Gammon, a 21-year-old veteran in semi-retirement and now more usually ridden by his daughter Louise, provided John Whitaker with the second Hickstead Derby win of his career yesterday after a vintage showdown which will be remembered as one of the most exciting in the 38-year-history of the event.
In an almost identical replay of the showdown for the Boomerang Derby trophy in 1995, Whitaker and Gammon faced the Irish course specialists and two-time winners, Captain John Ledingham and Kilbaha, in a jump-off for the Peugeot spoils, and this time it was Whitaker who prevailed, winning the 70th car of his career at the expense of the Irishman, who has never won one.
Whitaker's chances to holding on to the car keys appear to be slim, however. "It looks like I'll have to give it to Louise, after all she loaned me the horse, but first she'll have to pass her test," he said to the delight of his 18-year-old daughter, who rode Gammon to third place in the Queen Elizabeth Cup at this venue last month.
Whitaker and Ledingham were the only ones from a field of 31 runners to succeed in conquering the massive, 16-fence Derby track in conditions made more difficult by unrelenting rainfall. Although Whitaker has not ridden Gammon since their relegation here at the hands of Ledingham three years ago, the partnership showed few signs of rustiness, apart from a worrying moment when the bay banked the privet oxer, fence six.
However any hopes Whitaker may have harboured of enjoying an uncontested victory were scuppered by Ledingham and Kilbaha, whose first round performance was one of the most polished and confident of their illustrious career in this arena, their zero score forcing a jump-off.
Opening the jump-off just moments after completing the marathon first round track with his second horse, Whitaker hardly had time to draw breath. But despite the demands on his fitness, Whitaker was on cue for another clear round until Gammon connected with the first of the rustic rails at the infamous Devil's Dyke, to give Ledingham a fence in hand.
But whatever battle plan the army man may have had in his head, the plot altered dramatically when Kilbaha hit the first fence. "He was just about to take off when he slipped up, both front feet went from under him and we were lucky not to tip up," Ledingham revealed.
This development left Ledingham with no option but to throw caution to the wind in an attempt to make it to the finish line in a time faster than Whitaker's. But despite a heroic effort, the Irishman crossed the line exactly a second off Whitaker's pace. "I had a look at the clock as I jumped the second last fence, took a check, and he came back to me too much - I shouldn't have taken that pull," he said ruefully.
Peter Charles also had cause to regret a moment's hesitation which resulted in Traxdata T'Aime taking a second look at the fence on top of the Derby Bank, a mistake which dropped him to equal fifth position. Ledingham also finished in the money with Millstreet Ruby, equal 10th on 12 faults.
