Report
from The Berkeley Hunt Point to Point meeting held at Woodford on Saturday 26th
April 2003
This was going to be a new venue for Ruth and I but a quick dash up the motorway (after getting out of Cornwall!) and a much shorter dash off the motorway and we were first to arrive at this very picturesque course. The signs that we met informed us that the entrance fee would be ten pounds per car and driver, five pounds for adults and children free. This appears to us to be very fair and prevents cars being overloaded and probably damaging their springs. The next bit did give us a shock though - the programmes were £2.50 and we have not had to pay that much before. The genial car parking staff ushered us to the top of the bank and we could see most of the course from here, the dog leg to the far right was out of sight but overall this is a beautiful location and on walking the course I thought it would race good to firm and had been prepared beautifully.
The first spectacle we were going to witness was the parade of the Berkeley hounds, by kind permission of Mr John Berkeley and the Joint Masters and they could be seen coming in from the far end of the course against the backdrop of the castle and culminating in the paddock. The information on this pack is so interesting that I have reproduced the page from the race card so just click on The Berkeley Hunt and all will be revealed. I still think ALL hunts should parade their hounds at P to P meetings and shame on them that do not!
Onto the racing - a six race line up and the atmosphere is great and hopefully the weather holds out for us. The first race - The Burges Salmon restricted race saw seven go to post with a clear favourite in the Dufosee's BEADNELL BAY to be ridden by the inform lady, 'Rilly' Goschen. The Jointly owned NORTHERN EDITION (G Barfoot-Saunt) took some of the money with the best turned out J Mann's SISSINGHURST STAR (T Mann) quietly fancied but I went along with the crowd on this one and took a sizeable bit out of the tin and whilst I was at the car doing this Ruth rushed in to grab the bag and did likewise. Whew! The Sampson's fortune all resting on one horse and a very talented jockey. Very nicely, the start is away to the left, then one fence and the field passes in front of the cheering crowd and go away down a long straight before disappearing out around a bend with one jump in it and then come back into view and can be seen coming down the four fence home straight. Rilly had BEADNELL BAY well positioned for the first circuit whilst the field was led by Julian Pritchard on Dr P Brown's SPRING CABBAGE with Mr & Mrs Faulks's BEACHTIME(N Mitchell) well in arrears as he had had a poor start. On passing the crowd with nine more fences to jump it was still Julian Pritchard leading on SPRING CABBAGE with Rilly still holding a good position in second place followed by Geoff Barfoot-Saunt on NORTHRN EDITION and the Mason's MASTER GRASS (P Mason). At the twelfth the field was reduced to five, SISSINGHURST STAR unseating and DERRYS PEROGATIVE (N Rudge)gave the wing a thump. Over the open ditch for the final time and SPRING CABBAGE was still leading the way from BEADNELL BAY and then NORTHERN EDITION and MASTER GRASS. BEACHTIME was still going but not in contention. Then came the news from the out of sight bend that SPRING CABBAGE had slipped up - (I do wish someone beside me wouldn't kick me when things like that happen in her favour!) and this left BEADNELL BAY leading the field and coming into sight and preparing for the home run with NORTHERN EDITION in second place followed by MASTER GRASS. BEACHTIME pulled up. We cheered this leader all the way home and the finishing distance was ten lengths to the good of NORTHERN EDITION and a further ten lengths back was MASTER GRASS. SPRING CABBAGE was a belated fourth. That is the way to start an afternoon's racing. Careful investment from here on in with 'their' money will see us out to dinner tonight - I thought!
There are perpetual challenge trophies and mementoes galore at this meeting with photographers in abundance in the enclosure. A lovely atmosphere with every one enjoying themselves. (You do it - (enjoy yourself) -so much better when a winner is involved!) Great to see Rilly Goschen keeping up her winning ways! She is not all that good at computing but I do know her boyfriend is so he will no doubt print a copy of this for her.
Race two is The Thomas Silvey Berkeley Hunt Race, the 'farmers' race. Fence three and eleven has been taken out of the circuit for the rest of the meeting. I attempted to get some more details about this but I was assured that it was not the fence that had the wing taken out but the spot where the tractor driver stopped to light a fag and forgot the water was still turned on and hence a damp patch has resulted. Safety first as always! Six to post with the best turned out Mr P Clifford's HEAVY HUSTLER (Miss A Clifford) a clear favourite of the investors. I will not be investing as the odds are far too cramped. I am choosing J Daniell's HOTTENTOT at a much better price and to be ridden by Polly Gundry to carry a very small amount from the tin. No form to write up about this so why do I choose it? Well the name O Bush as trainer, P Gundry at jockey and Mr Daniell whispered loud enough for me to hear that his horse would win was sufficient information for me to go against the punting public and choose this one. Off they go! Mr Cook's BLUE ROSETTE took up to lead and continued to do so for a while closely followed by the Allen's NORTHERN PRINCE , HEAVY HUSTLER and then Miss Houldey on her ZINGIBAR with Polly bringing HOTTENTOT along quite nicely. Out on their final circuit with eight more fences this order is maintained but things will no doubt change in the near future. Out into the country as the expression goes and the order is being maintained but they are closely grouped really. Mrs Wharton's EASTER ESCAPADE was making hard work of all this racing lark but Lucy Kerr looks as though she is enjoying it and why shouldn't she? With four fences left to jump it was still the veteran of the field, BLUE ROSETTE leading the bunch and proving he is not moody today as some would believe and the race for the line is truly on. At the second last it was HEAVY HUSTLER that had the edge over BLUE ROSETTE with HOTTENTOT close up in third. Now the shouting starts or really - increases! Come on Polly!!! It almost worked but the line came a little too quick and Anna Clifford pulled it off on HEAVY HUSTLER by three quarters of a length from Polly on HOTTENTOT with Nick back in third place a whole neck behind. That was really good and the ashen faces of those that invested at three to one ON now saw a little bloom returning and that expression which always greets a near thing - BUT she had plenty in hand! Believe me it was not in hand she wanted it! Slight depletion in tin!
Next to the intermediate. Eight runners with very varying degrees of form except J Callow's MR NABORRO (A Wintle) who really should find this no trouble. The nearest to this favourite is P Bevins's LE CURE (J Barnes) and then comes J Richardson's BORDER FARMER. A couple of runners at fourteen to one and a couple at thirty three to one. Off they go! Well grouped on reaching the second with BORDER FARMER showing the way. The circuit completed satisfactorily they went out into the country again with BORDER FARMER leading followed by LE CURE, the Fuller's BASINCROFT, MR NABORRO and C Green's MERRY SHOT.(J Snowden). Mr Leigh's THE RIGHT ATTITUDE (Jonathan Cook) did not have it today and was dropping out of the scene at this stage. On coming back to the home straight it was BORDER FARMER being pressed by LE CURE, MR NABORRO and MERRY SHOT, all in it if good enough! MR NABORRO jumping well but here comes MERRY SHOT to challenge for the lead. A good race here - with two to jump it was MERRY SHOT who was most prominent followed by MR NABORRO with BORDER FARMER beginning another challenge. A great race with MERRY SHOT prevailing by six lengths and a tighter finish for second which was taken by BORDER FARMER with MR NABORRO a neck away. A good race with a good pace and nothing for the favourite backers and at anything around fourteen to one there were only the bookies smiling. The tin is still intact though!
The Gerrard Ladies' Open race with good quality entries but doesn't that RIMPTON BOY look a picture. That can be said about a terrific amount of pointers but this one also races with great style. The favourite to take this, Mrs Hutchinson's horse is just an odds on and is surely good value for money. We will disregard the large 'R' in his form book but I did see a jockey at the entrance gate with his cap in the begging position which might be something to do with it! All quality runners with the best turned out the May's blinkered TICKERTY'S GIFT (Emma Tory) taking a little of my tin at twenty to one each way as his form is consistent having been in the frame in the last six runs, mind you, so have many of the others but there are no letters attached to the figures. Away they go! A good pace is achieved and my interest is up there along with W O'Brien's STEADY EDDY (Miss A De Lisle Wells) some fifteen lengths to the good. They led the field out on the final circuit in the lead but with a much diminished margin. Mr Evans's JOLITAN (Rilly Goschen) was the closest to these two leaders with RIMPTON BOY making good progress to get at them. Joy Chapman found the pace too hot and pulled up in rear. My concern failed to reappear from behind the trees and I was disappointed that he chose to lose me money and not let me see how he did it. I will remember that Emma! By the time they had reached the second last, RIMPTON BOY had taken command and established a good lead with JOLITAN in second and MISTER RF and R Bartlett's FAIR WIND (O Jenkins) close up. A very impressive winner with FAIR WIND getting up into second place but fifteen lengths behind Polly and JOLITAN was three quarters of length back in third place.
Now comes the Men's Open with five runners going to post. A clear favourite was soon established in H.Collins's NORTHERN DEAL (A Wintle) who certainly has the necessary form to win this easily. The winner of four points this year including opens! I will invest without the favourite BUT on whom? There are two other runners at six to one and two other runners at 33 to one so that has wittled it down to one of two 6 to 1 shots! Mrs Jones's MACY (Geof Barfoot-Saunt) and Mrs Pengelly and Mrs Stoneman's TELL TALE (J Pritchard) - both with form and with good pilots. How on earth do I select the one who is going to follow NORTHERN DEAL home or in fact - beat him! They will need to be at their best because according to my reckoning the race that will give me money is the race between TELL TALE and MACY. There is in the front of the Jimny in a secret pocket - a coin, which although not legal tender has been know to produce the outcome of many financial deals and most of them I have benefited from, like - it goes in a car wash, triggers the machinery to start and then returns itself to me as change. Now when you have a bargain instrument like that surely it will reveal the winner of a race between two good horses and provide a return of six to one. It will - tossed it - heads up -and the money in on TELL TALE! Off they went. The field was already beginning to get stretched as they went on to the open ditch with NORTHERN DEAL being followed by MACY and the other bringing up the rear, with best turned out SOLOMAN (Tom Bishop) finding this a struggle to compete. It was around fence eight that TELL TALE joined MACY in their pursuit of NORTHERN DEAL with A Walkins's STARCHASER (J Cook) still back in fourth. Coming into sight for the final time it was obvious that NORTHERN DEAL was not going to have this all his own way but it was NOT obvious which one of the following two were going to get at him first. Well it turned out to be a really good finish to a speedy three miles (6m 18 secs) and if you don't believe me I have a recording of a young lady standing practically on the roof of her vehicle behind me and calling her horse home in a voice just a shade higher than that of Vera Lynn and she witnessed her TELL TALE really getting at NORTHERN DEAL and just failed to do so by three lengths, MACY had not the finishing quality and was left a distance behind. STARCHASER did finish in fourth place. That was really good both for me and my tin but I believe the voice made all the difference.
We now have divisions of open maiden races and they were to put the icing on the cake for me and my tin. I have always thought that Nick Williams (the younger) was as good as his brother Christian and he backed me up in both these races when he took two horses without any other characters in their form book other than a 'p' into the winners enclosure. Firstly J Honeyball's KEITHO came home twenty lengths to the good of Count Goess-Saurau CARAT (Polly Gundry) with Mr P Ponting's STRONG FINISH (Mark Walters) in third a further eight lengths back and then in division two he brought home Mrs R Dickinson's LANDROVER by fifteen lengths with A Harris' MISS BIDDY in second and J Roberts's CELEBRATION MARCH (Polly Gundry) a length back in third. Thank you Nick and I suppose that the trainer of these two had something to do with it in it being one R Barber - well done!
Some heavy showers did not dampen the enthusiasm shown by this crowd, competitors or committee and a good day's racing was had and it will be B & B paid for and dinner out tonight. Shiraz for the lady and water for the driver.
One little bit of information for the Race Card committee. Instead of a blank page for 'Notes' could we have a nice drawing of the course like they do at Ston Easton; it helps me when I live it all again the next day. Thank you!
Down the motorway now, stop over at Ken, on to Axe Vale at Stafford Cross tomorrow. Life is just a great big bowl of cherries. BE THERE!
My mother taught me: HUMOUR
"When that lawn mover cuts off your toes, don't come
running to me."
Fred and Ruth
