Preceding the racing was a very good stallion parade where stud owners and their grooms showed off their charges to a very appreciative audience. A very nice addition to the race card.

The first race took a bit of working out! Fourteen fair pointers go to post for The Marksway Horsehage & Mollichaff Confined Hunts Race. According to the layers boards, it could be Mr Westacott's SIR WILLIAM (Darren Edwards), Mr D Cossey's KHAYAL (Les Jefford), or Lucy Gardner on her own, BAK ON BOARD that would cross the line first or maybe all together or maybe one, two, three in that order but as we all know, it is not as easy as that! There was the syndicated HAPPY TEAM (Richard Woollacott) who would be attempting to make amends for her last slip up, there is the jointly owned DON ROYAL (Neil Harris) who as well as letters in his form also has a couple of 2s. Mr J Philips's SEA URCHIN is out for the first time this season and goes well fresh so Mandy (Hand) will be sure to get a good gallop out of this one. Ruth loves all 'Phardantes' so she will keep an eye on Vanessa (Shaw) onboard the family BONNY RIGG. I will settle for a small amount out of the tin, so small the rattle hasn't decreased, on SEA URCHIN. I got each-way so if he repeats his last season's run in a Confined (3rd) I will pick up! David Pipe's KINGSBRIDGE (Timothy Eades) set off at a good pace and soon established a three length advantage with two complete circuits to go. At the first open ditch (6th) KINGSBRIDGE led by about ten lengths now, but J Harvey's CHOP-CHOP unseated his rider. Not too far for Dominic to walk back. No doubt by the time he has finished 'talking' about his misfortune he will be back in the weighing room. Lying second at the seventh was Vanessa on BONNY RIGG and going well, then came the best turned out Sally Messr-Bennetts's IT'SNOTSIMPLE ridden today by Tamsin closely followed by SEA URCHIN and HAPPY TEAM and then gaps began to appear between the remainder. At half way KINGSBRIDGE was still up front but now DON ROYAL had taken closer order with IT'SNOTSIMPLE still in touch and BAK ON BOARD making headway as was HAPPY TEAM. Of all the horses in the race why did the commentator decide to say it was SEA URCHIN who had lost a place or two? Not encouraging! The first to overtake KINGSBRIDGE was DON ROYAL and Les Jefford was making a move forward on KHAYAL into third place. Then he did it again - 'this leading group are pulling away from SEA URCHIN'. I can see it, but why does he have to rub it in! At the sixteenth, it was DON ROYAL leading with KHAYAL and KINGSBRIDGE tussling for second place, with Lucy bringing her BAK ON BOARD into play from fourth position. Then came the bitter blow - pulled up three out SEA URCHIN! Ah! well, better luck next time but a good race was developing up front. KINGSBRIDGE appeared to be weakening but SIR WILLIAM had now taken closer order. Lucy got unseated when she appeared to be in there with a chance and I heard her say how unfortunate she was - or something! DON ROYAL and KHAYAL now began their scrap for the line with SIR WILLIAM back in third place and further adrift was KINGSBRIDGE. Over the last, it was DON ROYAL who had two lengths to the good and that is how they finished in a time of six minutes eighteen seconds. The layers paid out ten to one on DON ROYAL but not to me or Ruth. Incidentally, when I refer to 'layers', these are not battery hens or even 'free-range' but that is the name of the men that take your money and 'lay it' to the odds on the boards. We are 'the investors' or 'punters' but primarily 'people out to enjoy themselves'.

Thirteen will go to post for the open maiden 5, 6, and 7 year olds who will race over two miles four furlongs with a five pound allowance for the five year olds. Again there is no clear favourite. Lady Earle's QUIZZAL with Lucy (Gardner) up, Mrs Malde's BEBE BLEU from the Pipe stable with Ken Rixon up, M Cox and C Jones's DURSEY ISLAND with Michael Miller up, all take turns at being the favourite. The remainder were much larger prices so again it should be easy to pick the first three. I just want the ONE who crosses the line first. I chose QUIZZAL and so did Ruth. Mr Herrod's LIPSTICK LASS with James White up - refused to start. Why! oh why! do horses do that! At least trot past, run around a fence, gallop in the wrong direction, do something please - at least start! That is when I feel really cheated. I don't care what happens to my choice so long as he, she or it, STARTS! It does not affect me this time but I did hear a few moans. All was going quite well until the sixth when QUIZZAL unseated Lucy who again said how annoyed she was! especially when she was lying a close third and this left BEBE BLEU and DURSEY ISLAND in the lead and eight lengths to the good of Richard Woollacott on G Slater's MAGIQUE ETOILE. At the tenth fence it was BEBE BLEU who had established a fair lead from DURSEY ISLAND but at the open ditch it happened - BEBE BLEU fell. On they went now with DURSEY ISLAND maintaining about a six length lead from Colin Heard on Mrs Prouse's LILABET, in third place was David Roger's FOUR OF A KIND ridden by Sarah (Gaisford) with Darren Edwards on the Wilson's DOLITANLAD and Neil Harris on E Wonnacott's ELEGANT LIGHT still in with a chance. The race was now on with anyone of these four in with a chance - no! DOLITANLAD unseated Darren. He's out of it. Neil Harris intent on making it two from two sent ELEGANT LIGHT to the front, DURSEY ISLAND weakened, so it was left to FOUR OF A KIND and LILABET to settle the places. At the line ELEGANT LIGHT had six lengths advantage in first place over FOUR OF A KIND with LILABET back in third and the best turned out, C Fowlie's MO'S O FRIENDLY ridden by Sarah Robinson back in fourth. (You just cannot keep these 'Lirs' down!) The rattle is further reduced, almost to a rustle! and the bag has suffered as well.

The South Devon Hunt Ladies Memorial Race was a cut and dried affair as of the four runners, Charlotte Stucley had brought along her PHOENIX PHLYER who is in excellent form and should cause her no worries against C White's BELLS WOOD (V Lucas), C West's best turned out NORMANIA (S West) and John Weldhen's HANDSOME HENRY (S Gaisford). HANDSOME HENRY made things easier by falling. We attempted to name the forecast - that's the first two in correct order - but failed even to do that as we choose NORMANIA to come in second when it was the 14 year old BELLS WOOD who followed PHOENIX PHLYER home by ten lengths and NORMANIA was a further twelve lengths back in third. There is now no rattle in the tin and the rustle has also been slightly reduced.

Another difficult one coming up in The St Merryn Meat Restricted Race where 12 go to post. Miss Kessler's DRUID MERILL (L Jefford), R Mitford-Slad and G Fisher's TEDDY BOY (R Woollacott) and V Greenway's POLKA (Darren Edwards) all wanted to be favourite at some time and the layers offered six to one bar - (bar - that simply means that the remainder are six to one or bigger, bar the three that are vying for favouritism). I went for one of the bigger ones. I chose the Elliott's MYSTIC WARRIOR (R Darke) to carry my investment and the price of ten to one would certainly make the tin rustle and rattle - a little! I thought this horse ran a decent race in the Mid Devon Restricted so maybe this is it! I was not let down. Although he didn't win, I collected on him being in third place. It was TEDDY BOY who ran a much better race here than at Ottery and did the same as when he won his maiden and finished going like a train, in first place. JO'S WEDDING ran a good race for Mandy (Hand) and was one and half lengths back in second place. A little for the tin! Rustle not increased but rattle has! Nine to post in the men's open and one visitor from Wales to be ridden by Christian Williams took favouritism for a while, that was J Flint's DO YE KNOW WHA, but E Evans & P Wilkins's JOLITAN (B Evans), R Rawle's DOUBLET (D Edwards), Dominic Harvey's MR MAGNETIC (N Harries) and the Pedrick's WILLIAM O'DEE (R Woollacott) all took some money and at the off five to two or three to one was available about them all. I chose WILLIAM O'DEE to help out a poor situation but it was not to be as he was pulled up before even giving me a small thrill and he did it in the distance so I could not see him - and the race went on. JOLITAN decided again that the horse box was the place for him and not uncommonly dumped his rider and attempted to take off again to greener pastures. The latter half of the final circuit saw C Sclater's SHOCKS PRIDE (Michael Miller) challenging DO YE KNOW WHA and a good race to the line was seen with the Welsh invader managing to get half a length to the good of SHOCKS PRIDE and MR MAGNETIC was a distance back in third.

Nine to post for The Marsh Private Clients/Thoroughbred Breeders Association PPORA Club Members Mares Maiden Race. Again we are faced with a difficult task For me I am going to invest in the running of D Llewellyn's LAZY LEMON (Ollie Jackson) as this mare put up a good performance at Holnicote, to bring me home a few coppers! Mr K Redwood's BUTLER DIDIT (L Jefford), A Knox and J Chanin's FIVE MINUTES, Lucy Gardner's best turned out GOING SOLO and the jointly owned MRS PEGGOTY (Jamie White) were also popular. GOING SOLO set off at a steady pace but with two complete circuits to go they were all up for it. All safely over the ditch with LAZY LEMON doing alright near the lead. After the ditch my concern took it up with BUTLER DIDIT, GOING SOLO in third followed by FIVE MINUTES and MRS PEGGOTY. At the eighth it was LAZY LEMON by a length from FIVE MINUTES with the remainder quite close up. Ross Oliver's RAINBOW DUST was seen at this time to be giving Mandy Hand anything but assistance in getting round this course. LAZY LEMON continued to lead. Soon MRS PEGGOTY began to look menacing on the outside with FIVE MINUTES a few lengths further back still in with a chance. At the sixteenth MRS PEGGOTY went on. Three from home off went MRS PEGGOTY followed by BUTLER DIDIT and FIVE MINUTES. There is now a certain air of desperation as small utterances were offered upwards as in the leading group it was my concern that looked beaten. I had left it too late. These utterances had a long way to travel before reaching listening ears and there would not be time for a favourable reply to take effect. On came MRS PEGGOTY to win by ten lengths, with FIVE MINUTES in second place and two lengths further back BUTLER DIDIT. LAZY LEMON was fourth and to the gentleman who now told me that she did not like the going; why did you not tell me after you had the conversation with the horse NOT after it had come in fourth? The tin has suffered again!

Finally the 'Farmers' race has only one entry so a 'walk-over' is achieved by Mrs Berwick's YOUNG GENERAL and Richard Darke crossed the line to loud cheers as this counted as a win and enabled him to clock up his fifty winners. Well Done. As is my want - I shall also cheer loudly Richard when you win number 51 and so on!

Thank you South Devon for a nice day but unfortunately the tin and bag have both suffered. Maybe next week at Wadebridge, the home track, the lock will be off and if not, I always do well at Buckfastleigh. In the meantime there is Cheltenham and the grandstand seat in front of the box will be occupied quite frequently during the next few days. See you all next week.

My Mother taught me & " LOGIC" - "Because I said so, that's why!" My Mother taught me & "MORE LOGIC" - "If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the shop with me"

Fred & Ruth