Report from Dulverton West Foxhounds Point to
Point at Bratton Down on Saturday 15th May 2004.
The weather did us
proud for this meeting and as we stayed up on Exmoor at Cloutsham overnight we
were able to get to the course really early.
Unfortunately our car parking attendant had been to a certain hunt
servants' stag party and was still suffering from the effects. The only way to park our cars to please him
would have been upside down. His
attitude was far from friendly but he did have the grace to return within an
hour and apologised, blaming something called 'Blackthorn' for his state of
mind. Walking this course was a real
pleasure and the new fences a most welcome sight and an unusual amount of grass
for Bratton Down. It would race as
'good' and the condition was the best I have ever seen up here - AND with
sunshine and a nine race card as well what more could one want.
Oh! while I am at
it. The trainer who arrived to accept a
little hospitality from the family who parked next to us (incidentally, friends
of ours too and we are used to parking next to one another and enjoy a peaceful
get together), well I don't think it was 'blackthorn' but more of an amber
coloured liquid that was greasing his mind when he attempted, all within half
an hour of being present; firstly to tip a little boy out of his chair
frightening him severely; then he sat on the picnic box and broke the lid; then
he upset the amber liquid but made sure it was not his; then he stumbled over
the lad again, frightening him once more and of course, upset his mum; and
finally before departing, grabbed my
shirt to prevent falling and also to shut me up (as I was by now wishing his
presence to be 'gone'), breaking a very sentimental tie clip in the
process. Well I have had a price for
the repair of the expensive clip and I know your address, so seriously start
thinking about selling that point to pointer that you were on about, as the
cash will be needed!
The 'Farmers' race
started the proceedings and seven quality runners went to post. The recent
winner R Rawle's DOUBLET (R Wollacott) and John Squire's RICE POINT (T Dennis)
were fighting for favouritism and I chose the latter to increase the contents
of the tin. The best turned out
BESSIE BUNTER (G Maundrell) was the first to depart and she unseated her pilot
quite soon. Down to the first of the
open ditches and it was The Happy Team Partnership's HAPPY TEAM (R Ross) going
well followed by A Cottle's MY JESS (M Sweetland) and RICE POINT. Well as the race continued all except these three
opted out for one reason or another and these continued to the line with RICE
POINT getting away on the long finishing straight to win by ten lengths from
HAPPY TEAM and then four lengths back was MY JESS. A good bit for the tin to start with and I just hope I continue
in this vein as there are eight more to go!!
Straight into the
Mixed Open now. Seven will run. There are three 'Polars' amongst the seven
but the one fancied most is A Malde's POLAR CHAMP (A Farrant) with the jointly
owned WHAT A MOVER (P Gundry) and R Vickery's POLAR FLIGHT (A Charles-Jones)
arguing for second favourite. I am going for Ashley to top up the tin. Off they go and the pace is soon a hot one
set by POLAR CHAMP from POLAR FLIGHT with the remainder a few lengths back in a
group. Out into the country for the
final time and it is still these two taking the field along but Polly was
gradually increasing her pace and now getting up into third place pushing P
Clark's FRIAR WADDON (Colin Heard) back into fourth. At the penultimate flight it was still POLAR CHAMP but WHAT A
MOVER was now close and challenging threateningly. Level at the last! Up the
long run in and Polly gradually pulled away from Ashley to bring WHAT A MOVER
over the line four lengths ahead of POLAR CHAMP with POLAR FLIGHT fifteen
lengths back in third place. The time
of six minutes one second was by far the fastest time of the day. Nothing for the tin but I notice a very big
smile on the bag owner's face!!
The Open Maiden
Race Division 1 saw fourteen go to post with a clear favourite established in
David Pipe's LORD OSCAR with Ashley
up. This one will probably go off as
short as even money favourite even though it is a NRF! A faller at the first fence was S Rowe's
MERV'S MAGIC, so Mr Woodward did have a short race! The favourite was soon leading the field with the Beck's FOSTON
SECOND (M Sweetland) running a good race along with MY BROTHER JACK (Miss K
Lovelance) and F Matthews's THE NELSON
TOUCH (D Turner). A brisk pace being
kept up out into the country for the final time. LORD OSCAR was back at the head of affairs over the final ditch
with FOSTON SECOND and LANDSDOWNE PARK(Amanda Bush) following. LORD OSCAR continued to improve his position
and by the time the penultimate was reached he was about 15 lengths to the good
of LANDSDOWNE PARK and FOSTON SECOND.
On to the line and that situation did not change a lot. The winner by six lengths was LORD OSCAR
from LANDSDOWNE PARK with FOSTON SECOND twelve lengths back in third
place. No adjustment to the tin or bag
necessary!
Division two saw
nine more go to post. Not such a clear
favourite in this one. Mrs M Felton's
SWIFT WOOD (M Miller) has taken quite some money as has C Lawrence's O'ECH (A
Farrant) and The Foale Family's FEELS LIKE RAIN (L Heard). K Sanderson's FOUR IN HAND (D Edwards) and R
Grant's HARNAGE (C Prouse) are also being fancied by some. Off they go! Closely grouped over the first few and then passing the judge and
out into the country for the first time it was O'ECH who led followed by FOUR
IN HAND, HARNAGE, and L Westcott's DOUBLE BUBBLE (A Glassonbury) and the
remainder. The Cox's BEEHAWK (Alex
Charles-Jones) was now moving up to take a hand in things as was M Felton's best
turned out SWIFT WOOD. Up to the final ditch and over was O'ECH
followed by FEELS LIKE RAIN, DOUBLE BUBBLE, ASHWICKE GAMBLER and ROSEACRE. From here O'ECH began to dominate and
increased her lead and went on to win by eight lengths from a good run by
BEEHAWK and five lengths back in third was HARNAGE who had made up a lot of
ground. The 'White Man and Frank
Edwards' Memorial Cup went to division one with a slightly faster time. More for the tin and I fear none for the
bag!
The
Intermediate was a particularly good
race with eight going to post. Polly
Gundry is on J Burbidge's VINNIE BOY (2 to 1 against) and Ashley Farrant is on
D Chown's best turned out NOBLE
ACTION (4 to 5 on) and the remainder are available at much bigger prices. The Kwiatkowski's SHERBORNE GUEST set off at
a decent pace and took the field along with the jointly owned THUNDER THIGHS (N
Wilmington) just ahead of CAPTAIN RANDOM (Mrs Reed) and HOLD ON HARRY (L
Heard). J McCullough's VANSELL (O Jackson) is jumping and also going well. Taking the turn out at the end of the home
straight for the final time it was VANSELL with the advantage over SHERBORNE
GUEST followed by NOBLE ACTION, HOLD ON HARRY and VINNIE BOY. Over the ditch and turning for home it was
still VANSELL but NOBLE ACTION was now being asked to do his stuff and he
joined and got the better of VANSELL and led the field up the far side. All stretched out now and to the last - dam
it! It is here that NOBLE ACTION runs
out. There goes the investment in one
easy move but would he have won, as Polly now has VINNIE BOY going like a good
one and comes home a length winner from HOLD ON HARRY and VANSELL half a length
back in third. Big smiles from the bag
carrier so I guess Polly has done her a favour but I will collect nothing! The one to watch if he gets another run in
this season is VANSELL who was reported as being 'hard to fancy' in the form
book and started at twenty to one but ran very well.
Now come the
novice riders' chance and I see young Ian Chanin is riding BARTON ROSE again in The Dodson & Horell PPORA Club
Members' Race for Novice Riders. The
clear favourite of the eight runners, at one to two on is the Prouse's good
horse FATHER MANSFIELD with Caroline up.
Second favourite is the Fry's SIMPLY SAM with Harry up but the
remainder, according to the investment arena are not up to much.
I invest in BARTON
ROSE as I have not forgotten a good run at Flete and also as reported last time
'Ian owes me!'. Well as you can see by
Ian's smile I got paid handsomely at ten to one.
It was after the
final ditch that a shout or two went out as BARTON ROSE made up good
ground. At the next fence my concern
jumped into the lead followed by CHISM.
Going to the
penultimate Ian had about a three length lead and looked to be going well. Up to the last it was BARTON ROSE, CHISM and
ALEX THUSCOMBE. The race was on to the line.
It is a long run in and nothing was certain as three horses crossed the
line. One for the judge and a very loud
cheer went up when it was announced that BARTON ROSE had won by a head from
ALEX THUSCOMBE with CHISM just half a length back in third.
Well done to all
of you but in particular Ian for filling the tin and bag to overflowing.
The Confined
Hunts' Race was almost a racing certainty as Ashley brought D Johnson's VIVID
IMAGINATION into first spot followed six lengths back by the Pudd's COOL WAGER
and a further twelve lengths back came Keren Cox's JENKO. The winner is the top rated five year old in
the UK and has won five this season but he did unseat the last time I had my
money on him at Woodford.
Finally came two
divisions of Restricted races with eight in division one and seven in division
two. In division one I fancied the
favourite and invested accordingly on P Clark's TOUCH OF FLAME (M Miller) at
even money but I believe this grey could have gone off at odds on. The other two that took a little of the
investors' money were R Skinner's WINNING LEADER (Ollie Jackson) and the
Rawlins's FLORA MACDONALD (A Farrant).
They're off! It was TYCOON TED
(R Woollacott) who took them to the first but unfortunately for me and I guess
a lot of others the commentator echoed those dreaded words - 'There's a faller
at the first!' and waiting with bated breath he then decides to announce the
name of the one you have just invested half a tin full of money on! Yes the faller
is TOUCH OF FLAME! Ruth was so helpful
then as she said I could if I wished - shout for hers! I didn't even bother to ask who hers was so
I just shouted for Ashley as he needs the points in the jockey
championship! He won but it didn't help
my tin. First FLORA MACDONALD with
WINNING LEADER three lengths back in second and the TYCOON TED back in third.
Finally Division
two and a favourite quickly established in G Foot's ASKERS JACK (N Mitchell)
who ran a good race at the Axe Vale meeting to come second to that useful one
EUWILUWIL. Even money favourite. I chose another good horse to carry my
investment in J Perry's SOUND SENSE who has some very good form this season. A very sad ending for this one as he fell
going to the first one downhill and I fear the worse. Ashley duly brought home FLORA MACDONALD by three lengths from
WINNING LEADER with TYCOON TED a further three lengths back in third. This division collected the 'Sinclair
Challenge Cup' as being run in the faster time.
Some excellent racing
in excellent conditions and what superb weather! The tin has done extremely well and the bag has not let the side
down either. Now to down eight pints of
'Blackthorn' which will be necessary to get my head in the right frame to
attempt to drive out of these new car parking arrangements and to journey home
to Cornwall. Tomorrow we will be up at
Trebudannon for the final meeting there this year. The weather forecast is good and you all know the way by now so -
BE THERE!
Ruth and Fred