Report from The North Cornwall Hunt P to P meeting held at The Royal Cornwall Showground on Saturday 1st February 2003.

We down here have been blessed with good weather in comparison to the rest of the Islands so no problems were envisaged for anyone once you crossed the bridge into the hallowed land!! So you have gathered it was fine weather; the going classified as good to soft and with a little chilly breeze blowing across the show ground course, all was set for a good days racing. I checked out the tin and I have seen much more in it but just enough for today but the other one - the handbag job! - didn't look quite so full. The endeavour is to fill them both up - but when is the question I would like to answer!

We are a little more than excited about seeing local boy Will Biddick ride his first race today in The Robert & Malcolm Truscott sponsored Members', Subscribers' and Farmers' race as he has kept on the right side of Mrs Alford and she has agreed for quite some time now that if he remains a good boy he can ride her JUST BERT. I must say JUST BERT was looking a picture in the paddock but really they all looked as though they would do the course justice. Lucy (Gardner) has also kept on the right side of Aunty again this year and will be riding her COUNTY BASH who won this race last year getting around in 6 mins 47. Mr Charlie Rush has also obtained the services of another young rider in Andrew Glassonbury who had his licence last year and has ridden over hurdles but I think this is probably his first ride over fences in public to ride his PANTO PIXIE. Roy Emmett on Miss Townrow's ROBSON needs no introduction as he is already a busy P to P rider and then Derek McKenna on Mrs Hussey's LANCE FEATHER is a work rider for Jimmy Frost so he will not be hanging around. Will spent a few weeks before Christmas up with trainer Jimmy Frost so he knows Derek and Andrew but I don't think they will be stepping aside to let him win today. So as not to put any dampers on Will I decided to put a little investment on ROBSON - BUT I didn't mean to wish any harm to any of them. A steady pace was set and half a dozen lengths would cover them all at fence seven but my concern was leading and looking good. JUST BERT was hugging the inside and COUNTY BASH was travelling well just outside him. On reaching the ditch for the second and final time ROBSON got too close (or not close enough!) but certainly not high enough and Roy was on the deck. I have since spoken to him and he is nursing a collar bone problem but still smiling and will be back very soon but he marvelled that from an unusual viewing position he was able to see the mastery of Will Biddick sliding around the back of 'BERT' in pony club style and although losing ground, stayed on and soon picked up the action again. My investment gone so cheer for Ruth now who has supported Will. At four from home Lucy had COUNTY BASH about two lengths clear from JUST BERT with PANTO PIXIE and LANCE FEATHER about ten lengths further back Over the last and a race for the line but COUNTY BASH was able to repeat last year's efforts and held on to a two length lead from JUST BERT with LANCE FEATHER twenty lengths further back. A very good race with a well deserved win and full credit to the youngsters for their efforts. The courteousness afforded to this amateur sport was evident when a rather paler than usual Will dismounted and immediately thanked Mrs Alford for allowing him to ride JUST BERT . He went into this race ' a good boy' and came out 'a good boy having taken part in a wonderful experience'.

Eight to post for The St Merryn Meat Men's Open Race. The Nice Approach Partnership have brought along their NEARLY GOLD (Alex Charles-Jones) to attempt the double having won this last year, but Dai Brace thinks differently and has travelled down from Wales with DAWN'S COGNAC (J Pritchard) to thwart their attempt. David Pipe thinks they are wasting their time as he has entered two - KINGSBRIDGE (T Eades) and P Deal's MIRMILLION (A Farrant) but the latter has no P to P form (in England!!) other than he is reported to have cost a 'mere million' or something close to it and I don't think KINGSBRIDGE manages to stay the 3 miles necessary to win in this opposition. The very keen enthusiast from Blackmoor Gate, Hugh Thomas and lovely family, have brought their 14 year old mare CHOCOLATE BUTTONS to have a go and another very keen supporter of P to P racing, John Weldhen has brought over from down the road his RIVERSIDE LODGE (R Woollacott) and J Boulter is here with WHISPERING PINES (Michael Miller). On the boards it was evident that MIRMILLION had form from somewhere and was instantly made favourite with the others available at any price from four to one upwards. KINGSBRIDGE set the pace for a while but before too long Ashley Farrant had MIRMILLION up front with Alex Charles-Jones close behind and drawing away from the remainder. This upset me more than a little because I had invested in WHISPERING PINES and needed something to prevent the tin from rattling every time I picked it up. This rattle is embarrassing because it brings attention from someone who does not really need to know how much is in it or out of it and it was obvious now that my investment was like the recent stock exchange - several point down! MIRMILLION came home to win by ten lengths from NEARLY GOLD and a further fifteen lengths back was - yes! WHISPERING PINES.

I took the opportunity in the interval to line the tin with a crisp bag hoping to reduce the rattle some what and to draw a substantial sum without being seen. Off now to heavily invest in The Cornish Arms Ladies Open Race. Eight go to post and last years winner Mrs Hughes's PALACE PARADE (T Cave) is here to repeat the performance and David Pipe has decided to enter only one this time - DARAYDAN (O Jackson) but Dai Brace is keen with GUNNER BOON (E Jones) having a go and the Newman's are sure their BRETECHE will win. Every time I think I have all the Newmans by the correct name another one turns up and here we have Elise riding - are their anymore I ask myself? (Fred@fsampson.freeserve.co.uk) One doesn't wait long in the P to P game before the name of that great stallion LIR crops up and here we have the Young family's LIRSLEFTOVER (Sue Young) out to win and at 20 to one I would be silly not to invest but I am going for Lucinda Sweeting's MR CUSTARD (P Gundry) I watched this horse win last year up at Badbury Rings and it went on to better things under Lucinda so I am sure Polly can achieve the same - ALL on it must go! Jade (granddaughter) who is with us this weekend fancies DARAYDAN (Ollie Green Jackson) and I am not hanging around to find out who Ruth fancies as I off to my viewing position to watch my investment increase my in-tin level! I began to worry a lot in this race as LIRSLEFTOVER was in front of my concern for far too long and at fence eleven was still in front by about three lengths and going well - surely I haven't missed out on that twenty to one - have I? MR CUSTARD followed and BRETECHE was doing a good job as well. These leading three were followed by GUNNER BOON, DARAYDAN and PALACE PARADE who was at this stage being 'reminded' by Tabitha that it was he who should be in front and not those others. Open ditch for the final time - LIRSLEFTOVER in front, on rounding the bend and lining up for the home straight my investment looked sound but not sound enough for me to take the lid off the tin yet! LIRSLEFTOVER and BRETECHE were still there and DARAYDAN was not out of it. Polly now managed to squeeze a little more out her charge and I was pleased to see that coming up to the line she was pulling away from Miss Newman on BRETECHE and Sue Young on LIRSLEFTOVER. I should have had that each way bet on Sue Young but I will have to be content with what Miss Gundry has provided for me. Nice!

No need to be quiet opening the tin but I have decided to dispose of the crisp packet as it made more noise than a drunk Caribbean steel band when I went to put my winnings away. The money dealt with and now to attempt to build on it! The Roach Foods Ltd Restricted Race could surely favour me again. Eleven go to post: Lucy Gardner will be on Terry Long's BALDHU JACK and Hugh Thomas is in this one with his BUTTON UP BILL in an attempt to get the diesel money for the trip back to Blackmoor Gate, Mr P Finn's LORD ATTERBURY (A Farrant) is trained by David Pipe and his horses are looking and running well, the best turned out Rame Fell's MR THURLSTONE is being ridden by Liam Heard and one MR has won already, whilst VALMAN (Richard Woollacott) and SONG OF KENDA (Les Jefford) are both quite capable of winning this. The Partridges's KNOCK STAR is as smart as ever and Michael Miller will not be hanging around on J Boulter's CANTENAC BROWN. Tanya Newman's on GEMOLLY, Amanda Barnett is on LINGERING LAUGHTER and the one I fancy most of all is Caroline Prouse riding the seven year old bay mare MONTY'S LASS. On goes a little but I could not get each way so took three to one. LORD ATTERBURY was favourite. A good pace was set and the lead changed but it was Tim Dennis on the Heard's BILL ME UP which was in the van for most of the first circuit and on passing the winning post with a circuit to go it was BILL ME UP, LORD ATTERBURY, MONTY'S LASS and SON OF KENDA which lead the field out into the country. My investment had given me a little shock as he lost a place or two at the bottom of the course - maybe he slipped or just took a rest but I do wish they would tell me when they are going to do that - but she is back and going well again. LORD ATTERBURY and BILL ME UP went ahead and led the field down the other side by about eight lengths but MONTY'S LASS is still going strong SONG OF KENDA made a move into third place for a while and CANTENAC BROWN started a challenge but LORD ATTERBURY had flown - gone like a bird - he crossed the line twenty five lengths to the good of my investment MONTY'S LASS who fought out the finish with CANTENAC BROWN and only a half a length separated them. SONG OF KENDA came in fourth place and the time was a sensible 6 minutes 26 seconds. Not profitable but I did enjoy the race and I will make a few on this one later in the season. Just wait a little - be patient!!

I was put off a little in the Seal Marine Confined Hunt's Race as I saw Richard Kelvin-Hughes's HOBBYCYR pull up quite recently but nevertheless it was Polly Gundry riding this one that was going to start favourite. Mrs Frost's DEFENDTHEREALM was also fancied and my choice, last years winner, BOMBA CHARGER (R Darke) also took some money. I was happy with five to two and although I did not win I at least got a good run for my money. Polly made sure of it this time but my choice was just two and a half lengths back in second place with John Weldhen's DARK CHALLENGER (R Woollacott) six lengths further back in third place. None for the tin this time but then I didn't take a lot out!

Five to post in The Newton Abbot Racecourse Championship Intermediate Race and I had received a whisper about this race but I am not sure who it was from but I did have a go and came out delighted. Unusual for me but I considered this race worthy of an odds on investment so to the bottom of the tin for a red one. Grant Cann's TALE BRIDGE to be ridden by Julian Pritchard was the carrier of my 'red one' and he did me proud. Ross Oliver's ACTING TOUGH was given a good ride by Mandy Hand but could only finish three lengths behind my choice but was well clear of the Geering's BROWN CHIEFTAN and R Arthurs's CONTRA CHARGE (Les Jefford). Fill up the tin, set the burglar alarm, lock the car and invest only a little on the two maiden races to follow.

In the Ski Direct Control Open Maiden Race I chose the wrong one in GREAT JUBILEE (Ashley Farrant) as Dia Brace made up for a previous loss with his BRACEY'S GIRL (J Pritchard) coming home in fine style three lengths ahead of my choice and the two a distance ahead of the McCarthy's LINGERING FOG ridden by Mary and Polly Gundry on Mrs Nicholls's JUST FABLE. Jade also made up for her previous losses!

I chose wrong again in the last race, The Home Furnishings (Wadebridge) Open Maiden Race Division Two by expecting Les Jefford to make it on Alan Walter's PARTE PRIMA but it was not to be as the odds-on favourite from the Pipe's stable CELESTIAL GOLD under Ashley Farrant came home a clear ten lengths to the good with the remainder a distance away. My choice will repay me before very long.

An excellent days racing in lovely conditions and with a fair reward in the tin but I will find some lining for it before I leave for Chipley Park tomorrow. Dinner tonight for supporters of this meeting down at Wadebridge and an early start for the 'red earth country' tomorrow.

See you all there Fred & Ruth