Report
from the Cotley Hunt Point to Point meeting held at Cotley Farm, on Monday 5th
May 2003.
On arriving at Cotley the first thing that enhanced our days enjoyment was the beautiful race card designed to celebrate the fifty years at Cotley of P to P racing. A good layout, lovely photographs, a lovely two page history of the course AND in FULL colour. A good keepsake and a credit to the organisers. More sunshine and the course walk was a real pleasure. Plenty of grass and I expect this course to be good to firm for racing.
The spectacle of three packs of hounds being paraded on this course was a truly wonderful sight. The white hounds of the Cotley hunt preceded the darker shade of the Seavington and then came the East Devon. The view of the mixed packs following their huntsmen galloping down the slope and up the far side was one not often seen these days and will live with me forever. Some of the mounted followers dared to risk a go at fence number one and the crowd witnessed success (by some!) and cheered accordingly.
Seven races are programmed and The Beviss and Beckinsale Cotley Hunt Members', Subscribers' and Farmers' race is the first one and there will be three runners going to post. The favourite is Miss Burrough's PARK END (M Sweetland) who has a consistant form this season but not having won any. Second favourite is the Symes's CASTLE AVENUE (J Barnes) with plenty of letters in his form guide and thirdly there is the Greenwood's best turned out SUMMER PUDDING (J Snowden). Well it was an uneventful race and a steadying starter for the day. The result was as the punting arena forecasted and the favourite PARK END led practically from flag fall to finish and won by one and half lengths with CASTLE AVENUE in second some twenty lengths to the good of SUMMER PUDDING. I had nothing to collect but would you believe it, the bag was open and a small deposit made within. Well done Ruth!
The second race is an open maiden race for five, six and seven years old and Ruth came across details in the card which made her go reasonably early to the investors area. She had spotted a five year old owned by Miss V M Williams and trained by a Mrs R Vickery and to be ridden by Alex Charles-Jones and also came into that class that carries form which says -No known assessable form! On went her money at eight to one as it was obvious to us that Miss V M Williams was none other than Venetia Mary Williams (father and grandfather hunted the Four Burrow Hounds down here in Cornwall and in fact Venetia Mary rode point to point here in Cornwall- so there!) National Hunt trainer and I think the name of Vickery has also attachments to the Williams' training establishment and the jockey needs no introduction except to say he is Ruth's favourite. So RISINGTON has got quite a little bit of the bag on his back. I thought I would also like some of this and put my money on Williams but too late, I found I had made a mistake and the Williams that would be carrying my money was Nick Williams riding M Coughlan's MIMAN JAMES but being as he is trained by one R J Barber I dare not change my investment. Besides being the best turned out he was sent off at five to one. The favourite was Tabitha Cave on Mr Whitley's GLENGARRA with many challenging for the second favourite spot including MIMAN JAMES. Off they go and it was a lovely sight on this course to watch them go along the top of the far straight and settle down to racing. Before a circuit had been completed the Snowden's PHARSHU fell leaving RISINGTON with the advantage over MIMAN JAMES then came GUNNERS MISTAKE (R Bliss) and Atkinson family's MARTBY. As they travelled up the hill and commenced the run down the top straight the field was well stretched out and it was RISINGTON setting the pace with MIMAN JAMES following up but G Foot's STRAND ONTHE GREEN (N Mitchell) was making up ground now. At the final ditch it was RISINGTON, STRAND ON THE GREEN, GLENGARRA, MIMAN JAMES, GUNNERS MISTAKE and it was this group that made the turn at the end of the straight and went downhill towards fence number 15. STRAND ON THE GREEN was challenging RISINGTON continually but not getting the better of him as these two went some ten lengths or more clear of the chasing field. The commentator announced quite casually that the one running on from the rear was the Symes's ERICS WAY (J Barnes) well! run on he did and altered the complete picture of this race and relegated quite a few on his way. He did not get the better of one RISINGTON but there was only a short head in it and the Targett's GENERAL AJWAAD (D Edwards) also ran on and came in third just three lengths away. ERICS WAY was unlucky, Ruth was very very lucky and I am damned annoyed at making a mistake although MIMAN JAMES did give me a decent run for my money. The bag is overflowing -the tin is not!
The CCM (SW) Mixed Open race saw ten go to post. Nick Mitchell was on the favourite in G Foot's FRANKLINS BEST at two to one with J Studd's MINERS DANCE and the Dixon's NEARLY NOBLE the more fancied of the remainder. Oliver Carter's VAGUE IDEA was a late surprise to the entrants and was to be ridden by Mrs A Carter, this one had a poor start and never recovered and came in well in arrears after being given a very easy ride by a first time jockey. The explanation to the stewards was accepted. Rilly Goschen took the field along on Mrs Lee's IRISIO from the Tizzard's MILLY HENRY and the Tory's SPRING MARATHON followed by FRANKLINS BEST and MINERS DANCE.. NEARLY NOBLE began to take closer order and came up into third place. Down the hill and out to the back straight not a lot of change. At the final open ditch the order had changed very little and a close group led the field. Approaching the final obstacle it was NEARLY NOBLE on the inside with SPRING MARATHON in close pursuit. The result was just that and NEARLY NOBLE came home four lengths to the good of SPRING MARATHON and MINER'S DANCE was six lengths back in third place.
Next came the 10 years old and over race and Ruth and I again went for Alex Charles-Jones to bring home the prize as he was riding Mrs Tucker's STRONG TEA so we made our investment and took some of the three to one available. This horse has good form but quoted as something amiss last outing. Whatever it was I hope it's put to right for this outing. The very consistant TOPICAL TIP who is giving his owner/rider (Miss E Boone) such a rewarding season without making it a winning one is also fancied by some. Mr Will Biddick riding the family's TOUCHING DOWN will be hoping that that is not what he will be doing until he crosses the line and Ruth will have a little each way on him for sure. The Rogers's NODDADANTE (J Snowden) is quite popular after a good run last time and the Fry's BLACKWATER BRAVE is also taking some money but the outright favourite is the Alner's best turned out OSCAR WILDE (D Drake) who will go off at seven to four. Off they go! All over the ditch and ARTIC GROUND (D Doyne-Ditmus) disputes the lead with HANGING GROVE (M Bryant) with BLACKWATER BRAVE (H Fry) in close attention and then the remainder. With a complete circuit to run THE FROSTY FOX (M Miller) has taken it up and is followed by CAHORS (N Mitchell) and ARTIC GROUND and NODDADANTE. We lost HANGING GROVE at the final fence of this circuit. Our STRONG TEA was going well. On rounding the bend at the end of the top straight it was NODDADANTE who moved up to take it up with the favourite OSCAR WILDE close up in second followed by AGILE KING (C Tizzard) and dropping back into fourth was THE FROSTY FOX. STRONG TEA made up a considerable amount of ground but it was not enough to master OSCAR WILDE who went on to win by three lengths from NODDADANTE and two lengths further back was our STRONG TEA. He will win next time so keep your eye out. Tin and bag suffered a blow here so caution necessary!
A very prominent odds on favourite went off in The Ilminster Warehouse Restricted Race in J Honeyball's best turned out KEITHO (N Williams) and he ran like the price expected of him and he came home twenty five lengths to the good of Di Harding on her PROBY LADY with the blinkered MRS PEGGOTY (J White) a further ten lengths back in third. The only true threat to KEITHO at any time was G Foot's ASKERS JACK (N Mitchell) but unfortunately he fell at the third from home and we will never know. The time of this winner was the fastest of the day and he will have no trouble in continuing his winning ways when stepped up in class. I will be backing ASKERS JACK again!
Nick Williams continued riding in winning style on P Maltby's LORD OF THE MIST in The Greenslade Hunt Open Maiden and came home to take it by ten lengths from the field of twelve runners. Second was D Churche's INIS EILE (C Tibbett) and fifteen lengths further back in third was Mrs Vigar's KING OF SWING (N Wilmington). The tin profited a little here but as ASKERS JACK in the previous race, didn't, then the level of investment material remains less than half full and more than half empty.
Finally came The Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance Flat one and half mile race by invitation. These jockeys have forgotten more about pointing than I will ever know and I think it is very honourable of them all to take up this invitation and raise money for a very deserving cause. They very sensibly now consider fences as pension traps' and will be avoiding them but nevertheless a good race is expected. I remember the supreme Ron Treloggen riding and he continues to look very fit and Miss Reynolds's BEACON BOY who is also fit will surely carry him to the line in great style. Into tin and just a little out and I managed to get the price of seven to four on Ron so was quite happy watching this one. There are too many stories to be told about this race and even if it didn't happen it no doubt, over a glass, will be quoted as having happened and if it did happen there will be denials galore, that it didn't! Ron made no mistake about the outcome and brought BEACON BOY home by three lengths from Dr Chesney (remember him?) on the Tory's PEAT WOOD and a little further back was R Newman on G Slater's MAGIQUE ETOILE. Congratulations to all participants and what a wonderful amount of money was raised.
This 50th birthday party has been well and truly celebrated and the cards will surely be saved for rainy day reading by young and old. The history of the course is such that I will reproduce it on a separate page and it will be there for all to see. It is really great reading!
Off home now and to face the surgeon in the local hospital as that left leg the JR got at now needs nails removing from its toes and I come under the knife tomorrow Tuesday so the limp next week will be a painful one so please don't laugh and keep your JRs on a tight rein.
Hunnyicot and Lifton next and its getting damned close to the end, so BE THERE!
My mother taught me:
THE CIRCLE OF LIFE
"I brought you into this world and I can take you out!"
Ruth and Fred
