Report from Mendip Farmers' Point to Point at Ston Easton on Sunday 23 March 2003
Again we had a lovely overnight stay after travelling up from Kilworthy and also a good evening meal in The Toby at Ashcroft. There really is great value in these Stay on a Farm B & Bs and oh so friendly. Mrs Bell at Brookhayes Farm made us most welcome and looked after us really well. Up with the larks in the morning and visited the farm yard and got an up to date insight as to what is now required to earn a living in this once lovely employment. Now the tin is in order for the day and the ankle has completely recovered we are off the Ston Easton meeting.
We are early but you have to be here. This is regarded as a day out for ALL up here and it is not long before ALL turn up in their hundreds. It resembles an agricultural show but with the added delight of point to point racing. Twenty bookmakers here so I am definitely looking to get the tin overflowing today. Ruth has room in the bag for some more. The weather is perfect and the course will run good to firm with a fair covering of grass which will take the sting out of the firm patches.
Only three runners for the Members', Farmers' and Subscribers' "Frederick A Smith Memorial Steeple Chase" which is a shame because there is so much money and silver attached to this race that it deserves a bigger declaration. There were twelve entries but we are left with just three and I will be making my way to get an early price on last year's winner Mrs Kenney-Herbert's CHOC with Ed in the plate. Odds-on it maybe but it's the one for me. I will also have a little on the straight forecast - CHOC to beat B Andrew's best turned out PENTHOUSE MINSTREL (Hugo Froud) with A Rodgers's GORTROE GUY (S West) to come in third. I just cannot wait to tell you - that is exactly what happened so we have started off in great style, picked up on all accounts. Tin lid off and in it goes - great stuff.
The party atmosphere is all around up here with barbeques, picnics and plenty of friendly hospitality. I am off to a winning streak so lets hope it continues. Ruth finds it even more difficult than me to back odds-on so she is not in luck yet -the bag is at the ready though!
Second race -The "Alec Jarrett" 2 1/2 miles Open Maiden Division One. Six to post. Miss Polly Gundry is on course to ride today and she seldom turns up without a winner or two. I will be choosing her to continue my lucky run when she rides Countess Goess-Saurau'sbest turned out EVA SO CHARMING which has been knocking on the door lately, in this race. None of the opposition are carrying much form so much bigger prices are available about them but it's the Miss Gundry mount for me. Well it was an uneventful race with my money carrier coming home to win by 25 lengths with The Andrews Family's SECOND PICK (James Snowden) in second place and Lucy Gardner on her GOING SOLO back in third. Two winners and a forecast; this is good stuff. (No trouble with the ankle now!)
Six to post in The Mendip Fireplaces 2 1/2; mile Open Maiden Division Two. The favourite is the Studd's best turned out ILE DE RE to be ridden by Charlie and it has been selected by most punters as the price is now down to two to one. Wait! I see Mrs Pike's MISTER PEARLY (N Wilmington) is now five to four and the others are well outside that except for ILE DE RE. Now there is a little money for G Brown's NORMAN'S GLORIES (Lucy Gardner) but this one is in that category "No recent form NH or Point to Point' so I will leave that one for another day. I'll go for ILE DE RE and take two to one. The ACJ fans are disappointed because there seems to be a delay in getting him to the course and his ride is withdrawn. My choice took them out into the country on the first circuit and Miss York's A LOT TO LIKE (Sarah Robinson) joined him upsides and led the field down the back. MISTER PEARLY was back in third and the jointly owned BETHILDA (Darren Edwards) close up in fourth. On passing the judge with a complete circuit to run it was the same order. The commentator announced that there was a lot to like about A LOT TO LIKE but I differed with him as to me ILE DE RE still looked the part. Heading for the back straight, A LOT TO LIKE increased his lead and was about twenty lengths to the good of MR PEARLY and ILE DE RE (still looking good!) Over the first plain fence down the back it was A LOT TO LIKE jumping it well in first place with my investment carrier gaining ground and jumping it nicely in second place and BETHILDA now making a threatening forward move. Onto the next -whooopsee! A LOT TO LIKE misjudged this one and had a crashing fall. ILE DE RE took them into the turn for the home straight and on rounding the final bend and heading to the penultimate fence any one of a group could win. The one that worried me most was Lucy Gardner on NORMAN'S GLORY and for sure I will not take any notice of a certain lady and perhaps listen to her husband as this is the horse that has no experience etc. but it was certainly coming into the reckoning here. As they passed me it was definitely my money carrier in first place but Lucy had her charge going well and there were still some 50 yards to go to the line - then the dulcet tones of the announcer - "this is one for the judge" did nothing for my internal organs. A look of great satisfaction came over me when the result was announced -I had won, with Lucy Gardner on NORMAN'S GLORIES second and BETHILDA third. More for the tin, this really is great!
Only four runners for the R Tincknell & Son Ltd Restricted race with again an odds-on favourite in Countess Goess-Sarau's THE KING'S FLING to be ridden by Polly. Second favourite was Pete Doggerell's CAUNDLE CHASE (Willie White) and the best turned out (looked really lovely -well done Ruth Harris!) J Reynolds's BEACON BOY (J Barnes) also taking some money. The outsider of the four was C Budd's KILDYSART LADY (J Young). I put almost the entire contents of the tin on Polly this time but I had to because it was so odds-on. I didn't have any worries and again watched my investment coming up the straight and going on to win by seven lengths but I was impressed with the running of BEACON BOY who was second, WATCH THIS ONE IN FUTURE and in third place was KILDYSART LADY. More for the tin -this is really great stuff.
Again disappointing as we only have four runners for The Morris & Perry Mixed Open. Again an odds on favourite in the jointly owned WELL TED (J Pritchard). I would image that the four owners had their mortgages on this horse as the price was something like seven to two ON! I am not going to push my luck. I will light the stove, boil the kettle, make a cup of coffee, eat a few biscuits, prize the lid off the tin and -guess what? Count it!
Imagine how I felt when the race was in its final stages and I had by now finished counting when I saw that WELL TED was still being accompanied by Charlotte Tizzard on the best turned out, (well done Jemma - please smile, it costs very little!), their CHEROKEE RUN coming up the final straight. Charlotte was not going to let him get by -this is a turn up for the books - and went on to win by two lengths and SPRING MARATHON (Emma Tory) was back in third place. I would have lost a bit there if I had wagered.
An each way investment in the next as there are eleven runners in the Novice Riders Club race and I fancy the Tufin's OUT 'N ABOUT to be ridden by Caroline. Charlie Studd on their MINER'S DANCE was the favourite to win but did not get placed. The blinkered PRETORIA DANCER with Fergal O'Brien up came in third but it was Katie Clift who collected the honours in first place with her GAY BARATINEUR and my choice came in second. These novice riders are our sporting future and the way these three rode for the line was a pleasure to see and will ensure we have more excitement to come in the future. A length and a neck separated them on the line. Great stuff!
Finally The R M Penny Open maiden race brought out the biggest field of the day with fourteen runners. I chose Polly on John Roberts's CELEBRATION MARCH at two to one to bring me home a little to jam the tin really tight. A joint favourite was also on the boards at two to one; Woman's Logic Racing Partnerships' MR BALOO with Alex Charles-Jones up and there was also interest in Mrs Kulbicki's DERRY BLUE with Julian Pritchard up, and R Knapper & N Searle's BUTLEIGH ROSE with Jamie Snowden up was also fancied. The ACJ fan club were foxed a little here as Alex was down to partner The Not So Blonde Partnership's SOCUTE but he chose Woman's Logic to Not So Blonde -how the hell could any sensible person do that? It doesn't matter what colour their hair, I chose it over their logic any day!! Polly didn't make first place by two and half lengths so I lost my money and it was BUTLEIGHT ROSE back in third BUT it was the one ACJ should have ridden but John Barnes did, and he brought The Not So Blonde Partnership's bay mare SOCUTE home at a very decent price of fourteen to one.
Thank you Mendip Farmers for a great day out at a very well organised point to point meeting. A great day's fun and racing. No sore ankle and a good deal of the necessary in the tin. The bag didn't do so well but I may lend Ruth a few bob for the next meeting at Great Trethew provided the promises go with it. (to pay me back - of course!)
Now comes the painful bit. Down the M5, 72 mph, quite a lot traffic, failing light, when two cock pheasants decided they would fly across the motorway. Ruth missed the first one by driving on as though nothing had happened but the second one decided to come a lot closer and hit the windscreen with one helluva bump. He probably now has a sore ankle! I haven't but the fifty quid I have to pay for a new windscreen will hurt! We managed to drive home with full vision for Ruth but I had just a square inch through which to navigate. If I had to name the new windscreen it would probably be 'Polly' as she will have provided the money for it.
Up to Great Trethew for East Cornwall Foxhounds meeting next Sunday where I hope to pull back some new windscreen money. Good going is forecast so -BE THERE!
My Mother taught me: HYPOCRISY
"If I've told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!"
Fred & Ruth
