Report
from The Point to Point Owners & Riders Club Point to Point held on Sunday
18th January 2004 at Fuller's Barbury Race Course.
Twenty quid to go in! That was my first shock when I arrived at Barbury Castle for the PPORA meeting. The weather was absolutely super. The going was good to firm with good in places. I always laugh at this decision as how one can tell the change over points from G to F to G with a bent hazel/holly/sycamore stick is beyond me.
Incidentally I must mention that we travelled up yesterday and again found super, really good Bed and Breakfast with a lovely bed room, shower room and separate lounge diner with EVERY facility one would want. Thank you Mrs Christine Rawlings of Springfields, Great Ashley Bradford on Avon (Christine.rawlings@farmersweekly.net). Ruth has booked us to go back again soon.
The 1130am start took us a bit by surprise but that was my fault for not checking up and as the computer was short of anti freeze and as the kettle had not yet boiled I missed investing on the first race but Ruth made it her business to hurry to the money arena to get her investment in on time. A very successful one it was too - magic that name Dominic Alers-Hankey, it does wonders for the brown bag (sometimes!!) I thought for some time that Polly (Gundry) on J Bennett's KILLOUGH HILL was going to pull it off but faded when it mattered although improved considerably on past form. The two that went on to make a race of it was J Drummond's OUT THE BLACK (D Alers-Hankey) and R Russell's AGUA ARDENTE (R Cope) who jumped away to the right for most of the course, went for the line together with Dominic prevailing by a neck. The time of six minutes twenty six seconds is fast around here and the field was left really strung out for most of the race showing either unfit horses, unfit jockeys or both as quite a few either pulled up or walked home. Unfortunately this was going to be the pattern for the whole of the meeting. Big fields, well strung out and indifferent racing with no or very little form to be drawn from the results.
The first division of novice riders saw 12 go to post with T Edwards's LORD KILPATRICK eventually going off favourite, closely followed by my selection, Mrs Vaughan-Jones's SYDNEY HOBART from the Caroline Bailey stables with a young Vaughan-Jones taking the ride. This is a consistent pointer and looks the one to bring home some for the tin. Miss Tremlett's HOLDIMCLOSE was also fancied and Mr & Mrs Lee's FOREST JUMP (R Lee) took the eye of a few punters. The Fred Hutsby trained NELSUN (A Corbett) owned by Mrs Macfarlane also looked the part and has carried early season form and normally front runs - today was not to be as the grey fell at the first. Once again the race became strung out and except for LORK KILPATRICK who did it all in fine style and came home by ten lengths, the remainder made hard work of it. Emma Chugg on her TOPICAL TIP enjoyed herself with a few worrying moments whilst leading for quite some way and came in second with the Tremlett HOLDIMCLOSE a long way back in third. I know this horse is definitely better than this! My selection who emptied the tin considerably will improve so I just hope I am there when he does. Ruth continued to increase the size of the bag by adding the rewards from another winner!
Division two saw another band of 12 novices go to post and it really is good to see owners and trainers putting up novices on real quality horses. The favourite was established very quickly in David (helicopter in the middle of the course !!) Pipe's TICTAC (T Eades) and probably went off at odds-on but I decided that Mrs Goody's FRANK BYRNE was worth a little each way as this horse only knows how to come first except for the occasional 'u' or 'f'. Dan Skelton's MICKTHECUTAWAY is carrying a seven pound penalty but was a decent pointer some time ago, was possibly third favourite at four to one. Off they go at again - a fast pace. By the time they got to the top of the rise for the first time the field was getting well stretched out - too fast I say!! I found it very difficult to concentrate on most of the runners as normally they are in a bunch but not this time. The three or four up front continued to make a good race of it and before rounding the final bend it was obvious that the favourite was dropping back and entering the final strait it was going to be between Mrs Stafford's BOYNE BANKS (G Disney), MICKTHECUTAWAY and Richard Green on LEGAL STORM. How to ride a finish - well! they did their utmost and Dan Skelton came out a head winner from BOYNE BANKS. FRANK BYRNE has obviously changed his habits and is prepared to add a different figure (or letter!) to his history card. I will leave him alone in future. The tin and its bubble wrap is becoming very seriously depleted.
The ladies open race saw 18 go to post with the winner being eligible for the £5000 three mile Gerrard Ladies P to P Championship Hunter Chase final at Huntingdon in May. A clear odds-on favourite was established in A Speelman's DUSK DUEL( J Williams) - four to six ON, whew! Not for me at that price, I'll try and find a good each way investment. Richard Kelvin-Hughes's SAILORS FOLLY (P Gundry), or Mrs Deal's BALLYSICYOS (Ollie Jackson), or M Keighley's BOSUNS MATE (B Keighley) or P Corbetts's UPTON ADVENTURE (E James)- very difficult! I search among the bubble wrap and take my pittance to the investment area and stick it all on BOSUNS MATE each way. The Pipe trained BALLYSICYOS ran very well but fell when he looked in with a chance. The Watson's BLACKBERRY WAY refused at the last exhausted. Rilly Goschen was closing on CHASING THE BRIDE but had too much to do to catch UPTON ADVENTURE who was very tired but reached the finishing line some fifteen lengths to the good. Due to fallers and refusers here comes BOSUNS MATE into third place just three lengths behind CHASING THE BRIDE so I will be picking up a little. I am not sure what happened to DUSK DUEL but I was more than surprised to hear that number 23 SAILORS FOLLY was disqualified - rider failed to weight in. The scales at Barbury are on the doorstep of the ladies changing room - how can they miss it? what sort of contestant is this that passes the scales without jumping on. Is it difficult as a jockey to realise that you are in the first four? I have never been in that position but when there are sixteen runners in a handicap I will tell you exactly who is fourth!
Now comes the men's open race with the safety factor being reached and twenty will go to post. An odds-on (2 to 1 on) favourite is again established in D Johnson's LORD ATTERBURY (A Farrant) and this very smart pointer should be able to see off this field. My choice, R French's INVOLVED (R Burton) with very good form so I will invest on him without the favourite. There were fallers, unseated and mistakes galore throughout this race and I do hope all came out of it to ride or be ridden again but it was LORD ATTERBURY who came home a good winner although he had to fiddle his feet at a couple of fences - but even that he did well. Nick Williams on Axe Valley Racing Club's GARRUTH rode a sound race but was only good enough to come within fifteen lengths of the winner with C Green's ASHGREEN a further fifteen lengths back in third. My investment will have a small p' against his name in the form book while my bank account in the tin will have a small d' against it. Ruth had the winner again so I may be asking the bag for a sub.
A quick search of the tin and behind a couple of bubbles in the wrap I found enough to invest on The VWH Partnership's ROYAL SQUEEZE (Polly Gundry) in the Maiden Race for Mares only. Sixteen will go to post and the investing is reasonably open with the Harrison's ITCHEN MILL going off favourite with Mrs Willis's KNIGHTON STAR ( G Barfoot-Saunt) and my choice - second favourites. R Smith's LOVE POTION (R Davidson) fell at the first. It looked extremely good for my investment for a long way round this track and when I saw ITCHEN MILL's jockey, young Tom Draper at buckle ends on the favourite at one fence I was getting really excited. Heading for the open ditch for the last time the field was led by the Fry's SCARLET GLORY (H Fry) followed by my certainty', then came KNIGHTON STAR and J Turner's HILARITY (M Miller) and the rest although by now there were not many left. On they went but my confidence was fast failing. KNIGHTON STAR went off with HILARITY and SCARLET GLORY in pursuit with my investment being left behind. At three out ITCHEN MILL began to get into it in a big way With one to jump ITCHEN MILL and KNIGHTON STAR were at it together. The race for the line was a good one with tired horses just lasting out to give the result as - first ITCHEN MILL, second KNIGHTON STAR and third KAYLEIGHT. Well well - this is desperate straits!! Ruth had the winner (her great-great-great grandfather was the miller at Itchen!) and it is making me look sick and feeling just that!! The new brown bag is open again and then zipped up rather quickly.
The club members restricted race is split in two - my predicament now is, do I borrow a little or a lot, do I invest on both divisions or just the one. Decisions, decisions. Anyway it matters not what I think but it is up to the brown bag owner whether I get any at all. Bless her! She has agreed a sensible sum and over a sensible period with the APR about the norm so I can at least choose one of the races to invest on and the other one I will just watch! This is really serious!
It's a Barbury Castle split - hence nine in one and twelve in the other. Anywhere else it would have been attempted at getting it a little more even. The Staverton Owners Group's RETURN THE CALL (R Bliss) was withdrawn at the start from division one so now only eight go to post. The favourite of the first division was soon up as P Finns I AM SAID I (A Farrant), David (helicopter in the middle of the course!) Pipe trained - a certainty at four to five on, so I made this race the one I would watch and the final one would be the one where I would recoup my losses. This was run at a much steadier pace than the previous races and those that had taken the price of the favourite were looking to collect as they raced down the far side for the final time A tightly bunched group up front included GREY FANDANGO, LEADING CASE, I AM SAID I, KINGSTON BANKER and TREBLE TROUBLE all within a length of one another. GREY FANDANGO made a mistake or two and dropped out of contention, TREBLE TROUBLE did the same so approaching fence 16 there were three left in with a chance. Young Mr Jacobs from Sally Alner's stable on KINGSSTON BANKER decided it was now time to go for home but Andy Farrant was also winding up I AM SAID I with LEADING CASE (S Morris) no lost cause. A good finish was fought out and the novice rider brought KINGSTON BANKER home by a distance of two and half lengths and then a neck between second and third was just the excitement we wished for. Would you believe it! there is someone with a brown bag dancing behind me and one zip is being opened - yes Ruth has won again!
I am off to the paddock as I really do need the next winner. The final division of the restricted, twelve to post and I am going for the best turned out in R Burton and L Griffiths's POT SHOT, to be ridden by the joint owner's son who is no slouch at this game. A good piece of form has been achieved already and I would think this could be his day and further to that there will be many prayers offered up to help him along. On it all goes at seven to four and he is favourite at that price. Again Andy Farrant is riding one for David Pipe (helicopter still here!) LORD OF THE BRIDE and should go well and Mrs Collett's MISTER BRUCE (F Hutsby) and W Caudwell's SUTTON COURTENAY ( J Jenkins) are also fancied. A keen looking gentleman has taken up a position alongside Ruth and I and he is carrying a rug, and lining up with the finishing post as the runners make their way to post.. I asked his interest and he said that he was the part owner of non other that POT SHOT, so I was in real good company. Off they go - quite a quick pace and around the top and down to the ditch for the first time we saw Nick Williams on Maenllwyd Racing Club's ANFLORA and Nick Mitchell on M White's HIGHWAY OAK leading the field with CLOUDY BAY BOY followed three lengths back by MISTER BRUCE, LORD OF THE BRIDE and then POT SHOT, going well! Not much change, in fact no change as they passed the winning post for the first time and made their way up the hill towards the cross fence number 12. HANDY HILL and POT SHOT began to close a little as they ran down hill for the final time. ANFLORA was the first to drop back considerably and at this fence LORD OF THE BRIDE stopped and was out of it. At the ditch with an increased pace it was CLOUDY BAY BOY a length down was HIGHWAY OAK followed by SUTTON COURTENAY three lengths back followed by POT SHOT going well then MISTER BRUCE who was now weakening and that's all that remains. The owner of my investment carrier is now beginning to shout and jump around a little but if he looked over his shoulder he would have seen someone jumping higher, better and covering a greater distance, yes the race is on in a big way! At the next with four left to jump it was still HIGHWAY OAK by a length from CLOUDY BAY BOY followed by POT SHOT five lengths back in third and SUTTON COURTENAY in fourth - forget the rest! As they entered the straight it was HIGHWAY OAK five lengths clear with POT SHOT closing and CLOUDY BAY BOY fading. At the second last HIGHWAY OAK jumped away to the right and POT SHOT closing, now only three lengths in it. The last fence will be omitted so it is a clear run for the line. Well it was a good finish and I had lost but I will be following POT SHOT to redeem my investment as I am sure he will be winning soon. The time of this last race was thirteen second faster than the division one so the better horses appeared to be in the final - so be it, my tin is empty.
"Will the passengers for the helicopter please meet in the bar". I have never heard that at a Point to Point before but it echoed around Barbury Castle.
Alterations to my way of living have now to be considered to enable me to be at Black Forest Lodge next week. Night lambing, road sweeping, apple picking, flogging firewood are all in plan B but don't worry I'll be there even if it is only to watch. Make sure you are.
Ruth and Fred