Report from South Pool Harriers Point to Point
held at Buckfastleigh Racecourse on Saturday 14th February 2004
A good drive up
from Newquay where we left surfers in the sea with a little surf but lovely
weather. Here at Buckfastleigh it was
just the same. Perfect Point to Point
weather and a good crowd is expect. The
course will race as 'good' but by half way through the card I expect the bottom
straight to have cut up a little and will perhaps be a bit sticky but there
will be winners and loser. The tin is
looking healthy and the bag is not!
This must change soon or else it will be my turn to top up someone's
resources.
We kick off today
with an intermediate race sponsored by The Rugglestone Inn at
Widecombe-in-the-Moor, with the best turned out sponsored by The New Inn
Moreleigh and to the winning jockey goes a bottle of champagne kindly donated
by The Church House Inn at Stokeham.
Public houses doing their bit for our sport - Well Done! I shall support you all in due course! There was no clear favourite for a while to
win this although both H Wakeham's CAREFREE LOVE (R Darke) and the Bishop's
LEON GARCIA are prominent in the investment area. I looked to the sky for some help and there lo and behold where
the moon would normally be there was a huge balloon. That was enough to inspire me to wager that Miss Baverstock &
Mr Partridge's TH'MOONS A BALLOON would win this one. So much for the form book!!
Polly (Gundry) is riding Mr Tanner's VERCHENY who finished last season
promisingly and Caroline Prouse will be up on her best turned out FATHER
MANSFIELD. Off they go for the first
race this year at Buckfastleigh! Good
luck Ruth! (please!) A uneventful first circuit until the open ditch when we
lost Mrs Turner's SILVERMAN (Mandy) but the remainder of the field went on led
by TH'MOONS A BALLOON at a steady
pace. Changing leaders along the bottom
straight and up the climb to start their final circuit. The pace had increased a little and the
Milton's blinkered GUTSY DALTON took them out into the country for the final
time followed closely by TH'MOONS A BALLON, CAREFREE LOVE, BALDHU JAY ARR and
HAPPY TEAM. Unfortunately the loose
horse took GUTSY DALTON out here and caused him to lose several places. Towards the ditch and TH'MOONS A
BALLOON led the field but CAREFREE LOVE
was very close and EARLY MORNING CALL has made up a little ground along with
John Weldhen's NATIVE DRUM (Sarah Gaisford).
Turning into the back straight with five to jump it was still my choice
doing very well and I wasn't watching who was following as my binoculars are
very narrow beamed, especially when my horse is in front. Jumping well and still in front but a little
too early to shout yet! Third last and
TH'MOONS A BALLOON jumps well - could I be on a winner? The hill is yet to come and it is
deceptively steep or it was when I walked the course and I have seen nothing to
change my mine, not quite a one in ten but steep after you been around here a
couple of times. Yes the hill told the
story and LEON GARCIA came from back in the field along with VERCHENY and went
for the line overtaking my investment carrier.
LEON GARCIA won eventually by fifteen lengths with FATHER MANSFIELD just
taking VERCHENY practically on the line with just half a length between
them. I again looked to the skies and
the balloon like my money - had gone. I
knew where my money had gone but the balloon, I know not and I am damned if I
care. Nothing for either container.
The first division
of the maiden races followed with fourteen runners going to post. A clear favourite was soon established in D
Johnson's VIVID IMAGINATION (A Farrant) who has got form from Ireland and the
National Hunt circuit. I chose one
of the second favourites as the price would give me more money IF I WON! The Newton's BALLY BLUE (L Jefford) would
carry my investment. Nice clean start
the man said followed promptly by BALLY BLUE was very slow away there! Now how can that be when the sort of clean
start I wanted to see was - BALLY BLUE leads the field or words to that effect. The second bit of bad news was that my
concern was detached by about ten lengths!
Whatever is happening? I can
only see one horse through my binoculars again but this time it's the last one
and not the first. Pain! VIVID
IMAGINATION was soon out in front leading the way with the field, including
mine who had made up some ground, nicely bunched up behind. After one complete circuit it was VIVID
IMAGINATION with John Shear's ADVICE TAKEN (N Mitchell) and GUNNER'S MISTAKE (C
Heard) in close attendance. The pace
quickened but the leaders were the same but I heard those lovely words -BALLY
BLUE has made his way up through the pack.
I am in here with a chance. All
these maidens were jumping well and led by ADVICE TAKEN followed by VIVID
IMAGINATION they took the field out into the country for the final time. Along the bottom straight VIVID IMAGINATION
began to show his superiority and went eight lengths clear, ALBAMART WOOD
grabbed second on passing ADVICE TAKEN who made a real hash at the final fence
and there in third place was - yes you have guessed it - my BALLY BLUE. He owes me but he will pay me back for sure
but I must ask the jockey if he would mind starting the same time as the rest
of the field as that could possibly help!
I'll see if division
two is easier to win something on.
Fourteen again to post with again the Johnson, Pipe, Ashley Farrant trio
providing the favourite in THINK COMMERCIAL, (I wonder who named that horse!) Off they go. Well! Before the fourth fence
they were all strung out. Two fallers
before the first circuit was completed and one pulled up and some tired looking
horses as they passed me. Eleven took
the ditch. Soon after TRUICEAR fell
then a whole lot of 'pulled ups' began.
Liam Heard on the family JOSANJAMIC was travelling sweetly as was the
favourite, (THINK COMMERCIAL), M Holmes's ORINOCO'S FLIGHT and S Horn's COOMBE
QUEST (T Dennis). Only four left to
fight it out with four left to jump. A
good race developed between the first two JOSANJAMIC and COOMBE QUEST. Ten lengths to the good of THINK COMMERCIAL
and ORINOCO'S FLIGHT and racing amid thunderous shouts to the last. The Heard family winning the shout contest
but I am sure the followers of COOMBE QUEST were not far behind. JOSANJAMIC
came up the hill about two lengths to the good of COOMBE QUEST, towards the
last and over goes JASANJAMIC but unfortunately slipped on landing and unseated
Liam and COOMBE QUEST bumped into him on his way to the line to win a thriller
with VIVID IMAGINATION twenty lengths back in second and ORINOC'S FLIGHT was
four lengths back in third. The horse I
chose to amend the level in the tin is so far back I have forgotten its
name. Possibly one of the many 'pulled
up'.
Perhaps the men's
open will cheer me up a bit, I haven't had a winner yet! Out of 12 good entries I have chosen Alex
Charles-Jones on S Prouse's MONTY'S LASS to bring a smile to my face and took
the five to one I was offered and Ruth did as well. The favourite is established in Mrs Cook's RIGHT TO REPLY (N
Harris) who has been impressive but he has also unseated recently so the eight
to eleven ON is not such a good price really.
On passing us to go out in the country for the first time it was Nick
Mitchell on NEARLY GOLD leading with Ashley Farrant on Mr Kilpatrick's
COLQUHOUN in close attendance but the favourite was held up in rear at the
moment. Lets hope he stays there! Mrs Vicary's POLAR FLIGHT (J Young) led the
field safely over the ditch. All
jumping well - as they should do.
Having said that the jointly owned FOU DOUX (N Wilmington) came unstuck
along the bottom. Mr Bevins's LE CURE
had a go at leading then it changed back to POLAR FLIGHT. Mr Kivell's PROCEDURE (D Edwards) was pulled
up. Mrs Trueman's LEAD STORY (R Woolacott) was pulled up but while all this was
happening RIGHT TO REPLY moved slowly and deliberately up through the field
from his waiting position and then took up the lead BUT my investment carrier
MONTY'S LASS was still in with a great chance.
Not to be! As soon as Neil Harris
asked his mount to go about his business that is exactly what he did and he
dominated the race from here on in.
MONTY'S LASS did not throw in the towel but could managed only second
place five lengths behind the winner with POLAR FLIGHT two lengths further
back. An impressive performance by the
winner but not for my tin or for Ruth's bag. Not good!!
The restricted
race which followed was split with ten going to post in division one and nine
in division two. Again the horse ridden
by Ashley Farrant was chosen to be the favourite and it was L Claydon's BALDARA
with all the remainder available at quite big prices EXCEPT the one I have
chosen and that is The Atkinson family's MARTBY. I know how he saved me at Chipley Park when he supported the tin
quite nicely and Lord only knows I need supporting today. Favourite at six to four against and my best
turned out MARTBY is two to one.
The first to disagree with his visit here was Mr Ford's YOUNG HARRY (R
Woolacott) who pulled himself up, probably fed up! MARTBY led them over the open ditch safely and on into the back
straight. The field bunched up. With one complete circuit to go it was
BALDARA leading the field with Lucy (Gardner) on her DRUMHORC close up followed
by MRS PEGGOTY (D Edwards) and MARTBY.
The horse down from the Beaufort country, the Hawkers SOOTSIR is
reported as being hard ridden in sixth place. I have just heard those dreadful
words -MARTBY got a reminder there! - I gave him several reminders when he was
passing me on the way to post, surely one of them he heard. The lovely grey was
being overtaken and he left it to SOOTSIR (remember! being ridden a long way
back!), MRS PEGGOTY and DRUMHOC to race up over the last and to the line. A very close finish with SOOTSIR managing to
maintain a short head over MRS PEGGOTY with DRUMHOC in third.
Division two saw
another clear favourite in David Pipe's best turned out ONEMINUTETOFIVE (A Farrant) who went off
odds on and had no trouble in coming home twenty five lengths ahead of the
Millers MISTER SWALLOW with Tabitha Cave on Mr H Messer-Bennetts SEA SNIPE back
in third. Unfortunately the price of
three to one about SEA SNIPE did not encourage me to wager each way but I did
think this horse looked good. Nothing
for tin or bag. This is disastrous!!
In the ladies open
the favourite should surely win as the entry from Chloe Roddick's stable was
fit for Cheltenham last season so should surely see off the other entrants
here, good though they might be. Ten go
to post and I will wager without the favourite and I managed to
get eleven to four on Charlie Rush's KESTICK with Tabitha Cave up. Polly Gundry would be up on another visitor
in Mr C Bennetts's BALINOVA who has some good form. The favourite came home to win by fifteen lengths and in the
quickest time of the day and was a real pleasure to watch achieving it but my
interest was closing on the second horse BALINOVA, and I only wanted Tabitha to
come second on KESTICK and I have
won. She gradually, through determined
riding got up and passed Polly and was on the way to the line when it looked as
though she had stopped riding and Polly - who never, got to the line a short
head to the good and took second place.
The commentator said those lovely words 'Second - KESTICK' but the judge said differently. Well well!
Nowt for tin or bag.
The confined hunts
race is the last race of the day and a determined effort must be made to recoup
some of my losses. I have never had
such a bad day - I must do better and it will not take a lot of doing to do just
that. In this race there is a racing
certainty in the Heards' BILL ME UP who won so convincingly at Wadebridge so
irrespective of odds I will definitely pick up a little on this race. Hang on! Five to two on means if I put on
two pounds I will only benefit by eighty pence but at least I will not leave
the course not having won something. No
I will not. I have finished for
today a sad loser for tin and the bag did no better either! Whilst I feel very sorry for the connections
of BILL ME UP (they also had bad luck with JOSANJAMIC) but was I pleased that I
at least made the right decision as unfortunately this odds on favourite was
left at the start and was late getting away by some fifteen to twenty
lengths. Whilst he did a marvellous job
in closing down the leader to come second he failed to make it and was a
seventh length second to Richard Darke on R Oliver's RONANS CHOICE with Tim
Winzer's PROVINCE (R Woolacott) six lengths back in third. There is no such thing as a racing
certainty!
I lost some (a
lot!) of the contents of the tin but I'm off to Milborne St Andrew for the
South Dorset meeting to a course we both like and we will have better luck
tomorrow.
BE THERE!
Fred & Ruth