Report from East Cornwall Hunt Point to Point
meeting held at Great Trethew on Sunday 3rd April 2005.
This will probably
be the shortest of reports as there is very little to report on. The weather closed in at Newquay and we
thought it would clear by the time we arrived at great Trethew but it did not
and a thick damp fog surrounded the course.
It lifted a little but then came in again and by nearing start time the
stewards were so concerned that they had a meeting, but because jockeys could
see about two fences clear the meeting was on.
We could not even
see the start of the two and half mile races (first two events) but we did hear
the huntsman's horn (a rare sound these days! - why! I ask myself) to signal the 'Off' and
then not too long a wait as they approached the only two fences visible from
the finishing line.
A good attempt was
made to relay from a second commentator who was positioned over at the open
ditch but as that second commentator was also a jockey who had a few rides this
afternoon (Mark Dennis) the utterances from that direction were few and far
between.
Anxious telephone
calls were made in an attempt to find an 'out of work' comedian who would come
along at short notice to assist the race commentator during the long blank
spells of inactivity but all those I know in Newquay were still in bed
recuperating from their previous night's deliverances. One murmured that he would call me back
after he had been to Superdrug to purchase a large tin of 'Andrews'. He never did ring back! Excuses!
The tin and bag
suffered drastically throughout the afternoon and no reward came either to Ruth
or myself until the final race when PROCEDURE (L Heard) came out of the gloom
and was just visible coming over the last in the most favourable position and
came home to win by five lengths. This
sort of lessened the hole made by continual wrong investments and the shiny
bottom of the tin was once again covered but the bag looked as though it had
been on the 'Atkins' diet for a year - very thin!
Only two finished
out of seven runners in the Restricted race but we don't know whether to
congratulate Les (Jefford) on a brilliant ride or to say he had more than his
fair share of luck in being able to drive around three (or four!) fallen horses
at the penultimate fence. Which ever it
might have been he came home to win by a distance. I don't think that is the
fair form of MY WHISPER but it was the ingredient that places a very important
'1' in the form guide. To get a '1' you
need to complete the three miles on the laid out course, jump every fence and
cross the line before any of your adversaries with a jockey (preferably the one
you started off with!) on your back and that is exactly what MY WHISPER did on
the day. Will White (now repaired) on JOLI CHRISTMAS will get a '2' for the
same reason except one of his adversaries was in front of him - somewhere!
The best was made
of the bad weather and we left for home still puzzling whether any of the
runners crossed the land between the open ditch and the final downhill run
without going around the top bend. We
will never know - but we don't really care now as it is all over for Great
Trethew this year and they do get TWO bites of the cherry when most courses
have to be satisfied with ONE! No
injured horses or jockeys which proves the course was in good condition even if
we couldn't not see it.
Next week we are
at Cherrybrook and I understand the committee are debating whether to have a
cut of silage off their course before the meeting so all should be well for a
very good day's racing. Plenty of
entries I believe so there is only one thing to say - please BE THERE!
Fred and Ruth