Report from the Tiverton Staghounds Point to Point
meeting held at Bratton Down on Sunday 6th June 2004.
A bank of coastal
fog was evident as we cruised up The Atlantic Highway towards Bratton Down for
our penultimate point to point. The sun
soon shone through and blessed us with beautiful weather for the whole of the
journey (2 ½ hours) and in fact for the entire day as it was still very sunny
for the journey home. The course still
had plenty of cover but it was obvious that it had not seen a lot of rain and
would race the same as last week.
Adjustment of the bends and blade harrowing had improved the overall
situation and with the good number of entries I am sure we were in for a good
day's racing. A very good course plan
inside the front cover of the race card.
Well done but why are there two fences thirteen, surely, even on Exmoor
the number between fourteen and sixteen is unusually fifteen, but never mind the
Cornish will work it out!
There were seven
runners in the 'farmers' race and a quality turnout this was to be. A previous winner here, R Woollacott's
JENTAR EQUILIBRA (J Barnes) was soon made favourite at an odds on price but did
slip a little before the off and even money was easy to get. The horse I saw being walked earlier
was I Webber's STEPASIDEBOY
(Guy Weatherley) who impressed me on a previous run so he will be carrying a
little out of my tin. The other fancied
horses are Stafford Sampson's ALLER COOMBE (L Jefford) who we have not seen at
his best this season and R Grant's HARNAGE (Caroline Prouse). D Richards and Miss Dickenson's ANOTHER BULA
(Miss J Buck) was going well until unseating in his last race so maybe this one
will surprise at six to one. They are
off! R Williams's DAKTARI was slow to
leave the start and did not improve for the duration of the race BUT did
complete without mishap and crossed the line to a tremendous applaud, well in
arrears. The lead chopped and changed a
little but it was JENTAR EQUILIBRA who led the field over the open ditch for
the first time followed by STEPASIDEBOY, HARNAGE, MAGICAL FUN and ALLER
COOMBE. JENTAR EQUILIBRA was striding out and got to about twenty lengths
in front of his challengers. Up the
home straight and then down the hill towards fence 14, onto the final open
ditch and the field is still being led by the favourite but the field is much
closer now. Whoops! The favourite
jumped very right handed here and dropped back and allowed my concern to take the
lead. HARNAGE now began to pick up and
got to the front in fine style and increased the pace and the distance by which
he led and went onto come home clearly by twenty five lengths. STEPASIDEBOY tried extremely hard to close
the gap but had to settle for second place with the Hayes's MAGICAL FUN eight
lengths back in third and the favourite, who can now go away and 'have child',
a very close fourth. Nothing for the
tin but - very near! (I will have to
see if the milk man will take 'very near' notes!!) Incidentally, when did you last see the 'farmers' race as the
fastest time of the day - 6 minutes 1 second by my watch!
The intermediate
will see Ashley trying to get another winner for his season's tally which is now
over fifty and attempting to bring forth his dream to become 'champion'. He will be on B Kilpatrick's CIMMAROON and will
go off favourite. S Williams's HOLD ON
HARRY (L Heard) is fancied by some as is S Maude's TIMPANI (R Woollacott) but
there is no doubt about who is the favourite.
The field took a little time to settle and one or two had a go at
leading, MRS PEGGOTY prominent for a time then TH'MOONS A BALLON (S Partridge) took over and continued to
lead the field until the final half circuit
when CIMMAROON who jumped well made his way to the front followed
closely by HOLD ON HARRY. These two
drew away from the field and raced to the line
where the favourite took the honours by six lengths from HOLD ON HARRY
with SHERBOURNE QUEST (J Kwaitkowski) back a distance in third. No improvement in tin level at this stage.
Next came the
mixed open race with nine runners. Again
Ashley will ride the favourite in B Kilpatrick's COLQUHOUN who will go off at
odds on. There is a visitor here from
'the Croome' country in M Hooper's tongue strapped, WEND'S DAY who is reported
to have won his last race in a fast time, so some money is being invested on
him. Other runners are available at a
big price. Ross Oliver's LET'S FLY (W
Biddick) who has very good form also, is trading at ten to one down to six to
one. Mary (McCarthy) on her LINGERING
FOG who has not been out of the frame for a long long time is available at
sixteen to one. I will choose that one
for a place investment and expect to see him in the first three. Off they go! Before the field really got settled we lost MR BEN GUNN, I think
he ran out but Vicky (Heal) could have decided to jump off or maybe even both -
run out and jump off! On passing the
crowd for the first time it was R Jenks's best turned out WOODLANDS BEAU
(D Drake) taking the field along followed by LINGERING FOG and LET'S FLY. K Trip's MISTER RF (Ricky Isgar) is somewhat
detached at this stage. COLQUHOUN is viewing the leaders from about the fifth
place. After the first ditch my concern went on by a couple of lengths from
LET'S FLY, then WOODLAND BEAU and ROMANY MOVE (Sally Godfrey). On clearing the fence in front of me, number
12, it was COLQUHOUN who had joined the previous leader with Will Biddick,
looking very determined, on LET'S FLY and Mary, equally determined on her
LINGERING FOG all very close. They were
still very close at fence 14, the same at fence 15 and then onto the open ditch
- these three being six to eight lengths clear of ROMANY MOVE followed by KNOCK
STAR. Over the final ditch it was COLQUHOUN just by the advantage of the inside
but LET'S FLY soon got back and jumped the next to the good. Onto the penultimate and it was LET'S FLY
who got out of this one the better and gained about a couple of lengths
lead. Over the last and up the hill
came Will and looking very stylish with his riding out on this one and although
COLQUHOUN came back at him he managed to maintain his rhythm and crossed the
line just half a length to the good of Ashley with the visitor, WEND'S DAY six
lengths back in third. I wondered what
had happened to LINGERING FOG but it was soon very evident that he was finished
lame. Perhaps I could be kept up to
date on how he is today as I like to know how or where my money went. Incidentally did you hear the shouts at the
end of that race. That was the owner of
the bag who had Will backed by a week's allocation of spending money plus bag
contents and at the very nice price of eight to one. Well done Ruth! Well Done Will!, I will now have to go and alter my novice riders winners table. Hard luck Ashley!
Ashley should have
better luck this time with another odds on favourite in P Finn's I AM SAID
I. A horse which has had plenty of
running this season and is by far the form horse. He is trading in the investment arena at three to one ON! I will not be taking a chance this
time. The other four in the race,
KHAYAL, MILLYHENRY, PERSIAN DAWN and HAPPY TEAM all have past form but not up
to that of the favourite. Off they go! The leader changed during the first
circuit with KHAYAL and HAPPY TEAM jumping well but over the first of the open
ditches the favourite jumped very slow and took up a position as back
marker. HAPPY TEAM going well and
disputed the lead up to the home turn on the second circuit with KHAYAL. I AM SAID I was now up in third position. All over fence 14 safely but PERSIAN DAWN (S
Kidson) getting left behind at this stage.
At the final ditch I AM SIDE I going well now and jumped into the first
spot and soon established a good lead of about eight lengths over KHAYAL but
HAPPY TEAM (R Ross) fell at fence 17.
Such a shame really at this horse has performed consistently this season
and is really due a win. MILLYHENRY (C
Tizzard) closed up now and took up second place behind the favourite with
KHAYAL (R Greene) back in third place.
The race to the line continued but the favourite did not give in and won
by four lengths from MILLHHENRY and
then twenty lengths back in third was KHAYAL.
One more for Ashley. Surely he
has enough in hand now to take the championship?
It was some astute
follower who pointed out that Neil Harris is only here for one ride and that is
on the Elliott's best turned out
PORTO in the next race, the Restricted race where eight will go to
post. This horse always shows early
speed but will Neil be able to make him keep it up for the three miles on this
fast course today. I fancy The Red Lion
Partnership's visored RIVER DANTE (S Kidson) to help out my tin so I invest at
the price of two to one against. The
favourite would have been the Frost's WINNIE THE POOH but Ashley who was down
to ride is suffering a little and has had to give up his ride and the horse is
withdrawn. It now looks as though G
Foot's ASKERS JACK will go off favourite and is available at six to four
against. Down at the start another one is withdrawn - J Down's GOLDEN SOVEREIGN
(D Edwards) (vets advice) who will add another letter to his form book, no
numbers present as yet. The comments
about this horse say 'best watched at present' but we have been unable to do
just that as he has failed to complete in eight runs. I must remember to keep my eye on him next year. It was PORTO and
Rodney Gay's GAYBLE ( Will Biddick) who made the running around the first
circuit followed by RIVER DANTE and ASKERS JACK. All over the first of the open ditches led by PORTO by a few
lengths from RIVER DANTE and GAYBLE.
The pace increased and the field became stretched out well and truly to
the point where 'Alfie' began commentating on the third and fourth mistaking
them for the first two. The first two
were long gone on - PORTO and RIVER DANTE were a distance to the good of the
followers, GAYBLE and NICE APPROACH.
RIVER DANTE began to get the better of PORTO and I began to shout, just
a little, as they came up and over the penultimate.
In third position a long way behind was NICE APPROACH (V Murphy). Over the last and I am now giving it wellie! RIVER DANTE clear! This run to the line from the last has found out many a good
horse and it was about to do the same here.
Neil did not give up and rode out his finish and got PORTO five lengths to the
good of RIVER DANTE by the time the line was crossed. That is exactly why he was here for this ride. Tin not happy! Poor Linda must be getting
really fed up with second places as well.
GAYBLE and LAMERTON QUEST did finish.
Finally the eleven
runner open maiden race. Guy Weatherly
will take up Ashley's ride on David Pipe's AFTERMEYOURFIRST but he will not be
going off favourite as K Hooper and P Musgrove's SUP OF TEA with Alex Charles-Jones
in the plate is taking the investors' fancy and will probably start at
about seven to four against. Somebody
must know something about the Miss Cutcliffe and Mother's NATIONAL DEBT as
besides being the best turned out, this Be My Native gelding is backed
down to three to one to win this and will go off as second favourite. It is nice to see R Grant's SPINNING SILVER
out again after giving us a good bit of fun at the Dulverton Farmers meeting up
on Mounsey Hill. Perhaps Merv Woodward
will keep him inside the markers all the way this time and a little closer to
the leaders. Not many think so as he
was available at any price but fourteen to one generally. I fancy Lucy to bring me in a little for the
tin as Miss Gardner is up on Paul Tylor's GOOD GRACIOUS and I think this one is
capable of more than he showed last time here so a small each way investment is
taken on at the price of eight to one.
Off they go! Well it was an
exciting race. Anybody could take this
one. With one complete circuit to go it
was SPINNING SILVER showing the way with Geoff Barfoot-Saunt on R Bunn's THE
FOOTSY in second and my concern in third place along with
AFTERMEYOURFIRST. Over the last of the
open ditches it was still SPINNING SILVER who led the remaining field. Towards the penultimate it was still
SPINNING SILVER followed by THE FOOTSY and QUEENS HOUSE back in third. My concern was not amongst the leaders any
more so that is a little bit more that Lucy owes me. Over the final one and it was still SPINNING SILVER with THE
FOOTSY under strong pressure with Richard Woollacott on NATIONAL DEBT closing fast
on QUEENS HOUSE. To the obvious delight
of Merv Woodward, cheering loudly as he brought SPINNING SILVER over the line
to win from NATIONAL DEBT - BUT - unfortunately Richard was a lot lighter on
return to the weighing scales than when he went off so he was disqualified. The weight cloth I understand had got lost
on the keen run to the line , I think his saddle was not too far away either, so
it was THE FOOTSY who was placed second and QUEENS HOUSE third.
A really good day's
racing in super weather and a lovely atmosphere. Not a lot for the tin but whew! Did that bag do well? Next week the final one at Umberleigh so do
yourself a great favour, bring all your friends and relatives and a little
money and have a great day out - BE THERE!
Fred and Ruth