Report from Four Burrow Hunt second Point to Point
meeting at Trebudannon on Saturday 30th April 2005.
Not far to travel
so we obviously got there early but Trebudannon was looking its immaculate self
as always and the course would race good to soft with possibly a soft patch
down the bottom. Excellent considering
the rain that we have had and today the weather is lovely. Ruth has a tin full of boiled fruit cake
along with five or six hundred! sausage rolls and sausages and biscuits and
sandwiches. We must feed up the
visitors from Devon or they may not come again. On the drinks side she has the remains of the one and half litres
that was won at Seavington last week plus some home made red and white wine
plus some lovely Elderflower cordial for me.
This should keep them all happy!
The first race,
the five, six and seven years old open maiden race with a safety factor of only
14, will have to be split so seven go to post in the first division. Tight wagering in the investment arena was
in progress between HORIZON HILL (L Heard) and best turned out BISHLIR
(L Jefford) as to who should go off favourite and it was the former who
eventually took that honour at even money. All the others were considered
outsiders and as the race progressed that is just what they were perhaps with
the exception of SERVE TO LEAD (Tim Dennis) who ran a good race and will
probably be better at three miles.
BISHLIR set the pace and kept it up really well with others giving chase
most of the time. Over the ditch
BISHLIR led them with HORIZON HILL and SERVE TO LEAD (Tim Dennis) following but
the remainder strung out well behind.
Out in the country for the final time and now it was a bunch of just
five that took them down the back straight still led by BISHLIR but now NON
STOP AIMS (Mark Munrowd) was close up followed by SERVE TO LEAD, MERLIN MERG (R
Woollacott) and HORIZON HILL. MERLIN
MEG fell. By the end of the straight
and taking the bend and up to the open ditch was where places were gained and
lost, but to come into the home straight and to the winning line it was HORIZON
HILL that got the better of BISHLIR to win by five lengths with SERVE TO LEAD
another three lengths back in third place.
A good race with the favourite starting the day off well for most but
not I, unfortunately! And I don't think the bag prospered either.
Division two saw
eight more go to post and one that had taken a lot of money at the investing
arena was Lucy Gardner's CALL OUT who had previously pulled up at the Dart Vale
meeting when back in 14th position.
According to those that were throwing money at the 'bookies' like it had
gone out of fashion (10-1 down to even money!) this horse was sure to win. Some fancied CORAL BAY (Will Biddick) to get John Welden's first
winner at his track and some fancied TIGHT CORNER (Tim Dennis) but the true
favourite was CALL OUT. Off they go,
TIGHT CORNER was the first to show and soon established a very good lead of
about ten lengths by the second fence, followed by CORAL BAY and NELLIE THE NOD
(D Edwards). The lead increased and
then again - it increased again. Over
the first open ditch and on down the home straight for the first time it was
still TIGHT CORNER with a twenty lengths lead over CALL OUT, CORAL BAY, MIRAMAR
(my choice!) and LIFE ESTATES (K Northcott).
Every post a winning one for Tim Dennis as he strides on down the back
with the leading distance not altering a lot and quoted as being fifty
lengths. Well surely not quite that
much but it was one helluva lot! Lucy
Gardner was in pursuit as was Will Biddick but Tim didn't want to speak to them
at the moment. All those with their
money on CORAL BAY were looking a little pale at the moment as this was an
almost impossible task. Four to jump
and they were gaining on him - a
little. Over the open ditch and the
field were definitely closing. Reeling
him in slowly. Two more to go and they
are still after TIGHT CORNER but the gap is definitely closing. With one fence to go Lucy was giving it her
all and Tim Dennis was not giving up and Will Biddick was also making a real
determined try. Still TIGHT CORNER but
up the inside came CALL OUT and a good
race right to the line saw Lucy take this one by two lengths from TIGHT CORNER
and CORAL BAY was a length back in third.
A real good race and the punters collected - not me!
Eight ran in the
confined race and Lucy was again at her best in this race and again brought the
best turned out favourite home in first place by eight lengths. HASTEN BAK was allowed to settle in the rear
while INDIAN RAIDER (L Heard) took the field along from IT'S THE BIZ (D
Sommersby), SEA SNIPE, BRIEF DECLINE (Will Biddick) and then HASTEN BAK. SILVERMAN (D Edwards) and LIRKIMALONG (Sue
Young) bringing up the rear. My choice
is LIRMKIMALONG and I am hoping he will fly home up the final straight with
great haste and bring in a little for the tin.
Unfortunately DNOSKI (Les Jefford) pulled up and SILVERMAN fell
approaching the home straight, both up OK.
One circuit to go and there is not a lot of change but the whole field
was beginning to bunch up. Going down
the back straight Lucy asked HASTEN BAK for his effort and it was produced but
SEA SNIPE (A Glassonbury) was producing also.
Final open ditch HASTEN BAK led from SEA SNIPE and a long way back now
was INDIAN RAIDER and LIRKIMALONG. Lucy
got the better of them all and came home an eight lengths winner on HASTEN BAK
with SEA SNIPE second and LIRKIMALONG, having made up a lot of ground, a length
back in third.
The men's open
race saw six runners tackling one another with a clear favourite being made in
Richard Woollacott on best turned out
FINEWOOD but ASTRONAUT (G Weatherley) and FRONTENAC (D Edwards) were
fancied by some. I was not sure so
refrained from investing this time but again the favourite obliged and came
home in a very good race which saw a posse of four all in with a chance in the
home straight but again the Richard Woollacott/Emily Thompson runner prevailed
and FINEWOOD got home to win by a neck from FRONTENAC and two lengths back in
third was ASTRONAUT. JALON'S STAR (B
Roberts) was not far away in fourth place.
A disappointing
turn out for the Ladies Open race with only four runners, one of whom was bound
to win, the consistant best turned out
SANDY DUFF (Mary McCarthy) is
here so maybe that fact has frightened a few away. As the price of five to one
ON is asked about this runner I will not be investing but one man is so sure of
the winner he has placed six hundred pounds (6 - 1 on) into one satchel and when the race is over
he will collect seven hundred pounds.
Off they go! MISS ZIGGERSON (Sue
Young) led them down the back straight for the first time followed by GURU
RINPOCHE (Lucy Gardner), FRANKLY FEAR (Mary Biddick) and bringing up the rear
is SANDY DUFF. At the open ditch Mary
had taken FRANKLY FEAR to the front and the remainder followed without changing
too much. With two circuits to race
MISS ZIGGERSON took over the lead again and crept away by about three lengths
from FRANKLY FEAR and the remainder with SANDY DUFF still held up in rear. By the time they reached the open ditch for
the second time SANDY DUFF had made a move and was upsides and landed
together. FRANKLY FEAR although
continuing was tailed off in rear. With
a almost a complete circuit to race SANDY DUFF was now leading followed by MISS
ZIGGERSON and both were jumping well here in front of the crowd. As they pass the winning post and one
circuit to go it was MISS ZIGGERSON now leading again and took them out into
the country for the final circuit. Down
the back SANDY DUFF and MISS ZIGGERSON had drawn away from GURU RINPOCHE and
FRANKLY FEAR, although continuing, was not in the contest. SANDY DUFF moved up on the inside of MISS
ZIGGERSON but this Sula Bula mare was not letting go. This is definitely not plan 'A', I would think Mary on SANDY DUFF
would expect to be on her own by now and not have a cheeky little mare called
MISS ZIGGERSON breathing down her neck - this is NOT the plan! Only three fences to go and the darn thing
is still here! Neck and neck now and
only two to jump. Around the bend and
SANDY DUFF has a half length lead on MISS ZIGGERSON with GURU RINPOCHE a long
way back. As the commentator is
announcing - It's SANDY DUFF and all Mary has to do now is to jump these two by
the look of things! This statement
upset the mare and this is where the Sula Bula effort came in along with some
help from Sue and massive roaring from the crowd, in particular a row of
fifteen bookies. MISS ZIGGERSON pulled out all the stops and got past a very
tired SANDY DUFF to go on and win by eight lengths with GURU RINPOCHE fifteen
lengths back in third. A great race and
a big priced winner who did the job well.
For those who don't check my reports for assistance in winning some
money, just read this from a previous report The
second part of division two saw a horse who definitely has great
potential. Miss DuPlessis and N
Edmonds's MISS ZIGGERSON with Sue Young up finished the three mile course
without Sue having to do much more than steer and her charge never bothered to
break sweat. Passing me to win by
fifteen lengths I should
take note myself sometimes and maybe the tin would be that much better off!
Despite STAND ON
ME (Guy Wetherley) being made a very clear favourite in the restricted race,
the race went to the in-form set up with Richard (Woollacott) bringing home
POLIGANA to win by twelve lengths from
the only other finisher PINMOOR HILL (M Munrowd) out of the eight who ran. Both tin and bag profited a little on this
one so much needed deposits were made to both receptacles.
The final open
maiden race saw eleven go to post and according to the boards just about any of
the runners could win this one.
Eventually it was STEP ON THE BANDIT (Sarah Gaisford) who went off as
clear favourite but the brothers Dennis had different ideas. Out of the bunch came MR LEHMAN followed by
JEMANNETTE and JAUNTY JANNER when it mattered and these three made a
particularly good race to the line but Mark Dennis managed to get just a little
bit more out of JEMANNETTE than his brother Tim did out of JAUNTY JANNER and
crossed the line to win by a neck.
Third place was Andrew Glassonbury on MR LEHMAN who ran such a gallant
race and deserved better than a one length back third place.
This brought to
the end a very good day's racing in such pleasant surroundings and would you
believe it - one of the Devon visitors announced that this was the best course
he has visited and (after some of Ruth's whisky, won at Seavington!) - the most
friendliest.
On Monday we are
off to Vauterhill for the Stevenstone meeting so you just BE THERE!
Fred and Ruth