Report from the Tetcott Hunt Point to Point
meeting at Jays Farm Lifton on Sunday 9th May 2004.
After spending a
delightful evening with friends up at Cloutsham and enjoying a real lovely meal
we travelled early this morning down to Lifton to be on time for the Tetcott
meeting. A quick coffee then off to
walk the course with no biting wind today but a very calm warmish morning so no
overcoat necessary provided I walk quick enough. The course doesn't appear to have been touched since the last
meeting here which was on Easter Saturday and the ends are roughed up but the
going will be good with the usual patches of 'indifferent' going down to fence
6/13.
Nice to see a good
course plan inside the cover of the race card and also waste bags that will be
large enough to hold all the rubbish that accumulates around the investment
area. The Clerk of the Course was well
to the fore in providing these receptacles because it also advertised his 'Home
Mix' Well done Bill!
Out of a good
number of entries unfortunately there were only 31 runners for the six race
card which was disappointing, nevertheless there was some very good
performances.
No surprises in
the first race which was the Confined Hunts race. Only four runners and the well odds on favourite in John and Ken
Heard's BILL ME UP (Liam Heard) hardly broke sweat in achieving a twelve length
win with Ashley Farrant on the Prouse's best turned out (Well done
Angie, he looked a picture!) SHOBROOKE MILL back in second place. M Stocker's BALDHU JAY ARR (Lucy Gardner)
ran out at the last fence when looking like a place so Sue Young on a very
distant MOORLAND ROSE came home slowly but surely to pick up a third
place. No investment that time as the
odds were very skimpy!
Now comes a match
in the Men's Open race as there are only two runners. The best turned out S Batchelor's DAMIENS PRIDE (Tim Dennis) versus the
blinkered Dennis William's MIDNIGHT COUP (Ashley Farrant). These two are very close on form and it will
be very interesting to see who can achieve a win here. The pace will be more of a tactical one than
a speedy one I think but I am going for Tim Dennis to swell the tin contents a
little. Ruth also agrees as the bag is
in need of replenishment as well.
DAMIENS PRIDE was always going the better in this match and Ashley had
to work on MIDNIGHT COUP to keep him upsides the leader for most of the race
and reminding his steed that he was here to race before four out when DAMIENS
PRIDE went ahead. Three out and DAMIENS
PRIDE got in a bit close but survived and lost a length so the lead was now
down to three lengths. As they turned
the bend and came back into the home straight MIDNIGHT COUP rallied well and
closed the gap but just could not get to his opponent and DAMIENS PRIDE went
over the line one length to the good.
Just a little for tin and bag!
Six will run in
the Ladies' Open race and again there is quality if not quantity. There is no clear favourite as investors
fancy both Paul Tylor's GURU RINPOCHE with Lucy Gardner up and Charlotte
Stucley on her PHOENIX PHLYER. The
latter has been running and getting placed in Hunter Chases whereas Lucy has
had success with GURU RINPOCHE in a Ladies' Open race and nearly pulled off a
four mile event. The opposition
consists of the Newman's BRETECHE (Tania Newman) who has got plenty of good
form this season along with another mare in Sally Messer-Bennetts's
IT'SNOTSIMPLE (Tamsin Trickey) who helped my tin at the Four Burrow meeting
when seeing off Mike Weir's TENINAROW by half a length. Alice Mills will be on her DEFENDTHEREALM
and she is having a fine time with this one this year and was a respectable
second in the Dartmoor Ladies' race behind that very good horse SANDY
DUFF. The outsider in this field will
be G Taylor and G Hill's TRADITIONAL (Rachel Green) with very little form but
is reported to act on good to firm. I
invested in PHOENIX PHLYER but it was only a little investment as this was
going to be a good race and I am not really sure that my choice will be THE
one! Off they go! First time away! All over the first, all over the second and IT'S NOT SIMPLE
landed just in the lead from BRETECHE.
Over fence number three and it was still IT'SNOT SIMPLE followed by
BRETECHE then TRADITIONAL, GURU RINPOCHE and PHOENIX PHLYER and
DEFENDTHEREALM. Completing a circuit
and going on past the start line it was still IT'SNOTSIMPLE who appeared to be
cruising nicely, closely followed by BRETECHE with GURU RINPOCHE back in third
and then my concern who did not seem to be travelling too well. The leaders were travelling and jumping
well. As for the first circuit
IT'SNOTSIMPLE and BRETECHE were jumping fences alongside one another
alternating which would gain a little but irrespective who did, it appeared it
was Tamsin on her mare that got away first. Caroline Stucley was about now
giving her charge a few reminders but they did not do a lot of good and I said
good bye to my investment quite early.
With half a circuit to go it was still IT'SNOTSIMPLE taking the field
along with BRETECHE following quite closely.
On meeting the rising ground on the final lap it was obvious that Tamsin
and her partner were giving it their all and did not intend for anyone to pass
them No doubt Miss Newman had other
ideas and was after the leader with all she had got. Alice on her steed had not
given up either and although it was reported she had tailed off earlier here
she was closing on the leading two. By
the final fence Tamsin had established a four length lead and the followers
were not making any impression and so to the line where the winning distance
was reported as two lengths back to BRETECHE and another length back to
DEFENDTHEREALM. I lost my investment
but I did enjoy that race and as the starting price was about seven to one
about IT'SNOTSIMPLE, I believe some luckier ones got ten to one; it was not an
expected win by many. It was a very
good ride by Tamsin and to those who say that the horse answered all her
questions, so be it, but just remember the right questions have to be asked
first!! Well done BRETECHE and DEFENDTHEREALM
and TRADITIONAL, who was fourth.
Six to post for
the Intermediate Novice Riders' race.
The favourite for me and for many others was the Fry's best turned
out SCARLET GLORY (H Fry) and this
one went off at an odds-on price.
Second favourite would be settled between the McCarthy's LINGERING FOG
with Mary up and the Dennis's MILLA'S MAN with Mark Dennis up. The others were available at much bigger
prices. The favourite was not at home
on this course at all. He jumped and
ran like a jarred up horse and didn't take any part really and was eventually
pulled up as was Terry Long's BALDHU JACK
This left Mary McCarthy and Mark Dennis to lead the field around at a
good pace. Into the second circuit and
these two had established an eight length lead with the Cole's DERRILADY being
pushed along in third. Going out on the
final circuit it was LINGERING FOG and MILLA'S MAN with D Smith's SILENT ACTION
a poor third and DERRILADY detached back in fourth. LINGERING FOG was increasing the speed and the lead. Mary had gone for home quite early and was
jumping really well. She has had four
winners this season on her SANDY DUFF and it looks like LINGERING FOG will have
at last a figure one in his form book to match the many placings. Mark Dennis was still working on his MILLA'S
MAN and was in fact closing on Mary but too little too late and to the line and
to win by four lengths was LINGERING FOG from MILLA'S MAN with SILENT ACTION
fifteen lengths back in third. Nothing
for my tin but I am pleased to see LINGERING FOG get a win as it appeared all
the fuss was being made about SANDY DUFF and this one was being left out, now
he is up there! Could you please ask Mr
Frost not to shout so loud when receiving news as I was deafened when he heard
it over the telephone and I was standing five paces away!
The Restricted
race saw only three go to post and there were joint favourites for most of the
time. Mrs Walter's CARLING ELECT (J
Buck) and Lucinda Tylor's MENANTOL (Anna de Lisle Wells) were taking equal
amounts of money and I am not sure now who went off favourite but I do know it
was not the best turned out Miss Rich's THE REAL MURPHY (W Rogers) who
was available at six to one. I took
even money on CARLING ELECT whilst Ruth took six to four on MENANTOL. CARLING ELECT led for the first circuit but
not by very much as a blanket would cover all three. Not much change in the
positions during the second lap. Into
the final circuit MENANTOL gradually grabbed a length lead and as THE REAL
MURPHY dropped off the pace the two main protagonist went for home. Up the rising ground MENANTOL jumped the
final two fences in the lead and crossed the line some six lengths to the good
of CARLING ELECT with THE REAL MURPHY back in third. The tin lost, the bag won.
Finally it was the
Open Maiden race with ten going to post.
I selected Mrs Colledge's TARPON TALE (Guy Weatherley) to help out my
tin. I would invest each way at eight
to one. This grey looked the part and
maybe the cheek pieces could make the difference to his form of 5u5u5. He can front run and on this fast ground
maybe he will not be caught, maybe!!
The favourite was Mrs Touzel's RINGS OF POWER and went off at odds on. It is Nick Mitchell's only ride here and
this one is here to win to make amends as last week he fell at the Cotley. The second favourite was R Grant's HARNAGE
(Caroline Prouse) but it was available at a big price as were all the
others. I did a lot of shouting in this
race as TARPON TALE ran an excellent race and he did front run and do it
well. He went along for quite a while
with Will Biddick on DARK COMEDY and they shared the front of the field. RINGS OF POWER was being held up in
rear. Pippa Moorhouse on her MR RORY
unfortunately ran out! C Fowlie's MO'S
O FRIENDLY fell at fence six. With just
over a circuit to go it was still TARPON TALE leading by about three lengths
from DARK COMEDY, INDIANA RENEGRADE (Lucy Gardner), HARNAGE and COASTAL
FLIGHT.(Rachel Green). TARPON TALE was
still leading over the final ditch but RINGS OF POWER was travelling up through
the field very professionally ridden.
Three from home it was still TARPON TALE and the shouting was now
getting louder and some peculiar looks were being stared in our direction but
this horse was doing a good job. When
RINGS OF POWER joined TARPON TALE they were about eight lengths to the good of
the third horse INDIANA RENEGRADE. On
the turn for home RINGS OF POWER was asked to quicken but TARPON TALE would not
give in and so to the final fences.
Over the second last and Nick had grabbed a one length lead but Guy was
not giving in. Final flight and Nick
kept the lead and from out of the blue came HARNAGE travelling well and took
second place from TARPON TALE but he was a good third. Three lengths between first and second and
four lengths back to third. A good race
by my choice and I have a little to pick up. These three will surely win again
soon!
We have enjoyed
today and the weather was in fact quite warm for the latter part of the
day. Only disappointment was that each
race could have done with a few more runners.
The tin was about the same as when I came in so with only a few more
meetings left a bigger effort is necessary.
Must try harder.
Next week we will
be at Bratton Down for the meeting of the Dulverton West on Saturday and then
back to Trebudannon for the South Cornwall meeting. Don't forget it is a 1 pm start at Bratton Down and if you get
away before dark it will be a bonus. BE
THERE!
Fred and Ruth