Report from Dulverton West Foxhounds Point to Point at Bratton Down on Saturday 17 May 2003.
We left on Friday for a quiet drive up The Atlantic Highway, visited Hook Nose Point, Morwenstow and got lost in Barnstable en route. Bed and Breakfast at Chittlehampton, excellent dinner in the The Rising Sun Inn at Umberleigh and a good night's rest before the wonders of Bratton Down.
The weather was not quite Bratton Down weather as of yet as it was not snowing but all the other elements were present and correct. Cold wind, drops of water falling from the sky weighing about half a pint each and demolishing the average Tote issue umbrella in one, followed by a gust which left the said broken umbrella clamped up against one of the wings of the open ditch some half a mile away and would you believe it - a JR was snapping at it. Yes a defenceless, broken, never to be used again, umbrella, and it woke up a JR in a fighting mood. How innocent is a broken umbrella but NOT to a JR, they must just have their say and snap at it. If he seriously tried he could have reached it but the spikes would have been in his mouth so he objected to that and resorted to standing on three lengths against the take off rail - he refrained from carrying out any ablutions as the wind was in the wrong direction and getting a warm leg at this time of day was NOT on his menu!
Irrespective of the overhead elements, the course was in perfect condition and would race good with possibly some soft patches, if not now, maybe later.
I need to replenish my tin considerably at this meeting as it has taken a hammering with some mid week mistakes so to pick out a winner in the Farmers' Race is a must. Seven go to post and The Happy Team have their HAPPY TEAM (L Jefford) at five to two, here and The Exmoor Partners have their ZATOPEK (L Heard) at nine to four also here, so keen competition assured. The class horse surely is Mr Rawle's LONGSTONE LAD (R Woolacott) at five to four, (last year's winner of this race!) leaving the others trading as big outsiders. I settled, but not very comfortably, for the favourite. A good pace was set from the off! Passing the judge for the first time it was Mr Cottle's ESKIMO GOLD (L Hawkins) who took them out into the country followed by HAPPY TEAM, three lengths back is ZATOPEK and LONGSTONE LAD. LADY PAMROY ( C Prouse) pulled up. With one complete circuit remaining it was ESKIMO GOLD and HAPPY TEAM still leading the field with ZATOPEK in third and now LONGSTONE LAD taking much closer order. All remaining horses safely over the open ditch and the order now is, HAPPY TEAM, LONGSTONE LAD and ESKIMO GOLD. There was nothing between HAPPY TEAM and LONGSTONE LAD over the last with ZATOPEK in hot pursuit. LONGSTONE LAD was kept up to it by Richard and went on to win by five lengths with ten lengths between second and ZATOPEK, third This failed to be the fastest race of the day by one second (except for the open). Now that is not a bad farmers' race is it! Just look at the tin - whew!
I will not be placing any within tin on this occasion as the winner of the next race is so obvious I will put it ALL on Sue Young and her TRACK O PROFIT to at least double what I have just earned. Surely this is a 'sure thing'. Eight will go to post in The Mixed Open Race and my choice is odds on but not to worry as five on to win four is not a bad price about a 'sure thing'. Robert Alner's OSCAR WILDE has good form and an each way chance but the remainder are very big prices. Ruth is determined not to let the Lawrence's SQUADDIE (Mandy Hand) pull off the 33 to 1 win that he has been known to do, so she has wisely invested each way at twenty to one. (Just in case!) They're off! On passing me for the first time it was Charlotte Tizzard taking their THE BOUNDER along in first place followed by TRACK O PROFIT and J Boulter's STARPATH (M Miller) but my opposition, if any, OSCAR WILDE, was way out the pack and not causing me any problems. On reaching the home straight for the second time it was still THE BOUNDER that led the field with TRACK O PROFIT handy. STAR PATH and ARTIC GROUND were following but poor OSCAR WILDE was way out the rear. Approaching the final open ditch THE BOUNDER led the field with TRACK O PROFIT in second and STARPATH in third and now OSCAR WILDE had closed up to be fourth. SQUADDIE still going strong. At the penultimate it was still THE BOUNDER leading with OSCAR WILDE now in second place ahead of STARPATH and my great interest was now back in fourth. Over the last and TRACK O PROFIT began to get interested again and was in third place behind THE BOUNDER and OSCAR WILDE. SQUADDIE still running on but back a bit. On the long run in a good race developed and the judge sorted it out in the order OSCAR WILDE, by a length from TRACK O PROFIT followed by THE BOUNDER four lengths back. The best turned out SQUADDIE had run a good race and came in fourth.. It showered heavily like only Bratton Down could do and for this I was thankful as it completely hid my tears at having lost a tin full. Back to the bag to borrow - is the cry! Please Ruth!!
Two divisions of maidens are to follow and both division are to be split. Forty runners between four divisions. Enter Miss Polly Gundry!! She took the division one part one on the best turned out Mr S Hanney's MAORI CHIEF by a distance of some twenty lengths from Jamie Snowden on PHARSHU and a further twenty lengths back was Neil Harris on G Smale's SON OF COURAGE and then in division two part one she brought home the jointly owned WHAT A MOVER by five lengths from the consistent S Stevens and R Vicary's BEAU SUPREME (L Jefford) with the Atkinson's MARTBY a further six lengths back in third place. Miss Gundry was not satisfied with just these two but brought home J Burbridge's MRS BE in the confined hunts race and won by five lengths from Les Jefford on A Walter's PARTE PRIMA with Mick Miller on the Pudd's COOL WAGER back in third. This MRS BE looks to be something and completed in the fastest time of the day except for the open race. Check it out - six minutes twenty six around Bratton Down is a fair pace.
Polly on the useful Countess Goess Sarau's best turned out THE KING'S FLING almost got another winner in the Intermediate Championship Race, but Nick Williams on J Honeyball's KEITHO had other ideas and came home four lengths to the good of her with P Bevins's LE CURE (J Barnes) back in third place.
The maiden race division one part two went to M Edwards's THE GREY SHADOW (Geoff Barfoot Saunt) who came home six lengths to the good of Mrs Lawrence's best turned out ZAKLEY with Neil Harris on Sue Wilcock's PIPERSLAND way back in third but a loose horse managed to remove two others from this race as well as giving ZAKLEY a real hard time, so we will never know!! Will we?
Another lady took the division two part two on Mrs Llewellyn's BURLEY DON CARLOS. The winning margin was a little one but Charlotte Stucley kept up to her job and was given the result by a neck over Nick Mitchell on their PANHANDLE with Les Tibbatts fifteen lengths back in third on Mr and Mrs Targett's best turned out GENERAL AJWAAD.
Thirteen will go to post for the final race which will be a Restricted Race. A clear odds on favourite in R Dickinson's LANDROVER (N Williams) is established but it is possible to wager without the favourite. Ruth took up this opportunity and took the price of two to one without the favourite on Mrs Clift's MR BANKER with young Miss Clift looking after the driving arrangements. Being the wise one and me having borrowed some of the bag she then took the opportunity to take the seven to one available with the favourite and staked a nice little each way bet. I, complete with borrowed money, chose the favourite as I appreciated the way that this LANDROVER had run and won at the Berkeley meeting. It all went very wrong for me and I managed to lose all my borrowed investing finance in one foul swoop. On coming away from the final open ditch it was LANDROVER, HILL TRAIL and MR BANKER who were the main contestants. All safely over the ditch. HILL TRAIL, LANDROVER and MR BANKER as a wave of three as they approach the next fence. They are well clear of the remainder. Making the turn into the home straight with one plain fence left to jump and the long run in it was MR BANKER - but a little mix up here when MISS ILLUSTRIOUS was named as second but I think it was UNCLE JAMES that had come on up with EAGLE HILL back in third. So to the line MR BANKER had won by two lengths from UNCLE JAMES and a further six lengths back was EAGLE HILL. No mention of LANDROVER. The owner of the bag collected in no uncertain terms. Well done Ruth was the very weak acclamation as I prepared to pack up for the journey home. I dropped the tin on more than one occasion to ensure there was nothing within and as it did on all previous attempts to squeeze it - produced nothing! Thank goodness tomorrow we are in Cornwall and they are always more respectful to their own. We will see!
Now Mrs Sampson, no not the one with me but the other young charming one who stopped to have a chat - you can finish your lunch now and go back to work, there's a good girl!
My mother taught me - well she should have taught me not to wager but she didn't and now I have nothing! Temporary I assure you!
Tomorrow in the beautiful county of Cornwall at Trebudannon. No matter if you cannot pronounce it, come along and we will tell you how.
Regards Fred and Ruth
