Report from Stevenstone Hunt Point to Point
meeting held at Vauterhill Farm on Monday 3rd May 2004.
What beautiful
weather we had yesterday up on Exmoor and we spent it doing very little but we
did visit a National Trust House and Carriage Museum which was enjoyable. Now
here at Vauterhill the scene is set for another good day's racing. This course has also appreciated the recent
rain and the overnight drizzle and will now race as good with good to firm in
places. A cool wind is cutting across
the countryside but the rain is staying away.
There are four to
post for the 'Farmers' race with Andrew Congdon's O SO BOSSY (S Young) going
off the odds on favourite followed by joint second favourites in The Three to
One Club's CHANGE (T Dennis) and J Squire's best turned out RICE POINT
(L Heard). The Devonian Partners' SOME
TOOL (R Ross) making up the quartet. At
the off RICE POINT was slow away and settled in the rear but it was the
favourite who led the field passing the judge with two circuits to go. There was very little change when the field
went out into the country for the last time but it was obvious that CHANGE was
not enjoying himself, and also obvious was that RICE POINT was enjoying himself
and although the favourite was still leading the field, RICE POINT was in
touch. The pace increased and it was
too hot for SOME TOOL who was pulled up.
Approaching the final ditch O SO BOSSY still had a length lead but RICE
POINT was still travelling well and practically jumped up with the leader. A few reminders were being dished out by Sue
Young now but there was no stopping RICE POINT and he came away and went on to
win by two lengths from the favourite with CHANGE twenty lengths back in third
place. That's a fine start to the day -
the odds on favourite turned over!
The Restricted
race saw eleven go to post and provide the first false start of the day but
eventually they all got going and The Tufters' HORRIFIED (D Edwards) led them
to the first. Rounding the far bend and
approaching the ditch it was the one I fancied leading now - the Roberts's
CHAPNERS CROSS (S Young) closely followed by L Rowe and T Cole's DERRILADY (L Rowe), all safely over and onto the home
straight but we were soon to lose the latter who fell. HORRIFIED joined CHAPNERS CROSS, over fence
seven, up past the start area but we lost my concern here so now I will cheer
on Ruth's investment carrier in Reuben Chapman's INDIAN RAIDER (Andrew
Glassonbury) who is going very well indeed.
Ashley Farrant is on the favourite in Mrs Lawrence's ZAKLEY and is now
in the picture a little, but others are running equally well. Through the run through for the final time
it is HORRIFIED followed by ZAKLEY and INDIAN RAIDER and these three are a
length or two to the good of Saul Kidson on R John's PERSIAN DAWN. It was not until fence sixteen that we
noticed Ken Heard's BUDGHILL, (C Heard) who has been down with Mrs Frost for a
couple of weeks, to get him to lift his feet a
little better than he has done in the past, (form-pupu) was coming onto
the scene. The final ditch HORRIFIED
led over it by three lengths followed by INDIAN RAIDER (Reuben gave a little
jump in the air then, not a lot but just a little jump!) and BUDGHILL and these three have broken
away by at least six lengths. At the
final ditch they jumped together and the race for the line was on. BUDGHILL made it by half a length from
INDIAN RAIDER and five lengths back was A Cottle's MY JESS (M Sweetland) who
had made up ground to push HORRIFIED back into fourth place. Well done Ruth!
Four for the Mixed
Open with a clear favourite- D Johnson's VIVID IMAGINATION with Ashley Farrant
up. This one is four to one ON but he
was that when he unseated on his last run at the Berkeley meeting but was going
extremely well at the time. The
opposition is the best turned out Roma Cook's HASTEN BAK (Lucy Gardner),
D Partridge's MORRIS PIPER (R Woollacott) and G Lever's PORLOCK HILL (D
Edwards). I invested, without the
favourite, on HASTEN BAK to put a little back in the tin. I knew Lucy would oblige if she possibly
could. Well that is exactly what
happened. The odds on favourite came
home clearly by eight lengths from a very good run by my choice and fifteen
lengths back in third was PORLOCK HILL.
MORRIS PIPER decided against putting his best foot forward today,
started slowly and continued in that vein until pulled up.
An exciting three
horse race was to follow in the Confined Hunts' race. Caroline Prouse would be riding her lovely horse, the best
turned out FATHER MANSFIELD, Ashley
Farrant will be on the Lawrences lovely SQUADDIE and Saul Kidston will there to
upset both of them on E Cann's CALLEVA STAR.
Well the latter never did upset anyone and came in third but the other
two made a good race of it. Ashley
wanting the points badly and the other rider not prepared to let him have
them! The distance between them on the
line was one and half lengths with the gentleman in Ashley coming through and
letting the lady have first prize.
Truthfully - he had no option as FATHER MASNFIELD was the better by far
and SQUADDIE will win again soon.
In the
Intermediate I chose J Chanin and S Knox's STONE VALLEY (Alex Charles-Jones) to fill up the tin and
I know Ruth will be backing this one as well but we were both disappointed as
the only position that this one was prominent in was tail end Charlie, He never seemed to get into the race at
all. This horse is better than this and
I am disappointed as prior to his fall he won his maiden and restricted
well. One for the mind! We wiped our eyes and concentrated on the
remaining runners. A really good race developed and although only five runners,
the race for the line was a very good one.
Tabitha Cave on the Elliott's MYSTIC WARRIOR got the better of Richard
Woollacott on D Underhill's best turned out STATE MEDLAR by just a head with Lucy on DRUMHORC eight lengths
back in third.
A quick look into
the tin assured me that I had to deposit some this time as it is the last race
and there is space for a little before the lid will not fit! I am banking on Alex Charles-Jones again in
this twelve runner Open Maiden race and praying that he will bring Mrs Perry's
SOUND SENSE into the hallowed spot - number one. I think the layers have made him favourite but A Geering's TERINO
(R Darke) is also fancied by some as is Richard Woollacott on the Cutcliffe's best
turned out NATIONAL DEBT and The
'Just One More' Club's POLAR LIGHT (D Edwards). Off they go! Colin Heard
on Ken and John Heard's NDITLIR set a good pace. Lucy Gardner has her FINBAR behaving much better now, this one
will be making himself know before very much longer. NDITLIR, POLAR LIGHT and TERINO travelling well down the back
straight. SOUND SENSE is not too far
away. The open ditch for the final time
- NDITLIR, POLAR LIGHT and SOUND SENSE all going well. Up to the final fence and Alex is now
sending SOUND SENSE on. This is it - on
he goes to stretch away to win by four lengths with POLAR LIGHT in second by
just half a length from TERINO and
NDITLIR was in fourth place. A good
race and a very profitable finish. Both
tin and bag profited by that one.
A quiet journey
home now, a little work to do before packing up and leaving for Exmoor once
more for the Minehead Harriers and West Somerset (Saturday 8th May)
meeting at Holnicote and then back to Lifton (Sunday 9th May) for
the Tetcott meeting. Both have good
entries so make sure you are there - BE THERE!
Fred and Ruth