Report from The South Dorset Hunt Point to Point at Milborne St Andrew on Sunday 16 February 2003.
Once again we found our B & B stop over near Dorchester from the 'Stay at a Farm 2003' directory and we were definitely not disappointed. Mrs Barraclough at Magistron Farm near Sydling St Nicholas made us very welcome and ensured our short stay was a very pleasant one. Lovely room, lovely food and extremely good hospitality. Not a lot of people would appreciate the request - 'Can we borrow your 'phone line to update today's P to P results, it will only take a minute' - but Mrs Barraclough didn't object and it enabled us to get Buckfastleigh results out on the 'World Wide Web' very quickly. We will go back again when up that way.
We were near the course so an early morning walk was in order and enabled me to check out the frost level - none - so racing would not be impeded today. Overland in lovely country took us to our first visit to Milbourne (Milborne?) St Andrew and again being early, I set off to walk the course in a very cold breeze but good racing weather. Ruth will make the coffee while I am away. I stopped a gentleman who was driving a pickup alongside the course and questioned him as to whom was responsible for these fences. He replied with one word 'GUILTY', and I then began to swamp him with praise as I have never seen such super fences. Full of greenery, the right height, tightly packed, nicely painted and all in EXCELLENT condition, it was a real pleasure to see such a beautiful display of Point to Point gear. So the owners of SOL MUSIC take note - these fences could not be fiddled in any way, you jumped and jumped well or else! Great stuff! My next meeting was a fellow 'course walker' and it transpired he was over from Ireland for a pointing weekend. So Joe (Ryan) and I talked about the lovely fences and he agreed with me about them and also remarked that they would not be appreciated in Ireland. I have been over there but not pointing so I must make a bigger effort, possibly during the week, over on Monday back on Friday and then we wouldn't miss one over here. It's a thought!
Well done to ALL Young Farmers for their efforts in producing an excellent spectacle in their Pantomime Horse Race. Wareham & Purbeck YFC collected first, Wareham & District were third (different areas?) and they were split by Dorchester YFC. Great fun and warmed us up on an otherwise cold day.
The Upton Oil Restricted Race saw 13 runners go to post with a previous winner and a winner for me at Chipley Park being made favourite in Mr Fear's STORMICO (C Williams) and was on the board at five to four but I see J Young's visored MAKHPIYA PATAHN is to be ridden by Richard Woollacott this time and he was also in the frame at Chipley Park. Big prices were available about many of the others but the Shaw's CATNAP (N Wilmington) is coming down a little and is in to five to one. The Faulks's TONY'S TIME (N Mitchell) and Mrs Slater's lovely horse WILD NATIVE (Tanya Newman) is also in at 8 to 1. I am going to settle for Richard to bring home some for me on the grey. The first circuit went well and on passing the judge for the first time, my concern followed the leader CATNAP and alternated the first position with this one followed by the jointly owned DRIVEN BY DESIRE (S Hayes) and the favourite STORMICO closely followed by TONY'S TIME. STORMICO made a mistake at the thirteenth and was quickly pulled up. At the open ditch (what a beauty!) for the final time it was the blinkered CATNAP and my concern closely followed by TONY'S TIME who were clear by about six lengths from DRIVEN BY DESIRE and Mr Simpson's JOHNNY'S GONE (T Vaughan). WILD NATIVE made a bit of a rally but the leading three were to carry on to the line with TONY'S TIME taking the race by two lengths with my concern, MAKHPIYA PATAHN one and a half lengths to the good of CATNAP and WILD NATIVE was fourth. Exciting but not good for the tin -yet!
I took a long time to make a decision about the next race and I was helped a little by one of the Chipley Four. The South Dorset Hunt race brought out seven runners of good quality. I had to choose between the Tory's BARDON BOY (R Tory) and J Boulter & Miss Wilkins's STARPATH. as I was sure the race would be between these two. The boards indicated that the favourite would be STARPATH who was four to six ON. BARDON BOY at two to one, the useful SPRING MARATHON (E Tory) was four to one and CHISM (M Lovelace) at 12 to one with much bigger prices for the remainder. I studied and eventually chose BARDON BOY to carry a substantial amount from the tin. He has had a run this season and came in third but then so has Mrs King's CHISM (K Lovelace) but the fact that Mrs Alford from Cornwall sold this horse as a five year old swayed me to invest at two to one. What that has to do with today's form is beyond me but it swayed me. Away they go and the best turned out Miss Barnes's GOLDEN PROMISE was slow away and continued in that vein for the rest of this race but she no doubt enjoyed herself riding her own over these fences. At the open ditch for the first time it was Mr Clarke's COLLIER (T Atkinson) who led the field with the Mitchell's DRESS DANCE in second place, SPRING MARATHON in third, STARPATH in fourth and the remainder following. Little change in the leaders at half way except that CHISM and GOLDEN PROMISE are out of the hunt. COLLIER fell and interfered with BARDON BOY who was trying to get on terms with the leaders but kept going. Five remain as they go to the final ditch with SPRING MARATHON by two from STARPATH and my concern was three lengths further back. As they reappeared with three left to jump it was still SPRING MARATHON but MY BARDON BOY was definitely making up ground. Between the final two fences it was BARDON BOY who picked off SPRING MARATHON and came away to win by ten lengths with CHISM a poor third. A good race but I would say that, wouldn't I. Open tin, deposit winnings, smile at Ruth, lock tin and off for the next race.
The charming Rachel Green who was unlucky on RED BROOK LAD the other day was to ride the favourite in the ladies open but the layers were taking considerable money on Paul Nichols's MISTER BENJAMIN to be ridden by a first time rider in Miss Chloe Roddick. Last years winner Mrs Borradaile's POLDEN PRIDE, now a veteran, is fancied by some but not enough to bring his price down below ten to one. Its all between Rachel and Chloe. My money, of course, is on Rachel. Mrs Osmond's SHY PADDY and POLDEN PRIDE made the running as front runners normally do. Well out in front by 15 lengths at the first open ditch. G Salter's SUNBURNT (Judy Houldey) and MR BENJAMIN were the closest followers. With a circuit to run the front runners were doing just that but MR BENJAMIN and SUNBURNT were now a little closer and MISS O'GRADY was taking closer order and closing them down. SHY PADDY fell at fence eleven leaving the remainder to travel out into the country in the same order. Over the open ditch for the final time in the same order but a lot closer together now. Three out and MR BENJAMIN and MISS O'GRADY were now clear of POLDEN PRIDE and racing for home in good style. Unfortunately at fence eighteen, MR BENJAMIN unseated Chloe and Rachel went on to win by 25 lengths from Mrs Borradaile with Amanda Bush further back on TEL TALE. We will not know now how good MR BENJAMIN is but I will remember the name. A little more for the tin, gosh I am doing well.
No bet in The Westover Group Men's Open race as the favourite, the best turned out, KINGSCLIFF (R Young) is so well and truly odds on. This very capable horse of Mr Sendell is definitely going to the top and it is silly to oppose him. Without him you can punt on Mr Deal's MIRMILLION (A Farrant) who was an easy winner at North Cornwall but in fairness to his connections, we were warned that he is not very genuine. Nevertheless the layers are asking four to six on about him without KINGSCLIFF. MIRMILLION was a slow starter. Unfortunately SCARLET EMPEROR took a crashing fall at the second but this had nothing to do with MIRMILLION who stopped. Yes, just stopped. Did not want to race. A 'thinker' perhaps! but that did not help his followers as he was out of the race. KINGSBRIDGE and KINGSCLIFF led the field on passing the judge for the final time with Club Ten's WOODLAND'S BEAU (R Young) in third place. The rest of the field were well spread out. Heading towards the final ditch KINGSCLIFF had pulled about ten lengths clear and when they came into view the lead had increased with MINES A GIN (M Miller) and JACKSON HILL(A Charles-Jones) the nearest followers. KINGSCLIFF came home a worthy winner by some twenty lengths from MINES A GIN and the very tired WOODLANDS BEAU was at least a distance away, third but managed to get the better of KINGSBRIDGE. Nothing taken from or returned to the tin on that occasion.
The Countryside Alliance Club Members Race for Novice Riders saw eight gallant novices ride the course with bigger and better fences than they have probably ever encountered. The horse I mentioned in past reports, the Alner's OSCAR WILDE (D Drake) was made favourite, closely followed by Countess Goess-Saurau's best turned out PERRYMAN (P Mason) and big prices about the others. The youngsters went at it without fear and showed how we are blessed with up and coming talent. At the half way stage it was OSCAR WILDE leading from BADGER BEER (S Hayes) BLACKWATER BRAVE (H Fry) and TALE BRIDGE (A Bush) and all in with a chance. On approaching fence eighteen it was OSCAR WILDE that increased his lead and continued to do so and came home eight lengths clear of BLACKWATER BRAVE who was just a head to the good of TALE BRIDGE. with PERRYMAN back in fourth, CHEROKEE BOY was fifth and BADGER BEER was the last of the finishers. Dan Drake gave a salute on achieving his first win and showed his obvious delight to the crowd. Well done to all of them. I lost a little in that race as I supported local Cornish lad Will Biddick but he didn't get JUST BERT home this time, but at least. he gave us all a display at fence twelve, when JUST BERT made a small blunder, on how to stay on when prevailing conditions and gravity say you should not. I'll get it back soon!!
Finally there were two divisions of Confined Maiden Races. Thirteen went to post in each of them. The favourites were turned over in each division. Grant Cann's ARDMORE (A Bush) won the first division coming home eight lengths clear of Robert Alner's KITFORD (R Young) and Nick Williams back in third place on the Fry's SCARLET GLORY and the very pleased, whip waving, The Hon Diana Harding brought her PROBY LADY home a good four lengths ahead of Richard Woollacott on L Suenson Taylor's CRUISEWELL with Nick Mitchell on their PANHANDLE eight lengths back in third.
I managed to refrain from investing on these maidens but took a serious note of some of them so that they may reward me in future. A successful weekend by me, but the bag didn't get its usual top up today, so it is now rather thinner than usual. The tin in marvellous condition. Long may it continue. Next weekend it is up at Holnicote and then East Cornwall at Great Trethew and the weather forecast is favourable so BE THERE!! Fred & Ruth