Report from South Dorset Hunt Point to Point meeting held at Milbourne St Andrew on Sunday 15^th February 2004.

 

A real smooth journey up after Buckfastleigh to a B & B near Milbourne St Andrew but to get an evening meal was a real headache.  Every pub, club and hotel fully booked for Valentines night celebrations.  We managed in the end but the size of our picnic for the race course has sadly diminished - in fact - gone!  We will survive!!

 

The course will be announced as 'good' going but I would call parts of it 'good to firm' but as usual the fences are immaculate and everything is laid out to perfection. Plenty of toilets, plenty of shops, plenty of eating houses (really thankful for that!) and a 'Tote' tent as well as the normal investing area and a lovely atmosphere.  My only complaint is not with the course at all but with the bookmakers - what is the advantage of not marking up their boards until the horses are going down to the start? - maybe there is one but will someone let me know please.

 

I need something to put in the tin as it is annoying me in its present state.  Ruth is uttering similar things to the bag.  Today can only be better than yesterday.

 

Off we go with the first race which is a restricted with twelve runners.  The best turned out  has caught my eye which is P Maltby's LORD OF THE MIST (N Williams) and is enticing me to wager but with tin so empty I have to be very very careful. The favourite is Count Goess-Saurau's CARAT (P Gundry) at two to one but one with a win under her belt is P Harrison's ITCHEN MILL (T Draper).  Also with a win is J Drummond's OUT THE BLACK (Dom Alers-Hankey) and a good price can be had at nine to two.  Carefully does it!  Back without the favourite and go for ITCHEN MILL at eleven to four.  Off they go towards the nineteen fences, the first one is out of vision but when they appear it is not long before we lose SIXTH SENSE and at the same time but independently ASKERS JACK unseats Nick Mitchell.  CARAT is announced as not jumping well and this could give me a bigger chance as ITCHEN MILL is going well and up with the leaders.  At the first open ditch it was F Sotheran's BRANSKI (Guy Weatherley) leading the field with ITCHEN MILL a close second and these two are fifteen lengths to the good of LORD OF THE MIST.  After the ditch we soon lose sight for a couple of fences while they pass behind the copse and when they return in view, the first three have maintained their positions  and the next trio consists of OUT THE BLACK, THUNDERTHIGHS and CARAT.  With a circuit to go it is my ITCHEN MILL leading the field and looking good with BRANSKI six lengths further back and then THUNDERTHIGHS and LORD OF THE MIST and the others.  BRANSKI soon tires.  At the open ditch it is ITCHEN MILL who is joined by LORD OF THE MIST followed four lengths back by OUT THE BLACK and PROBY LADY.  When they came back into view unfortunately it was not what I wanted to see - LORD OF THE MIST was five lengths to the good of OUT THE BLACK, then CARAT and a loose horse.  Oh! dear what has happened?  Then  LORD OF THE MIST made a mistake and lost his position and became very tired and OUT THE BLACK went on to win comfortably by ten lengths from LORD OF THE MIST with the flying Hon. Di Harding bringing her PROBY LADY into third place. 

 

The second race is 'the farmers' race which is normally the first race but up here their milking herds are so large they have to be given time to complete the milking.  Nine run and I recognise a horse of which we used to own a leg  - one DRUID'S BROOK but at 15 he will not probably be up to it but no doubt giving the Reynolds's a lot of fun.  I think NIMBUS STRATUS won here last year but the one I really like and with no form whatsoever is David Gamble's KESTLE MILL (N Mitchell) because I think Mr Gamble lives down in Newquay and the place Kestle Mill is not very far from my front door.  Surely if I choose a balloon in the sky as a tip yesterday then Kestle Mill must be my tip of the day today. There were four horses fancied before mine - NIMBUS STRATUS, M Green's SPRING MARATHON and the Tory's WARREN HILL (R Tory) all at two to one and M Frampton's CONTRA CHARGE (E Tory) at three to one. I managed to get four to one  on KESTLE MILL.  Out into the country with two circuits to go the field is led by SPRING MARATHON and DRUIDS BROOK with KESTLE MILL about third.  With one complete circuit to go the main protagonists are well grouped and more importantly my choice is looking good.  At the fourteenth fence KESTLE MILL joined SPRING MARATHON to lead and then headed for the final open ditch.  Over the ditch and on - KESTLE MILL now leading being chased by Emma Tory on CONTRA CHARGE then Rupert Tory on WARREN HILL and the King's CHISM.  Two out it was KESTLE MILL all the way, jumping like a stag and on to the line followed by NIMBUS STRATUS twelve lengths back and then CONTRA CHARGE a further ten lengths back in third.  That is much better for the tin and for my nerves!  Well done KESTLE MILL.

 

Just six to post for the ladies open race but some class here.  I am taking Richard Kelvin-Hughes's CHARLIE STRONG (Polly Gundry) to win this even though Mr Geddes's EASE THE PRESSSURE with Rachel Green is also running and FRANK BYRNE (R Goschen) who has let me down lately could be a threat but I am sticking to my guns.  Off they go and no trouble on the first circuit with EASE THE PRESSURE being held up in rear initially and FRANK BYRNE leading. At halfway CHARLIE STRONG just led from FRANK BYRNE with EASE THE PRESSURE, WINKAND WHISPER and JACKSON HILL now a lot closer to the leaders. PRIESTTHORN is a little out of it.  At the final ditch CHARLIE STRONG led being pursued by FRANK BYRNE with EASE THE PRESSURE and WINK AND WHISPER a couple of lengths behind the second horse. On coming into view it was CHARLIE STRONG two lengths to the good of EASE THE PRESSURE and these two pulling clear.  Two out CHARLIE STRONG led by two lengths. Between the final two fences CHARLIE STRONG pushed on and EASE THE PRESSURE made no headway.   At the last as I was about to head for the money collecting area that dreadful sound - CHARLIE STRONG is gone! Blundered and unseated Polly!  First EASE THE PRESSURE (which it didn't!), second FRANK BYRNE and third WINK AND WHISPER.  EASE THE PRESSURE might have been a lucky winner BUT - he jumped all the fences and that was what is required.  As expected that was the fastest time for the day but would have been quicker still if my choice had stood up!

 

Now the men's open race with seven going to post.  As much as I like Mrs Woodhouse's BADGER BEER (N Mitchell) I am informed by Ruth that he will be better later in the season so it could be Robert Alner's best turned out OSCAR WILDE (D Drake) who will come home in that prized position but J Miller's MISS O'GRADY (M Miller) did it well at Chipley Park  so that is the one for me.  Not very good odds but two to one is better than odds on or even money.  Sir Richard Cooper's CASPERS CASE (N Williams) is the favourite.  BADGER BEER led for most of the first circuit and at the tenth it was BADGER BEER with OSCAR WILD two lengths away second and then a further two lengths back was MISS O'GRADY and WOODLANDS BEAU.  CASPERS CASE  must have fallen when out of sight.  At the final open ditch it was BADGER BEER keeping up the pace and jumping really well being followed by MISS O'GRADY  and OSCAR WILDE and seven lengths further back was WOODLANDS BEAU whose jockey is trying the 'hit behind' approach as opposed to a 'tap down the neck' in a vain attempt to enthuse his mount to produce more speed.  It seems like an hour out of sight but when they come into view it was well worth waiting for as MISS O'GRADY had joined BADGER BEER (and OSCAR WILDE!) leading the remaining field.  MISS O'GRADY jumping well and pulled out all the stops to go on and win by twenty lengths with OSCAR WILDE just getting the better of BADGER BEER by one and half lengths.  This is the way to do it, off to the tin to do something a bit unusual and that is - deposit a little!

 

Next came the novice riders race with only five this year to compete.  I am relying on Second Lieut Harry Wallace to bring home H Welstead's KINGSTON BANKER in first place this time and at the skinny odds of even money, I invest.  This is the favourite and certainly the form horse but anything can happen in a race in which the young people are learning the business and - it did!  A steady pace was set from the off by RUSTIC REVELRY and close up was KINGSTON BANKER.  Tim Hampton on his PEARL DANTE showed off his pony club skills early in the race but managed not to touch the deck and regained his normal riding position quickly.  M Dare's MOUSESKI (H Fry) who probably went off second favourite is tracking them in third. At half way it was plain that a duel between the market leaders was developing and with a circuit to go it was MOUSESKI and KINGSTON BANKER then quite a gap to RUSTIC REVELRY and the Atkinson's CHEROKEE BOY.  At the final open ditch it was MOUSESKI by three lengths and jumping well from KINGSTON BANKER with CHEROKEE BOY a distance back in third and RUSTIC REVELRY still there.  At the second last it was MOUSESKI who took off first but made a blunder and in doing so, hampered KINSTON BANKER who swerved and unseated Harry Wallace.  Second Lieut Wallace no doubt thinking that on the battle field it would be a long walk back to his tent, did not let go of his charger and amid much cheering, including me, remounted and gave chase to CHEROKEE BOY who had quietly come on without mistakes and was leading the field.  Harry will have to be quicker as a tired CHEROKEE BOY kept on and despite a great effort by KINGSTON BANKER he could not catch young Mr Atkinson who crossed the line one and three quarters of a length to the good.  A distance back in third was RUSTIC REVELRY.  What a learning curve that turned out to be!

 

Finally came two divisions of confined maiden races with nine in each division to post.  A good ride by Mrs Reed saw her bring her CAPTAIN RANDOM home in division one followed by Rilly Goschen on the Dixon's THE SYCOPHANT and then the Vigar's KING OF SWING and then more money for the tin in the second division when I asked Michael Miller to oblige on DURSEY ISLAND which he duly did by a distance and at a very sensible price, with Polly on the Rawlins's EMERALD MIST second and M Green's LET'S ROCK way back in third.

 

A very profitable meeting for me but not a lot for the bag but it is early in the season and the bag has been known to be  late in recovering - (please!)

 

The following has been received from one of our readers in New Zealand and I thought I would share it with you --she says

 

 

This is what happened to me...

 

WHY WOMEN SHOULDN'T DRINK
 
The other night I was invited out for a night with "the girls."

I told Fred that I would be home by midnight, "I promise!"

Well, the hours passed and the champagne was going down way too easy. Around 3a.m., drunk as a skunk, I headed for home.

 

Just as I got in the door, the cuckoo clock in the hall started up & cuckooed 3 times. 
 
Quickly, realising he'd probably wake up, I cuckooed another 9 times.  I was really proud of myself for coming up with such a quick-witted 
solution (even when smashed), in order to escape a possible conflict with him.

 

The next morning Fred asked me what time I got in, & I told him 12:00.  He didn't seem disturbed at all.  Whew! Got away with that one!

 

Then he said,  "We need a new cuckoo clock."
 
When I asked him why, he said, "Well, last night our clock cuckooed three times, then said, "Oh shit," cuckooed 4 more times, cleared its throat, cuckooed another 3 times, giggled, cuckooed twice more, and then tripped over the cat and farted.

 

Next week it is the West Somerset and Minehead Harriers at Hunnicot and then the East Cornwall at Great Trethew.  Note an early start at Gt Trethew as there are eleven races. The other meetings are at Chaddesley Corbett and Badbury Rings  - BE THERE!

 

Fred and Ruth