Report from Torrington Farmers' Point to Point
meeting held at Chapelton Barton Umberleigh on Saturday 12th June
2004.
The last one for
the season so we had better get there first - and we did! Lovely weather and the course looking a
picture with the approach road and surrounding hedges all neatly trimmed up and
although it's a long time before the start, friendly helpers were there to meet
us and direct us to the parking area.
Very smart clean toilets which I expect next year will be placed down
behind the beer tent and under the trees in the shade and away from the parking
area. Really enjoyable to walk the
course as a nice cool breeze keeps the heat down a little and the countryside
is in one of its finest coats. The
going will be 'good to firm'. Yes it is
quite a remarkable surface the aerator has created. This hired machine has really done a super job. The whole surface was like walking on a thin
carpet. Well done to the committee who
arranged this as racing without it would not have been taking place and thanks
to Turf Master Services ( Tel: 07831748519) for your demonstration and
providing us with racing today.
Plenty of visitors
arriving with supporters from Shropshire, Oxfordshire in numbers and it was
good to meet the owner of www.jumpingforfun.co.uk website at last. Dom and I have been corresponding between websites for a few
years now but at last we get to see one another and discuss our hobbies. He has such a comprehensive site and it makes
extremely good reading. Keep it up
Dom! John Beasley, the producer of 'the
BIG green' annual http://www.paleface-point2point.co.uk
decided to park alongside as well and he was kept busy with his cameras and
will be turning out his new Annual in mid November. Another comprehensive display of P to P photographs was being set
up, as always, by Marcus Bath who is also up and running on-line and you only
have to click in on www.pt2ptphotos.co.uk
and you can view and order any picture taken at the Westcountry meetings this
year. Another young man who was
visiting for the first time and was also an ardent supporter of pointing from
the Midlands pulled up a couple of cars away and I took his name but I lost the
scrap of paper I wrote it on so if he will email me with his address I will get
in touch. I gave him a tip for the
restricted, he backed it, I didn't, it won, I didn't, but he did have the
courtesy to come and thank me after he picked up his winnings. That really rubbed it in!
Off we go, with a
huge crowd cheering on, with the Confined Hunts' race but only two
runners. Rachel Green on the Cossey's
KHAYAL and Ashley Farrant on the Lawrence's best turned out
SQUADDIE. The investing arena said that
this would be another winner for Ashley as the price available was four to one
ON and KHAYAL was about two to one against.
Other opportunities were available like - finishing alone, win by eight
or more lengths and so on. The pace was
a really steady one and no one took longer during the day but Rachel took up a
two length lead and to the surprise of a few, maintained it to the line as
SQUADDIE could not peg her back at all.
Winning distance two lengths in a time of six minutes thirty six
seconds.
Eight runners in
the Restricted race and some keen investing was going on between G Foot's
ASKERS JACK (J Snowden) and R Grant's best turned out HARNAGE (C Prouse). It was the latter that took the big money and
went off a well fancied favourite. I
eventually chose the former after telling quite a few people that HARNAGE could
do it but surely if Jamie stays on ASKERS JACK he could win on this course. Another one that is quietly fancied is E
Baker's JOLLY JAKE (E Walker) who qualified up with the North Cotswold and has
held very good form this season. Off
they go! Along the bottom, over the
open ditch, up the climb and down past the winning post for the first time it
was HARNAGE leading the field, with ASKERS JACK a very close second on his
inside, then back in third and fourth it is JOLLY JAKE and Alex Charles-Jones
on J Bowen's CUT DOWN THE SOUND. Down
the hill and along the bottom straight and to the open ditch again it was
HARNAGE travelling well in the lead. D
Richards's ANOTHER BULA (J Buck) made a bit of hash of the ditch in second
place and lost a length or two but kept going with ASKERS JACK in third
followed by JOLLY JAKE. CUT DOWN THE
SOUND was soon to be pulled up as he was showing signs of disagreement with the
going. As they went out into the
country for the final circuit there was a line of five with a chance if good
enough. Along the bottom straight G
Richards's DROM ISLAND (F Wilson) had the lead and it looked like a visitor
from Wales was going to pull this one off, with ASKERS JACK second and HARNAGE
back in third. To the open ditch and up
the hill. They came back in sight to
most of the crowd with two to jump and now it was HARNAGE back in the lead and
pulling away from the remainder and to the line it went. HARNAGE home by fifteen lengths from ASKERS
JACK and a further ten lengths back was ANOTHER BULA. A good performance and favourite backers will collect but for my
tin - nothing!
Five to run in the
Men's Open race and it was Mrs Deal's BALLYSICYOS with Ashley up who went off
odds-on favourite and quite rightly so as his form is very good for the whole
of this season but he was beaten last time out. The second favourite was a 14 year old visitor who qualified with
the Warwick hunt, Mrs Corbett's PRATE BOX with Fred Hutsby up. Another one of the same age and who I
fancied after his good run at the Tiverton Staghounds meeting was I Webber's
STEPASIDEBOY with Guy Weatherley up.
Off they go! A lovely sight
travelling along the bottom in glorious weather. To the open ditch for the first time the field was led by R
Cecil's JIMMY JUMBO (N Cecil) but he decided to go through the side and not
over it so he was out of it.
BALLYSICYOS now led the field followed by PRATE BOX and STEPASIDEBOY. As the race progressed the lead changed as BALLYSICYOS was pulled
up as was MISTER RF (Ricky Isgar) leaving PRATE BOX and STEPASIDEBOY to fight
it out. As much as he tried, Guy could
not get the better of Fred and it was PRATE BOX who crossed the line two
lengths to the good of the only other finisher - STEPASIDEBOY! Nowt for tin or bag!
The Ladies Open
Race will see a line up of eight runners.
I am finding it difficult to pick a winner in this one as there are a
couple of visitors I know very little about plus a couple from the Pipe yard
plus a very good horse in P Maltby's RED NATIVE (R Green) from Richard Barber's
stable. I will go for the latter. The favourite will be S Collett's CAMPDEN
KITTY (J Williams) and my concern will probably go off second favourite. There appears to be a delay at the start and
I used my binoculars to see the Assistant Starter in the unusual position of
being horizontal to a horse he was attending and being shaken vigorously. It wasn't until his jacket ripped from the
bottom to his shoulder that I recognised the fact that KHATANI whilst having a
new surcingle fitted took a bite at the unfortunate starter, ripped his
trousers and halved his jacket and then let him down unceremoniously to the
deck. A voice from saddle informed the poor gent that " I forgot to tell you
that he does that!" Unusually Paul
Tylor's GURU RINPOCHE (Lucy Gardner) is not jumping very well at the first few
fences and even worse on the open ditch where he fell along with 'one
other'. After a bit of sorting out it
turned out that the other one was, would you believe, RED NATIVE. That's me out of it again! The lead swopped a little until David Pipe's
KINGSBRIDGE (L Bridges) decided to take it up and the pace increased. Going out into the country for the final
time the field was continuing to be led by KINGSBRIDGE and down to the four
fences along the bottom straight, it was still KINGSBRIDGE by a couple of
lengths followed by R Rowsell's KHATANI and then B Harvey's EPICURE (Ollie
Jackson). Unfortunately KINGSBRIDGE was
about to run out when going so well and unseated Lucy in the process. The race was on now with KHATANI going for
home. Jane Williams on CAMPDEN KITTY made
a determined effort to get on terms but never managed it and KHATANI crossed
the line, with bits of the assistant starters coat hanging from his molars no
doubt, three lengths to the good of CAMPDEN KITTY and ten lengths further back
in third was EPICURE.
Only three in the
Intermediate Race so I will and get some for the tin on this one. Short prices about the two main protagonists
so I will put them in their finishing order and collect a forecast payout. Anna de Lisle-Wells will bring home Lucinda Tylor's
MENANTOL and in second place will be the Carter's HAWKERS HILL with Rilly
Goschen up and back in third place will be the best turned out SHERBORNE
GUEST. I couldn't even get that
right! The two main protagonists went
off at about even money each and SHERBORNE GUEST was the outsider of the trio. SHERBORNE GUEST was the first to lead the
trio. MENANTOL joined him before a
circuit was completed and then approaching fence eight they were all
together. Over the open ditch for the
second time and on they went with a steady pace being set. With one circuit to go it was Rilly who went
to the front closely followed by Anna, in fact there was very little between
all three. Final open ditch, HAWKERS
HILL jumped well and led up the hill.
Two from home it was still HAWKERS HILL with MENATOL chasing. Over the last still HAWKERS HILL but MENATOL
closing but unfortunately not quite good enough and lost it by a neck with
SHERBORNE GUEST three lengths back in third.
There are 16 for
the Open Maiden race so it is decided to split them and in division one eight
will go to post with the early established favourite in Ken and John Heard's
JOSANJAMIC ridden by Liam trying to win her maiden after several unlucky tries
this season. I fancy W McKewown's best
turned out STAR OF WILLIAM (T Hall) to help me out but N Padfield's
blinkered CARVILLA (C Gordon) is also taking some of the punters money so maybe
that's the one. Off they go! As they headed off towards the four down the
back and reached the first the dreadful news reached my ears from the dulcet
tones of the commentator that 'we lost STAR OF WILLIAM there!' I just had to pick the one that fell at the
first. The remainder of the field soon
became stretched out with CARVILLA leading at a steady pace. Single file past the judge for the first
time with CARVILLA still leading from LAMERTON QUEST (J Cole) (later pulled up)
and R Pike's HAYLING STAR (Alex Charles-Jones). With a circuit to travel, JOSANJAMIC had made a move and crept up
to CARVILLA who led going down the hill and along the bottom straight. Over the second of the four along the bottom
JOSANJAMIC had her button pressed and got up to and passed the leader and was
never troubled again and crossed the line amid thunderous applaud, a distance
to the clear of CARVILLA with HAYLING STAR four lengths back in third. Nothing for the tin - this is dreadful! The bag has done considerably better and
bagged some after taking twenty to one about the third horse. Well done Ruth!
Now comes the last
race for the 2004 season and I am desperate to get a little into the hollow
sounding tin and I am sure the bag is far from full as well. The layers are finding it difficult to get a
clear favourite but I suspect that the visitor from Wales in E Donnavan's JUST
CARAMEL (J Tudor) will go off most fancied with R Rowsell's (does this one bite
as well?) MALONEY (C Evans) being fancied along with K Richards's BEEHIVE LAD
(Jody Sole). A steady pace, all over
the ditch and away up the hill. MALONEY
leading with the Froud's VITINSEL (J Snowden) close up on the inside. BEEHIVE LAD eventually made a move and over
the ditch for the second time this one joined VITINSEL and went away up the
hill together. Over the line and out on
the final circuit it was VITINSEL with BEEHIVE LAD up on his outside followed
by S Lee's QUEENS HOUSE (R Green), JUST CARAMEL and MALONEY who is being
reminded to keep up with his job. Final
open ditch and a good jump by BEEHIVE LAD to take the lead from JUST CARAMEL
now and then VITINSEL. The race to the
line now and VITINSEL made no mistake about it - flew the last and on to win by
fifteen lengths from MALONEY and then two lengths further back was BEEHIVE
LAD. Nothing to collect on that one so
the tin is looking very sad but nevertheless it has been an excellent day's
racing and has brought this season to an end in good style.
The presentations
were made amid much applauding and mirth. The Derek Gillard Memorial Trophy for the youngest rider within the D & C Area wento to Andrew Glassonbury and the Liz Brooks Memorial Trophy for the riding performance of the day (judged by Robert Alner) went to Rachel Green for her ride on Kayhal in the first race.
Bottles of champagne went to Richard Burton (for acheiving his 50 winners) to Polly Gundry and Ashley Farrant for their 2004 championship and also to David Pipe on his retirement from point to point training. WELL DONE THE WESTCOUNTRY!!!!
.
We have had an excellent season but probably not won very much this year, in fact I have lost,
but have enjoyed what we do very much, both on and off the course.
Final report later
in the week
Regards
Fred and Ruth