing Mr Bombastic to fall over them. Fields Of Omagh and Ghost Valley hooked up and jumped together at the water jump, but the pair separated at Fence 17 when Ghost Valley went for a long spot and flipped.

Now it was just Fields Of Omagh and Lord Kenneth looking for the wire. Fields Of Omagh took an awkward last fence, recovered, and Foley gunned for the finish, winning by 6 lengths. Lord Kenneth held steady for second, and Fast Steppin Man was the final finisher. Chef Bear and Pleasant Parcel both pulled up.

Out of the five falls, Read had the only real injury with a sprained ankle. Fisher sustained a small cut on his nose and a veteran’s bruised pride.

“I saw a long one and he chipped in,” he said of his mistake. “I should have just sat still.”

Lucky Or Good?
Foley knew before the race started that the horses he was up against were all potential winners.

“All of the horses I was worried about seemed to keep disappearing,” Foley said. “I was like ‘God, where are they?’ I didn’t want to be out in front too soon, but then there I was.”

As for the jockey’s retirement, he has no regrets. “I am glad this is my last ride over jumps,” Foley said “I have had a lot of fun and ridden a lot of great horses. But I have three lovely babies and a beautiful wife now, and I am happy to go home to them and just train horses.”

Rouse, 88, who is also the MFH of Fairfax Hunt (Va.), tried to avoid running and training Fields Of Omagh on the hard ground all summer. He found swimming was the best way to get the 10-year-old gelding fit.

“He swam at the Middleburg Swim Center [Va.] on Thursday before the race,” Rouse said. “Sixteen times around. It seems to be the best thing for him.”

This is not the first time Rouse has hoisted the International Gold Cup trophy over his head. He won this race in 1958, when it was over hurdles and held at the Rolling Rock (Pa.) meet. Hall of Fame jockey Joe Aitcheson rode Rouse’s Curly Joe for the win.

Rouse bought Fields Of Omagh from Zohar Ben-Dov of Kinross Farm last year. “Well, I am sure they are sorry they sold him to me,” Rouse said after beating the former owner. “Wouldn’t you be?”

A Threesome
Pennsylvania trainer Jonathan Sheppard also had a banner day at the Great Meadow course, winning three races, including the $25,000 Steeplethon with Foiled Again (James Slater) for owner William L. Pape.

The Steeplethon is run over mixed obstacles, including hurdles and timber, coops and walls and enormous Aintree-style natural brush hedges. The race also includes a shallow, large expanse of water the horses must run through. Some trainers find it hard to train for this race, and Sheppard is no exception.

“It was rather unusual how we did it,” Sheppard said. “We prepped him by running him in the amateur hurdle at the Virginia Fall races and he just got beat. We were second to Lord Zada [a veteran stakes horse].

“We have been schooling a lot over timber since last January. James has done most of the work. He has had a lot of jumping, and to be honest I am a bit chicken about timber. I can’t find enough excuses not to run it, but with the year almost over I thought we better do something.”

Among Sheppard’s three wins were two ridden by Danielle Hodsdon. Also owned by Pape, Free Admission won the $25,000 allowance hurdle over Sarah Jeffords Radcliffe’s Thegooddieyoung (Robert Bennett).

Sheppard didn’t think his homebred was going to be in the top three at the end, and he credited Hodsdon with the good ride.

“I kind of gave up on him at the last two fences, but then there he was again,” he said. “He is sort of a big baby. He shakes and sweats with nerves a lot before his races. Today he was quite a bit better about all that so he had more left at the finish. Usually he is pretty rung out before the race even starts.”

Sheppard’s first win of the day came with another homebred named Luongo for owner Lucy Lindsay. With Hodsdon in the irons, he took the lead and never looked back to win the maiden hurdle.

“I was kind of surprised he got to the lead like that,” Sheppard said. “I had suggested to Danielle that she stay up close because he doesn’t have a lot of acceleration. I think he just got a good break and no one went to take over.”

Hodsdon’s third win on the day was for trainer Ricky Hendriks with Swoop And Soar. The horse was disqualified from first at the Virginia Fall Races for interference, and his connections were looking for a little vindication. They found it in the $25,000 Sport of Kings claiming
hurdle.

“The horse definitely deserves this win,” Hodsdon said. “I had never sat on him before today in a race. I know he likes to be on the front end. I just didn’t want him to be too keen and wear himself out. An older horse like him, one who has been around and knows their job, likes a girl’s touch, somebody gentle not beating them up.”

Hodsdon was thrilled with her three wins. “This is the first time I believe I have gotten three jumping race wins anywhere,” she said. “It’s been a fantastic day.”