Report from East Cornwall Hunt Point to Point
meeting at Great Trethew, Menheniot on Sunday 22nd February 2004.
A bright and cold
day was forecasted for this meeting and this is what it is but nevertheless it
is dry. One can dress up to keep out
the cold but the wet is a different matter.
I found a pair of old tights (Ruth's I might add!) and thought they
would help to keep out the biting east wind - this they did but when I was
asked where had I been to get my legs so sunburnt I was delighted to inform the
enquirer that I had just holidayed in Florida, he believed me!!
Great Trethew
course has never been in this condition for this early meeting and the going is
good and good to firm in places which will get the maidens flying around here
as well as the top of the ground horses.
The farmers race
is dominated by the Young's FOSSY BEAR who should have no trouble winning this
on his first outing this season. Sue
deserves a bit of luck as life has not treated her too well lately in
particular with the burning down of her mobile home. There are three opposing her, Mrs M Smith's CORNISH MIST (R
McCarthy), S Rich and S Rogers's HEIDI MOO (S Rogers) and Mrs Stevenson's
LITTLE ROSIE (Dawn Mitchell).
Well! CORNISH MIST gave up,
HEIDI MOO came in a long way back third and second was LITTLE ROSIE who was ten
lengths behind FOSSY BEAR. That was a
nice opener for this mare and no doubt we will see her later in the season a
few times. Dawn Mitchell rode LITTLE
ROSIE well and I hope we will see this combination later in the season.
Now came four
divisions, yes! FOUR - for younger horses and all to be run over two and half
miles. I think it a pity that the
management split these races before the day as the total that went to post
could have been raced in three divisions with the safety factor at 14. The Restricted was also split but could have
been raced in one race as fifteen went to post and the safety factor of 18
would have covered just one race. It really does make a long days racing both
for public and volunteer workers. I
will be as comprehensive as possible with my report but if too long may become
tedious for readers. Incidentally I
believe there is an eleven race card at Ottery next weekend.
The first division
saw Colin Heard set the pace with Ken and John Heard's NDITLIR followed by Liam
Heard on S Williams GEORGES PLEASURE and the jointly owned ABSEAL (Alex
Charles-Jones) and Richard Woolacott on the Pedrick's JOLI CHRISTMAS. Others attempted to stay with this group but
eventually gave up and at the top of the hill for the final time it was still
NDITLIR being challenged by GEORGES PLEASURE for the lead with ABSEAL now
coming forward into third. Liam waved
to father as he passed him and came down the hill much better than the others,
up and over the last couple saw him to the line five lengths ahead of ABSEAL
with NDITLIR another five lengths back in third.
Division two saw a
clear favourite in R Williams's SPOT THE BUSINESS (Polly Gundry) with J
Menzies's KINGS COMMAND (A Michael), K Sanderson's FOUR IN HAND (D Edwards)
going off as joint second favourites.
Rebecca Welch's GUNNERS MISTAKE (C Heard) was also fancied by some as
the form shows that this going is to his liking. I chose Polly to put a little in the tin and this she obliged by
winning on SPOT THE BUSINESS by two lengths from GUNNERS MISTAKE with FOUR IN
HAND a further length back in third.
The tin is not
looking too bad and now I am choosing the favourite, the Biggins's EBONY JACK
(Geoff Barfoot-Saunt) and managed to get my little on before he moved to
odds-on. Several were whispering about
W Britton's JEMANNETTE (T Dennis) but she didn't impress me at Wadebridge. My attention was called on more than one occasion
to the dam of Mr Clarke's TOUCH OF FLAME (M Miller), that very good horse Flame
O'Frensi - remember her? I haven't
space to go into the running of this race but Michael Miller rode TOUCH OF
FLAME brilliantly to get the better of Mrs Perry's SOUND SENSE (J Young) by one
length on the line with my choice back in third a further length away. Whoops! Tin suffering a little. The bag hasn't been open for quite some time
for deposits so that is also disappointing.
The final division
saw another eight go to post and I have ignored the form of A Knox and J
Chanin's STONE VALLEY (Alex Charles Jones) as although he was behind when
unseating at Black Forest Lodge on his first run he appeared to be going well
at the time. On it goes at eight to one
and although I had a fright from Richard Woolacott on T Thorne's SIMPLY BRUNO
(second) and even Andrew Glassonbury attempted on Ross Oliver's RETORRICK ROSE
(third) to give my money to the bookies, neither got past Alex and the tin was
well and truly serviced and then locked.
The men's open has
a bit of class in it with the running of David Pipe's ONEMINUTETOFIVE (A
Farrant) who we witnessed winning a restricted at Buckfastleigh in fine
style. The other with class is Sarah
Prouse's SHOBROOKE MILL (Alex Charles-Jones) but may need the run. Hugo Froud's BOUCHASSON has also had form in
the past so may spring a surprise. Well
it was run at a fair clip and one by one they dropped out with nothing getting
near the winner ONEMINUTETOFIVE and the only other finisher SHOBROOKE MILL
fifteen lengths back in second place.
No bet that time as the price was too skimpy - two to one on.
Now nine for the
ladies race and again we see a classy animal in Paul Nicholls's MISTER
BENJAMIN. To be ridden as usual by
Chloe Roddick who apart from falling off this lovely animal at Milbourne St
Nicholas last season has won six points including one this season. Suffice to say she won easily by ten lengths
from Lucy Gardner who gave Paul Tylor's GURU RINPOCHE a really good ride and
who, surely is going to add a won (one!) to his form soon as the consistant
performance deserves a win soon. Third
horse home was Sue Young on the family owned LIRSLEFTOVER who finished like a
train and deprived me of my each way bet as I had punted on Tabitha (Cave) to
bring Sally Alford's JUST BERT into the frame.
No money for fourth!
The confined hunts
maiden race went off with twelve runners as S Smith's JUST ARETHA (Polly Gundry) was withdrawn not under
orders. The favourite was Ashley
Farrant riding the jointly owned CARGO FLIGHT but M Treneer's COMMANCHE SUMMER
(A Glassonbury), Mrs Lawrence's O'ECH (C Heard) were also fancied by the
punters. I unfortunately chose E Worth and T Hughes's VERO BEACH (Alex
Charles-Jones) who brought nothing back to the tin or bag but an exciting
finish did come about with the seven to two shot, COMMANCHE SUMMER just holding
off Richard Woolacott on the fourteen to one shot CAPPA HILL by a head. Colin Heard on O'ECH was just three lengths
back in third.
The intermediate
saw just three going to post but a close contest was assured as these three
have similar form, two having won their restricted races this season and
TENINAROW, now to be ridden by Richard Darke as Vanessa Shaw was injured when
falling earlier won his maiden and restricted late last season. I chose Ashley Farrant to bring home P
Finn's CANTERBURY JACK to swell the tin considerably. My threat I thought would be Polly Gundry on Richard
Kelvin-Hughes's LITTLE NATIVE but he was the first to feel the pace and left
Mike Weir's TENINAROW to keep CANTEBURY JACK up to his work. A very exciting race but I do feel that
CANTEBURY JACK had some in hand and the two lengths by which he won was an easy
two lengths. LITTLE NATIVE was five
lengths back in third. Well now the tin
is looking good but I fear the bag is letting the side down!
Finally two divisions
of restricted races followed. Ten to run in division one and five in division
two. The contest in the first division
was definitely going to be between Ashley Farrant riding B Kilpatrick's
CIMMAROON and Sarah Gaisford riding Ed Retter's BISHOP'S BLADE both having won
their maidens this season in good style.
I chose the latter! Others with
form were the Faulks's BEECHTIME (N Mitchell), Mary McCarthy's LINGERING FOG,
Charlie Rush's PANTO PIXIE and the syndicated best turned out ROSEACRE (P Gundry). To me, although losing, was the best race of
the day and run in the fastest time of the day. The excitement in the crowd as the two main protagonists raced
down the hill in full view, was terrific.
As they came up the hill with two to jump and then the short run in, it
was difficult to see who was to the good.
As they dashed past me there was definitely nothing in it but at the
line the judge decided that CIMMAROON had got home by a neck in front of
BISHOP'S BLADE and an excellent run by PANTO PIXIE who was back in third place
four lengths back Brilliant although
nothing for the tin - this time!
The final race of
the day - the tin is looking good and I will get up to date with bag condition
later. Five will run and as quick as I
could I caught a good price on the favourite and dumped a considerable amount
of the tins contents into the turf accountants hand and screamed - JUST
SALLY! Computer ticket clutched in
woolly gloved hand I stood back to see how others were wagering. I soon found out that my investment was not
on the favourite because by now they (the wagering public!) had decided that
Mike Weir's BALLYKNOCK ROSE (R Darke) was a better bet than Mrs G Robarts's
JUST SALLY! Mrs Redwood's BUTLER DIDIT
(T Cave) and Mrs Snook's HANDSTAND (Martin Sweetland) were available at four to
one and the outsider of the field was the best turned out L Wickett's
BEAFORD PRINCESS (J Young). Tabitha
gave me a fright or two and kept BUTLER DIDIT up to his work the whole time but
Ashley was riding at his best on a horse that did its job well on the day and
managed to come home by two lengths from Tabitha with Richard Darke on
BALLYKNOCK ROSE back in third place.
More for the tin
and I made sure that I walked back to the car with my winnings in my hand so
that all could see I had been successful.
Just a roll of paper but then again - you can do very little without it!
A very long days
racing completed with a few fallers requiring ambulances and the air ambulance
so I do hope everyone has recovered and if not, get well soon. Email me and let me know how you are getting
on please!
Next week just one
meeting as after Ottery we will dash off possibly changing en route to The
North Cornwall Hunt Ball which we are both looking forward to.
See you at the
East Devon meeting at Ottery St Mary - BE THERE!
Fred and Ruth