Mike Cattermole column: Reaction to Waiting Patiently's victory and Nicola Currie's rise to fame

GIRLS ALOUD!

The fact that Nicola Currie is employed by Richard Hughes tells you all a lot about how promising the Isle Of Arran-born apprentice must be.

In fact, Nicola hasn't ridden much for her boss lately but she is in much demand by others and three different trainers helped her towards her first treble at Chelmsford City last Thursday night.

Mike Murphy, Mark Usher and Phil McEntee were all grateful to the 5lb claimer who shone under the floodlights and left the best for last when bringing home the McEntee-trained Spare Parts to beat the Adam Kirby-ridden Mercury by a neck.

What with Josephine Gordon riding over 100 winners last year, Hollie Doyle continuing to punch well above her teeny 7st 7lb frame and Bryony Frost continuing to excel over the jumps, it is great to see the fairer sex doing so well right now.

It could always be better of course. On the list of apprentices licensed to ride until the end of last year, 49 of them are women but not all of them are finding rides, let alone winners, easy to come by. Indeed of those 49 names, 10 of them have now handed in their licence.

They include Sophie Killoran and Shirley Teasdale who both found they weren't getting the number of rides they had hoped for.

Lulu Stanford also appears on the "relinquished" list but news emerged this week that she has decided to accept a job as stable apprentice to none other than Gai Waterhouse down in Australia. Small wonder she has decided to remain there for the time being.

McENTEE WORKING HIS MAGIC

Phil McEntee, who trained Spare Parts to record a quickfire four-timer at Lingfield this week, is continuing to make a deserved name for himself at succeeding where others have failed.

Spare Parts, who attempts the five-timer back at Chelmsford on Thursday night, was bought by the Newmarket trainer as an 11-race maiden from Charlie Hills for a mere 2,000gns at the horses-in-training sales.

McEntee acknowledges that those he buys have some sort of physical and/or mental problem but believes in getting the mind right in a horse first and makes a point of turning them out all together in the same field. It clearly leads to happy – and sound - horses.

Not wishing to single out Charlie Hills, McEntee has also done really well with a horse formerly trained by none other than Aidan O'Brien.

A son of Galileo, London was a 300,000gns foal who came to McEntee costing a tenth of that as a three-year-old just over a year ago and is now on a career-high mark of 91 after winning the feature handicap at Southwell last week.

I don't think it is any coincidence that McEntee also oversaw the incredibly long career of Jonnie Skull who retired last year after an incredible 205 races.

WAITING PATIENTLY LOOKS A REAL STAR

I got a real buzz from watching Waiting Patiently overcoming his stiffest task to date at Kempton last Saturday. He dismissed a high-class field with ease.

Brian Hughes rode him with incredible confidence and I thought he jumped superbly and loved the way he moved through the race - pure class.

I am sure there is more to come for Malcolm Jefferson (who doubled up with Black Ivory 20 minutes later at Warwick) and the son of Flemensfirth looks perfect for a race like the Ryanair Chase in around eight weeks' time.

He is a best-priced 10/1 for that. Sky Bet offer 6/1 NRNB which is worth considering with his trainer sometimes preferring options at Aintree.

I do hope he shows up and can't wait to see him take on the defending champion Un De Sceaux who has the big chase at Ascot this Saturday at his mercy.

KEN HIGSON WAS A CHARACTER, ALL RIGHT

Ken Higson, who died this week at the age of 77, had a great run of success as an owner under both codes.

His colours of blue, white cross of Lorraine, red cap and white spots became very familiar and were carried to victory by some good horses, such as Karinga Bay, Quakers Field and Roll A Dollar.

In the early and mid-1990s, Ken was a regular on the southern circuit. A hugely successful businessman who made his fortune in the pharmaceutical industry, you would never know all that from looking at him. Usually in need of a good shave, he seemed to relish his scruffy image.

He adored his racing, treated everybody alike and loved a chinwag. That said, he was not the easiest to chat with as he invariably had something to say and made sure that he said it! "Are ya with me?" he would say.

Ken also had a mischievous sense of humour and thoroughly enjoyed winding up us commentators by choosing names for some of his horses that are well worn catchphrases, such as One Off The Rail.

He was certainly a man of principle who had no qualms about protesting, along with Barney Curley, about what he deemed was poor prize money. He famously instructed then jockey Gary Moore not to start a race on board the favourite, Across The Card, at Fontwell in 1992.

He paid up his fines straight away and had made his point.

MATT CHAPMAN WAS ON THIN ICE

It's a quiet time of the year right now – and some would say quite boring too - which is why Matt Chapman's dismissal after one outing on Dancing On Ice got so much publicity last week.

I don't doubt that it was a setback for Matt - who craves the limelight - but his agent Peter Burrell confirmed that the contract had been fully honoured by ITV so that would have been some comfort.

I feel sorry for Matt as nobody, except perhaps in exceptionally offensive circumstances, should ever get the sack like this after just one performance. I confess to not seeing it, but it seems that the producers weren't happy at some of the feedback they received. Oh dear!

What happened to a good old-fashioned quiet word of advice? "Hey Matt, you’re doing okay but why not try this…?" etc, etc.

You should always back your man, so maybe with a team like this behind him, Chappers was on thin ice to start with.

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