CLASHING with the sunshine tours, Morris EC’s Development Classic show was quieter than normal, but despite the lower entries and lack of atmosphere at times, the major classes and qualifiers were still great to watch offering some stiff competition.

It all came right on the final day for young James Whitaker who had been having a normal weekend with a few placings and some good rounds but by the Sunday, both his horses were ready for the final test of the show, the Grand Prix.

With £1000 to the winner and jumped over an A10 1.40m track it was no surprise that course designer Mark McGowan would set some questions in the shape of a few related lines, a loop back to a single oxer, an imposing combination across a diagonal and the last line finishing right at the exit to test their concentration until the end.

Six from an initial 19 left the fences up but Aimee Bell, winner of a 1.30m earlier in the show with Cameron Poe collected two time faults to stop them going against the clock.

Jonathon Dixon was having a great show with a new ride to him, the Belgian-bred son of Canturano, Gantico which started his weekend with a second in a 1.4m Open. This 11-year-old looks to be a handy addition to Jonathon’s string only just rubbing one out in this jump off to drop him to fourth.

James Smith has only just arrived home from his tour in Vilamoura where he was in the money on a few horses. His ride in this class was the chestnut Balibu but they too fell foul of a fence taking fifth place.

This left three to fight it out against the clock with James Whitaker having two of these and a man never to be discounted, Keith Shore also in the mix.

Glenavadra Brilliant is better known for his Hickstead Derby win with brother William on board, but this big Irish-bred gelding was very deliberate over every fence with James holding him off the first two parts of the combination ensuring a clear but not recording the quickest time (39.27) to settle for eventual third.

Keith Shore’s Mystic Hurricane has only been back in work after a break having competed at Aintree before heading here. Warming up with a fifth place in the previous night’s 1.35m Open, they moved on a bit to shave two seconds off James’ time.

The flashy grey Mersley Chakotay had jumped an amazing first round giving everything plenty of air but they had to take their time finding the distances short. Against the clock they took a stride less to a huge gold oxer, turned tight to the second fence and kept coming forward over the last line to take a stride out to the final upright to score a decisive win in 34.87.

This was their second Grand Prix win of the year following on from Aintree a few weeks earlier setting them up for their forthcoming trip to Lanaken.

The Winter Novice qualifier offered up a fast jump off with 51 starters being reduced to 24 who would go on to tackle a beefy second round against the clock.

A few opted to go steady leaving the fences up but nearer the end of the jump off things started hotting up.

James Smith was the first rider to break the 37 second barrier on Nigel Springer’s Formule 1 but later this was overtaken by Chris Smith on Clare Whitaker’s Kingstar.

Drawn near the end Alistair Gatherum was out for a qualifying ticket on his own G-Star.

Setting off sitting forward and letting this little bay by Emillion run on round his corners only adding a stride down the last line to stop the clock on an incredible 35.59.

This looked to be quick enough but Sophie Hillier had other ideas.

Riding her own flamboyant grey Stoney Raikes Gindy, 18-year-old Sophie set off in determined fashion using every inch of this lovely grey mare’s huge uphill canter to her advantage.

Bought from Sports Horse Continental’s Dawn and Donny Janciauskas as a four-year-old and produced herself this six-year-old by Carcina out of a Quality Time mare Sophie had travelled to the show with Dawn and Donny making it a real team effort.

Scottish rider Holly Miller scored yet another super win this time in the Winter B+C qualifier.

Riding Garry Charlish’s HHS Dramarko she beat 29 other combinations to return the quickest of four double clears over a substantial track to set a time that was to prove two seconds too fast for anyone else to catch.

This eight-year-old mare has been on fire recently having qualified for the Blue Chip Dynamic B+C at Morris a few weeks ago, then for the Foxhunter and Young Masters final at the Highland, plus jumping into fourth place the previous day in a 1.40m speed class.

Runner up but also qualifying was Manchester’s Chris Smith on Emily Whiteside’s stallion Warriors Glory.

Chris also filled fourth with Emily’s Bono, leaving Charlotte Arnold to split these two on Quinu De Pravia.

Durham’s Annabelle Shields continued her run of incredible form with another win this time in the 1.35m Open with the clear round machine that is her lovely grey Wet Wet Wet.

They stood over a second ahead of Carlisle’s Jonathon Dixon on Continio.

Jonathon made up for it by securing Winter Grade C qualification this time on his father David’s Zaligra H, a 10-year-old mare by Diamant De Semilly.

Bought out of Holland just a couple of months ago where she was jumping 1.20m classes, this lovely mare already has her foxhunter double clears with this her biggest test to date.

Paul Barker was busy teaching at Morris the Thursday before the show and showed how it should be done when he was in the money throughout.

Lux Fabulous accounted for one and some top three awards but it was her stablemate Sandors Legacy that scored a double when picking up £300 for a win in the 1.40m Open and another £150 for winning their second Winter 1.25m Qualifier this month.

Alex McHattie is always hard to catch so when she left the fences standing it was no surprise to see her qualify Rhodanites Rowanberry for the Blue Chip B+C finals.

Chasing her home was Iain Warnock on his grey Harperland Mickey Finn with Declan Irvine, Mystic Independence and Holly Miller and Felicio breathing down their necks.

LEADING awards

Morris Development Classic 2017 – Newcomers – 1, Kingstar, C Smith; 2, G-Star, A Gatherum; 3, Farianne, S Borthwick. Foxhunter – 1, Creevagh Tompico, T Whitaker; 2, Quito Du Buisson Z, A Yaqub; 3, Cassago, A Yaqub. 1.20m Open – 1, Keeford Carousel, D Irvine; 2, U2 II, P Barker; 3, Wyona, L Hutt. Blue Chip B+C – 1, Rhodanites Rowanberry, A McHattie; 2, Harperland Mickey Finn, I Warnock; 3, Mystic Independence, D Irvine. 1.30/Young Masters – 1, Cameron Poe, A Bell; 2, Lux Fabulous, P Barker; 3, Happy Boy, P Barker. 1.40m Open – 1, Sandors Legacy, P Barker; 2, Gantico, J Dixon; 3, Lux Fabulous. 1.15m Open – 1, Quito Du Buisson Z; 2, U2 II; 3, Bellisimo II, C Bolam. 1.25 Winter Qualifier – 1, Sandors Legacy’ 2, U2 II; 3, Keeford Carousel. 1.30m Open – 1, Lux Fabulous; 2, Sonata, A McHattie; 3, Monsoon Monday, J Rodney. Winter B+C – 1, HHS Dramarko, H Miller; 2, Warriors Glory, C Smith; 3, Quinu De Prava, C Arnold. Winter National1.35m – 1, Wet,Wet,Wet, A Shields; 2, Continuo, J Dixon; 3, Happy Boy. Newcomers – 1, Badgerhill Euro, A Grant; 2, Thornwood Vision, M Smith; 3, MC Diamond, R Williamson. Winter Novice – 1, Stoney Raikes Gindy, S Hillier; 2, G-Star; 3, Kingstar. RHS Foxhunter – 1, Cleopatra, K Connor Baillie; 2, JJ’s Prince Chaccomo, G Anderson; 3, Hitarco Versoe, A Gatherum. 1.20m – 1, Van De Bay Girl, J Smith; 2, Corgary Atoz, A Tough; 3, Ballyhane Etto, J Smith. Winter Grade C – 1, Zaigra H, J Dixon; 2, Creevagh Tompico; 3, Rubin VHS, A Shields. Grand Prix – 1, Mersley Chakotay, J Whitaker; 2, Mystic Hurricane, K Shore; 3, Glenavadra Brilliant, J Whitaker.