MALVERN, Pa.--Ricky Hendriks saddled his mother Wendy's Surprising Soul to win the $50,000, G3 National Hunt Cup at the Radnor Hunt Races on May 19, and then in the next race returned to the winners circle with Rosbrian Farm's Cheers to Us in the $25,000 Overnight Handicap.

Wendy Hendriks With those two wins, Hendriks moved to the top of the Trainer - Money Won category with $336,650, but he remains behind Jonathan Sheppard in Trainer - Races Won, with 10 wins to Sheppard's 11.

"This is the first time I've led in Money Won," said Hendriks. "I have a great team behind me, and I have great owners."

Eve Ledyard gallops many of Hendriks horses, and Ross Geraghty is the regular jockey on many of his horses.

Surprising Soul, ridden by Geraghty, won by 10 3/4 lengths over Irvin Naylor's Bobabout (Ire), trained by Cyril Murphy and ridden by Daren Nagle.

 

"I WAS AT a sale in Kentucky, and I saw this horse, and I said `I have to have this horse,'" said Wendy Hendriks. "This wasn't his biggest win. He won the Marcellus Frost Novice at Iroquois last year."

Ross Geraghty and Wendy HendriksWhile the Iroquois race was worth $100,000, this was Surprising Soul's first win in a graded stakes.

"I had him all winter, turned out at my place, when we gave him some time off," said Wendy. "He's a nice horse, but he's strong to lead."

Radnor was held on a chilly, grey, soggy day with periods of light rain, but despite the conditions still drew a big crowd.

"This horse has run before in deep going, and he did very well," said Ricky. "He's been training terrific. "He won a nice flat race at a hunt meet.  Eve rode him, and she stood up in the stirrups after he won, and he ran off with her."

"I told Ross that I was adamant that he not  put this horse on the lead, even if you have to jog off at the start," said Ricky. "I'm usually a little loose with directions, but not this time. He hasn't run over fences since last fall."

Ricky Hendriks, son Parker and Eve LedyardRosbrian Farm's Cheers to Us, trained by Hendriks and ridden by  Geraghty, won the $25,000 James M. Moran, Jr. Overnight Handicap by 17 lengths over Naylor's Mathayus (Ire), trained by Murphy and ridden by Graham Watters.

George Mahoney, owner of Rosbrian Farm, was unable to attend the races, so Hendriks reported the race fence by fence to him over the telephone, with his voice rising in excitement as  Cheers to Us drew off to an ever increasing lead in the stretch.

"We bought this horse last fall from Arlington race track," said Hendriks. "He broke his maiden at Foxfield. He's run three times over fences, and he's won twice and been second. He's a wonderful horse, very easy going."

"I love him," said Ledyard. "He was made to be a jumper. He can run forever. He still thinks this is interesting."

 

SHEPPARD, WHO had only one entry at Radnor, just missed a win in the first race, a $35,000 Allowance, when he saddled Hudson River Farm's Snuggling, ridden by Nagle, to just get beaten in the stretch by less than a 1/2 length, to finish third to  Colvin Ryan's Hoppala (Ire), trained by Julie Gomena and ridden by Shane Crimmin, who won by a nose over Mrs. S.K. Johnston's Set to Music, trained by Kathy Neilson and ridden by Jack Doyle.

Jack Doyle and Elizabeth VossUnsinkable (Ire), owned by Robert Kinsley, trained by Elizabeth Voss and ridden by Doyle, won the $35,000 Allowance Hurdle by 5 3/4 lengths over Serendipity Stable's Dark Gemini, trained by Jack Fisher and ridden by Willie McCarthy.

"He always been a lovely horse," said Voss. "He's a lovely jumper. I've had him for three years. We bought him at Newmarket. He was a nice flat horse. He'd only run once  over hurdles over there."

"He was a little hot-headed, but we got that worked out," said Voss. "He's always been a talented horse."

Naylor's top Man Michael, trained by Murphy and ridden by Nagle, won the $30,000 Radnor Hunt Cup Timber Stakes by 4 lengths over Upland Partners' Mystic Strike, trained and ridden by Mark Beecher.

Woodsland Farm's Pik Em, trained by Fisher and ridden by McCarthy, won the $20,000 Maiden Claiming Hurdle by 10 1/2 lengths over Donna Rogers' Tambourin, trained by Neil Morris and ridden by Michael Mitchell.