Report from The Tedworth Hunt Point to Point at
Fuller's Barbury Racecourse on Sunday 18th April 2004.
As predicted we
had a good evening meal, good night's sleep and a most filling breakfast and
then set of for Barbury Castle. Not many here when we arrived but as there are
about three and half hours before the scheduled first race, it is no
wonder. I walked the course, flipped up
a brace of hares, threw my new stick, yes, my new stick, at a squawking magpie
who was giving a blackbird a hard time ( I missed!) and found the course in a
really perfect condition, good grass cover and tip top fences. The racing will be on good to firm and if
the weather stays fine, there should be no problem with racing today.
That reminds me,
when I mentioned the magpie it took me back to Flete Park where I questioned
the gentleman on the 'Save the Dolphins' stand. I asked would he support my campaign to 'Save the Mackerel';
those darlings are eaten by the dolphins and others of the sea and they do make
such tasty starters!!
A nice cup of
coffee awaited me from my course walk and a little shower passed over but
nothing to worry about. A light lunch
and then ready for the day - the day that changed immediately with steady
continuous rain. Tractors at the ready
and pulling in retailers and some private cars. Oh! What a pity, the public area is turning into a sea of mud and
there is no let up in the rain.
In the first race
I fancy Harry Wallace to bring home the best turned out Major W Crosbie
Dawson's FRIARS ISLAND. Second Lieut
Harry Wallace owes me from Milbourne St Andrew back in February when he failed
to get the favourite home in the novice riders race after being unseated and
remounting but today he will win this 'farmers race' I am sure. You see there are no other competitors and
he will be awarded a walk over. He is
also on the best turned out and will also pick up the 'Polos' and
champagne and any cans of beer that may be available. What a pity that the hunt could not find one hunter that would
just make a match for the day! The
parade of their hounds did look good though and was light relief from the 'walk
over'.
In the Restricted
seven went to post with a clear favourite established in J Burbridge's VINNIE
BOY (Polly Gundry) at two to one on. The choice of Ruth is the second
favourite, J Mason's SHY LIZZIE (P Mason) and my choice is Nick Mitchell riding
the Carter's HAWKERS HILL. Up the
straight past the sheltering crowd with J Callow's SNOWTRE (A Wintle) not yet
making up his mind to race or not, then around the top bend and down the back
straight. The favourite was held up in
rear and J Phillips visored LORD KEN (N Phillips) led the field to the first
open ditch, all over safely and now it was the turn of best turned out
Vicky Murphy's NICE APPROACH to have a go up front followed by HAWKERS HILL,
LORD KEN and the remainder. On passing
the judge with a circuit to go it was LORD KEN and HAWKERS HILL together and
VINNIE BOY taking closer orders. R
Bliss's HILL TRAIL was pulled up.
Around the top bend and down the back straight towards the plain fence
where my concern was pulled up. I would
shout for Ruth's choice but I don't see that one either - ah yes still
there. The final open ditch LORD KEN
led VINNIE BOY with SHY LIZZIE coming into it now. The race was truly on now and VINNIE BOY and LORD KEN raced all
the way to the line with Polly getting there just one and half lengths to the
good of Nick Phillips and here comes SHY LIZZIE some twenty lengths back in
third.
Only three for the
Ladies Open race and with an obvious favourite in best turned out J Burbidge's MRS BE being ridden by Polly
and smartly led up by Stuart Sampson.
The other two would no doubt finish in second and third but what order
is the guess! Miss Davies will be on
her grey FLYING PENNANT and Miss Wickens will be on N Cronin's STORM
CASTLE. It was FLYING PENNANT who set
the pace up past the crowd for the first time and quite a steady pace it
was. At the open ditch for the first
time it was STORM CASTLE and the bold jumping FLYING PENNANT together followed
by MRS BE. Up past the judge for the
final circuit it was STORM CASTLE still leading followed by FLYING PENNANT and
then the Burbidge colours on MRS BE.
Still the same order down into the back straight for the final time with
Polly looking ready to pounce from the rear.
Over the open ditch the order not changing and all jumping well. Running down hill and toward the final turn
there was all to play for as MRS BE started her move. FLYING PENNANT after a very good run was the first to weaken but
the other two were going to make a good race of it. STORM CASTLE picked up just to the good of MRS BE at the second
last, in the air together at the last
with STORM CASTLE getting away from the fence the better. Race to the line and
it was STORM CASTLE that hung on and won by half a length from MRS BE and back
in third, fifteen lengths behind was FLYING PENNANT. Oh dear a favourite turned over but we were not on either so it
did not affect the tin or bag!
This is a very
poor turn out for The Sayers Butterworth Tedworth Gold Cup Men's Open
Race. Only two runners. Ashley Farrant will ride Mrs Malde's POLAR
CHAMP against best turned out GLADIATORIAL with young Tom Bishop
up. GLADIATORIAL won this last year and
POLAR CHAMP ran well for a long way at Cheltenham recently. To me from early in this match POLAR CHAMP
did not look happy. As he was the odds
on favourite I attempted to get an in running wager but no one would take my
quid on GLADIATORIAL at five to one but I thought no harm in trying. A good pace was being set for a match but I
was sure POLAR CHAMP was not travelling like his normal self. Was he not liking the rain? Was the going softening? On they went but it was not too long before
reminders were necessary for the favourite.
Ashley was beginning to ride quite hard by the time he reached fence
eleven. Young Tom Bishop is moving his
mouth slightly but he is now so far ahead of POLAR CHAMP there is no fear he is
talking to Ashley but perhaps just smiling to himself. On went Tom and on and on until there was no
doubt who was going to win. Tom crossed
the line thirty lengths to the good of Ashley in a respectable time of six
minutes twenty three seconds. Well
Done!
In the Countryside
Alliance Members' Race seven went to post and again a clear favourite was
established in 'Tigger' Barnes riding P Bevins's LE CURE with the remainder
three to one bar the favourite. I
thought Polly on Countess Goess-Saurau's best turned out PERRYMAN had a good chance provided he has
improved on his last year's form a
little. In fact they all have a little
form and it could be any of them to tackle the favourite and pull this one
off. The first to show as they come out
of the dip after the start was Polly on my PERRYMAN and I do so hope she manages
to stay there. Around the top and down
the back and still leading followed by W Caudwell's TUBBER ROADS (J Diment) and
LE CURE. HILLVIEW HUT was already
beginning to struggle at the rear. LE
CURE made a hash of fence five and Tigger did well to stay in the plate and is
not jumping too brilliantly but on they went.
Fence nine and ARCTIC GREY was a faller. Fence twelve and still TUBBER
ROADS and PERRYMAN leading the remaining field. At the final open ditch Alex Charles-Jones gets TUBBER ROADS
jumping well followed now by LE CURE and my concern is back in third
place. Three left to jump and LE CURE
comes to the front and now jumps well with TUBBER ROADS in second and PERRYMAN
in third. So the race gets really going
and to the line the order is well established and LE CURE gets home twenty
lengths to the good of TUBBER ROADS and PERRYMAN is another twelve lengths back
in third. Nothing for tin or bag that
time!
The final race
will be seen by a very diminished crowd as a steady stream of traffic has been
leaving the racecourse and to prove a point although eleven will go to post in
the maiden only one will finish. Polly
is made favourite to win on Jilly Kelly's GUNVILLE but why I don't know as
there is no form to the first season youngster's credit as yet. Next to me my friend Mr Clark has his
wagering problems settled as he has chosen C Warner's CLARKY'S CHOICE to carry
his investment and Ruth has chosen the grey Mrs Sue Roe's CRYSTAL VEIN to carry
a little out of her bag. We need a
winner badly! They're off!
Some reluctantly,
like CASH ON DEMAND who did not want to carry Nick Mitchell for the next three
miles and took a bit of getting going, as did Freddie de Giles on the grey
ALHERI who managed to be encouraged and started number ten of the eleven. Up to fence number two and now it is ALHERI
who is first over it but there is a faller - whoops! CLARKY'S CHOICE has
decided to lie down with four feet in the air, hence proving that it doesn't
always pay to invest in your namesake - sorry Richard! Harry Doughty on - or should have been ON -
R Jukes's WILLIE THE KID was the next to lie down. ALHERI, this grey thirteen year old kept up the pace and jumped
extremely well. Four fences from the
finish ALHERI was still going well but GUNVILLE was getting a little
closer. These two were well clear of
the diminished remainder. ALHERI was
increasing his lead as he progressed up and over the second last where a very
tired GUNVILLE fell - on to the last fence, up and over and to the line. No other finishers. A win at last for ALHERI! Well done!
Nothing for tin or bag or Clarky!
No queue to get
out and so off home to Cornwall. Well
Tedworth you will be disappointed with the number of runners you had here. You could do nothing more! The course was excellent, the prizes great,
the sponsorship extremely good and the organisation was tip top. The weather is not within your control and
we have had much worse here and elsewhere!
You deserved more support.
Next week we will
be at Woodford for the Berkeley meet on Saturday April 24th and then
down to Stafford Cross for the Axe Vale Harriers. We can hope for better weather but we will be there anyway!! If it rains I will not bring my nice new
stick but if it is sunny you are welcome to come along and see it - such a nice
stick! BE THERE!!
Fred and Ruth