Report from the United Services Point to Point on
Saturday 7th February 2003 at Larkhill Racecourse.
Another lovely
Friday night spent with Mrs Christine Rawlings of Springfields, Great
Ashley Bradford on Avon (Christine.rawlings@farmersweekly.net)
after a very comfortable drive up from Cornwall. Ruth has booked us to go back again soon as we are really well
looked after there. Then off to
Larkhill in the morning. A cool wind
blew over the course but the going was 'good' and six races were set up. I walked briskly round this two and half
miles course (about that anyway!) and thought that the surface will have to be
attended to before the next meeting as it is now fairly chopped up going down the
long straight and on the bend into the dip.
Three meetings in quick succession and more to come!
The NAAFI United
Services Club Members Race brought out a few who had challenged one another in
the past and H Geddes's NORSKI LAD ( Lt J Snowden) was attempting to make
amends for the poor showing last time he turned out, but M Lilley's STRONG TEA
(D Alers Hankey) was here to make sure that didn't happen and then there was
Simon Wheeler on his PUZZLEMAN who has caused surprises in the past and Mrs
Fuller's TELLER OF TALES (V Flood) is reported to be in good shape. Seven to post and away they go &18 fences
over one and a quarter circuits. On
passing the judge at a steady pace it was PUZZLEMAN who led the field with the
others grouped up behind. This was the
case for most of the race down the back straight and into the dip and then
PUZZLEMAN lost the lead but only for a short while and at fence 14 he fought
back to take the lead with TELLER OF TALES and G Kerr's THE VINTAGE DANCER
close up, NORSKI LAD in fourth and STRONG TEA making hard work of it in fifth
place. From the final open ditch a
really good race was set up by the leading three and in the end it was NORSKI
LAD who took the honours by three
lengths with TELLER OF TALES, who has been off the course for a long time,
running on well in second and a further three lengths back was PUZZLEMAN in a
decent time of six minutes 12 seconds.
Nothing for the tin as, wrongly -
I was afraid to trust the winner after his last performance. Must do better!
Fifteen to post
for The Singer & Friedlander Restricted Race and for the David Maundrell
Challenge Trophy. The favourite was
quickly established in the Sally Alner trained FREE GIFT to be ridden by Daryl Jacob at four to six
on with J Drummond's OUT THE BLACK (Dom Alers-Hankey) second favourite
available at two to one against and any of four or five horses to be third
favourite at five to one and the rest were real outsiders. I fancied Polly Gundry to load my tin up again
so I invested in a ten to one shot - C Moate's MILNSTORM. It is said that this horse is one paced;
well I don't care what pace he is as long as it is faster than all the others
and crosses the line first. Mrs Price's
BALLYALBERT (Miss A De Lisle Wells) did a lot of the donkey work up front with
FREE GIFT and M Senter and L Burford's SLIP THE RING never far away but quite a
few were very soon struggling. Polly
was a little way back on my investment carrier but was soon to be seen closing
up but perhaps a little too much to ask as they lined up for the final
ditch. As the leaders approached the
last I lost sight of BALLYALBERT who had given FREE GIFT such a run for his
money but it was SLIP THE RING that chased FREE GIFT to the line with my concern coming in a distance away third. Will improve and I must do better! Suffice to say the bag is not being opened -
at least not opened to deposit very much!!
Seven contestants
for The EDS Coronation GOLD Cup Mixed Open Race with £300 going to the
winner. The BIG one! Daryl Jacobs will be riding A Sendell's
ABERFOYLE PARK, which has already won a hot open at this venue this season, is
sure to go off favourite at slightly odds on.
G Lever's good Hunter Chaser COUNTY DERRY (N Harris) is the second
favourite and Nick Williams on the best turned out H Geddes very consistent TALES OF BOUNTY has
also taken some of the investors' money - including mine and Ruth's. Off they go! At the first open ditch it was Polly Gundry on Mrs Barlett's FAIR
WIND and Vicky Heal on her MR BEN GUNN that were taking the field along with
the remainder well bunched behind.
Passing the judge for the first time it was the same two in front with E
Smith's NORTHERN BLUFF (D Turner) in third with TALES OF BOUNTY and the
favourite, ABERFOYLE PARK following closely.
When you hear those lovely words about your investment like - Another
good leap by TALES OF BOUNTY, TALES OF
BOUNTY closing on the leaders, etc it brings large smiles to a somewhat frozen
face. As they re-appear and start
climbing the hill towards fence thirteen it is the favourite ABERFOYLE PARK (D
Jacobs) who starts to pull away and MR BEN GUNN who has been up there' from
the start begins to fall back a little.
TALES OF BOUNTY also moves up towards where I want him to be -
leading! ABERFOYLE PARK and TALES OF
BOUNTY go for home with COUNTY DERRY up in third place. At the final open ditch it was TALES OF
BOUNTY that jumped the better and ABERFOYLE PARK fell and COUNTY DERRY nearly
got rid of Neil Harris and MR BEN GUNN almost did the same to Vicky Heal. Off for home they go with a couple of
spectators here with large grins across their red cold faces. Nick Williams had this in the bag - or so he
thought - when COUNTY DERRY, as before, increased his finishing speed and gradually
crept up on our selection. From our
viewing position it looked as though he had made it but the judge quickly
informed us that TALES OF BOUNTY had held on by a short head, COUNTY DERRY
second and ten lengths back was FAIR WIND.
Lock the front doors of the Jimny whilst both bag and tin are opened in
the back and considerable deposits made.
On to the
Intermediate where six go to post and a clear favourite was soon established in
the arena in The Last to Leave Partnership's KELTIC LORD (A
Charles-Jones). I managed to follow in
the footsteps of one investor who had handfuls of rolled up currency to deposit
and took even money on the favourite and, surprisingly, the 'bookie' took my
miserable sum at the same price. The
investing then changed to 'odd-on' and remained that way. Mrs Marshall's STENNIKOV (E Walker) was also
fancied and was made second favourite with the others quite easy to back. It was soon noticeable in this race that the
favourite was not going to have it all his own way as the Faulks' PENDRAGON (N
Mitchell) was jumping and going well but KELTIC LORD was jumping out to his
left a little - a frown of concern was showing on both of our faces now along
with the frost bite! A good race
followed between these two and also some challenge was made by E Smith's
CHAUCERS MILLER who went for a big one but didn't get it, which left KELTIC
LORD and PENDRAGON to fight it out to the finish with our concern, the
favourite KELTIC LORD to take it by half a length. STENNIKOV came home third some twenty lengths behind.
Two divisions of
maiden races for six and seven year olds followed with ten runners in the first
division, and no clear favourite was established when I made my investment, but
I think probably it was Polly Gundry on Richard Kelvin-Hughes's French import
KYALAMI that went off about two to one against with my choice - best turned
out - D Chown's NOBLE ACTION (Nick Williams) close up and Mrs K Price's
WHO'S EDDIE (M Harris) also fancied.
Again a tight finish with our luck running out as NOBLE ACTION finished
half a length second to WHO'S EDDIE and KYALAMI was a length back in
third. Watch this one!!
The final race had
six runners and an odds on favourite was soon established in J Keighley's
PREACHER BOY (Polly Gundry) as this horse had run well here previously and was
second to the winner of the earlier restricted race. The Exmoor Partners, led by Jacko', were running their TOON
SOCIETY (N Harris) again and we are not sure whether to take the five to two on
this one as at Black Forest Lodge he not only displeased us but displeased a
lot of others when he failed to join in and run around the course as he should
have done. We did see amongst other
things a tin half-full of stones and a couple of red bricks being carried to
the start so maybe - maybe this could be his day. Surely the red bricks wont frighten him into action as he has
already been gelded but the noise of the rattling stones might!! S Pilkington's NO PRESSURE (A Charles-Jones)
was also taking some money and although his form is not up to much the
experience gained may put him in with a shout.
We will place a small sum on the hoped for improved TOON SOCIETY. They're off! He started a little slowly, soon picked up his confidence and
went on to run well. PREACHER BOY
proved his value and came home four lengths to the good of NO PRESSURE and
eight lengths further back came our money carrier - no reward this time but I
am sure he is not too far away from the winners enclosure.
The sight of the
Royal Artillery Hunt coming into the parade ring after a day's hunting was
really great and as always I would like to see it more often as we are part of
the hunting scene so should keep the presence up.
I have to put a
little more air in the rear tyres on the way to our next venue as both bag and
tin are feeling rather heavy for which we are both very thankful.
Next stop - BLACK
FOREST LODGE for the Mid Devon meet -BE THERE!
Fred and Ruth