Report from Spooners and West Dartmoor Point to
Point at Cherry Brook Tavistock on Sunday 4th April 2004.
The rain which has persisted since yesterday
afternoon has not prevented the course here at Cherry Brook from being in tip
top condition for racing and will ensure that the competitive looking card will
go ahead and produce seven races on good going.
This will be a
condensed version of the day as I will be leaving home (Monday am ) to say
farewell to a very good friend of mine and a very keen hunting/point to point
supporter. Seth Trevail of Bilberry
Farm, Bugle had a real love of the point to point circuit and I have been with
him on many occasions at point to point meetings and thoroughly enjoyed his
company, conversation and humour. He
was also an ardent supporter of hunting and held meets at his farm as well as
hunter trials. He will be surely missed
but never forgotten.
The Hunt race has
only attracted two runners which does surprise me for this area which is full
of the hunting fraternity. Neil Harris
on E Wonnacott's ELEGANT LIGHT will take on the best turned out, Polly
Gundry on Richard Kelvin Hughes's LITTLE NATIVE. The investing arena shows that Neil will go off at even money but
Polly will be valued at two to one on.
A little skinny for me so I think I'll resort to watching and shouting
and the bag holder is doing the same.
It was a good match with the first two circuits completed at a steady
pace but the final half circuit saw things warming up and finally a race at
full speed to the line. They jumped the
last together but Polly landed running better and got the better of the short
run in, to win by three quarters of a length.
One more for Miss Gundry who is truly up front in the Lady Jockeys'
contest.
The second race is
a Restricted race and twelve will go to post.
The best turned out D Partridge's TYCOON TED (R Woolacott) is
fancied by some as is Mark Dennis on Walter's MILLA'S MAN but the clear
favourite is definitely John and Sally Alford's RARE GEM with Tabitha Cave
up. The connections of this one have
been really patient as although it was thought at one stage he would run last
year, they thought better and brought him along for his first race at Kilworthy
where he showed what a good prospect he is turning out to be. In this race he really backed that up! Others took a turn at leading the field but
a gradual increase in the pace of RAREGEM brought him slowly from the back of
the pack to lead the field home with almost half a circuit to go. His final fence (the second last on the
course as the last one was dolled off) was skipped over at such a height he
would have cleared any at Aintree. Les
Jefford got The Elliott's MYSTIC WARRIOR to rally well and came in second only
two and half lengths behind the winner and is worthy of note with Tim Dennis on
the Three to One club's CHANGE eight lengths back in third. Except for the mixed open this was the
fastest time of the day - six minutes seventeen seconds. This one is a real gem - and we know they
are rare! Well done!
Race three, the
Mixed Open with eight runners.
Unfortunately Lucinda Tylor's WAG THE BRUSH (Tabitha Cave) was withdrawn
at the start and did not come under orders.
I believe a little bleeding was noticed on his arrival there so money
back for those who thought he might win and a reduction for all other investors
if their choice is a winner or placed.
Colin Blank's BENGAL BULLET (Alex Charles-Jones) went off favourite at
just better than even money with the others available at much more sensible
returns. I took a chance on the Fry's
BLACKWATER BRAVE as he is carrying good form but I was fresh out of luck so had
no worry about any deductions as I suffered the biggest one - lost the
lot!! It was a good race for two horses
- the favourite BENGAL BULLET lived up to his expectations and ran extremely
well but didn't expect such a challenge from Mary McCarthy on her SANDY
DUFF. This one has really been showing
off this season and Mary is no doubt learning from her experiences on such a
good horse. After a close tussle she
got away from the favourite and came home ten lengths to the good with BENGAL
BULLET a distance ahead of third placed, Richard Woolacott on R Rawle's
LONGSTONE LAD.
The Confined Hunts
race has nine runners and the form experts are racking their brains on this one
and arguing the case for the two main protagonists in Lucy Gardner on her BAK
ON BOARD who won easy at Kilworthy and J Lethbridge's BY MY SIDE with Alex
Charles-Jones up who also has good form this season without winning yet. Welcome back Jennifer (Congdon), who now
repaired, is up on her O SO BOSSY and Saul Kidston is up on D Cocks's SBS BY
JOVE and Tabitha Cave is having a go with Mrs Alford's JUST BERT. The best turned out KNOCK STAR with
Simon Partridge up could be coming back to some good form after a second in a
members race recently. Off they go with
the favourite not clearly defined but I expect it was BY MY SIDE! A steady pace for the first circuit with the
lead changing a bit but no one yet to show their true colours. The Young's BELITLIR was pulled which was a
pity as many expected a good showing from this one as it is the first time out
this season. As they came into sight
coming out of the dip for the final time it was KNOCK STAR who led the field
with Mandy on her KARADIN, and BAK ON
BOARD in close attendance. The long
bend in the distance gives supporters a good view of the field and it was KNOCK
STAR leading being challenged by BAK ON BOARD with KARADIN also getting closer. A brilliant race was then on between these
three horses and they gave their all to the line and one for the judge' was
the call after racing together over the final three fences. KNOCK STAR by a short head from KARADIN and
a neck back to BAK ON BOARD. A really
tight finish! Lovely racing!
Now the novices
are having their turn and eight will go to post and hopefully come back safe
and sound and wiser! A clear favourite
is established and it will be carrying a good half of the tin and perhaps a
little of the bag. The Fry's SIMPLY SAM
is trading at four to five on but I did manage to get even money so I retire to
take coffee and a corn beef sandwich and watch the young Mr Fry make me a
little richer. Well several of these
took the lead at sometime during the race but on passing me for the first time
my concern was being confidently ridden in fifth place. The best turned out LINGERING FOG was travelling well and Mary
McCarthy has already had a winner but at this stage I am not too concerned as
Mr Fry is going well! With a complete
circuit to go the field was led by LINGERING FOG followed by Jane Walter's
CARLING ELECT (L Hawkins) and SIMPLY SAM back in third. From here on it was a real pleasure for me
to watch. The Jack Russell who took a
look at my left leg and decided against it moved closer and got the remains of
the sandwich as I dropped it when jumping up and shouting, as without a sweat,
young Mr Fry brought home his SIMPLY SAM to win by five lengths from Willie
White on Mrs Wakeham's CAREFREE LOVE and Miss Hawkins on CARLING ELECT was back
in third.
The older horses
have a go now in the Confined Hunts Maiden race which will see eleven go to
post. Polly on Mrs Smith's CAPPA HILL
took some of the investors' money, including mine but it was Gordon Chambers's
ON HIS TOES (W White) that proved to be most popular with the form readers and
off it went at four to five ON! Two
horses made this a match - the favourite and Les Jefford on the Wood's BLACK A
BROOK really gave this their all and went clear and raced for home from some
way out and it was Les that came past the post one and a half lengths to the
good of the favourite, with a distance between second and third which was Polly
on CAPPA HILL. This man Les is really
at his best again -Well done!
Finally now the
younger horses with seven going to post and I am on J Perry's SOUND SENSE (J
Young) as the form guide suggests this and is the even money favourite. The
owner of GUNNER'S MISTAKE who is standing beside me is sure that Colin Heard
will bring her chestnut gelding in to the winners enclosure after consistent
placings recently. Much to the delight
of our granddaughter Jade, who is with us today, and the owner, that is exactly
what happened and very easily too, so off I go to pick up for Jade and nothing
for the tin or bag. First GUNNER'S MISTAKE
(Colin Heard) by fifteen lengths, second SOUND SENSE and a distance third is
the Channon's WHAT'S UP MAID (M Munrowd).
A lovely meeting
with a little in tin and bag and some for Jade as well, can't be bad.
Next week Easter
weekend and several meetings around the country. We will be at Lifton for the Eggesford and then Trebudannon for
the Four Burrow Hounds. For the benefit
of those travelling down here on Easter Monday from out of county and not
knowing how to pronounce Trebudannon, I
will publish the best route to Mr Weldhen's farm on our 'home' page tomorrow
which should prevent you having to ask the way to a farm name you cannot utter!
BE THERE! And if
not have a great Easter Weekend any way!
Fred, Ruth &
Jade