Report from Minehead Harriers and West Somerset
Hunt Point to Point meeting held on Saturday 14th May 2005 at
Holnicote
We left Newquay in
rain but it soon cleared away as we travelled up the north coast road and it
has been fine ever since. This weekend
we are staying with Sid and Margaret Westcott at their home at Bossington, a
super little village and a more super B and B stop over and in case I reduce
the level of the tin to such a degree that I cannot afford any B & B I will
take up the offer to use their campsite with my two man tent and in case the
same happens to you, just look up www.caravancampingsite.co.uk
and you will see it is very near the p to p course.
Well the course
here has been aggravated (yesterday) but I must admit it hasn't had the same
effect as it did at Torrington last year and I think that must be due to the
drying weather and of course - the nature of the soil. Very fine soil here and it dries very
quickly. It will race as 'firm' and no
doubt a little dust will rise as rain is not forecast.
The first race
spelt disaster for me and no doubt many others. All went well for the five runners in the restricted race until
they reached the fence right in front of the crowd when the leaders SAFARI
PARADISE (Lucy Bridges) and best turned out ONE DAWN (James Jones) took and cleared the fence together
followed by RIVER DANTE (Saul Kidson) who promptly tipped up and in doing so
brought down the favourite KARING KENDA (D Edwards) who was carrying a
considerable amount from the tin. I
believe some of the contents of the bag were also riding on this
favourite. Not a good start for today. VITINSEL (Jamies Snowden) languished off the
pace and failed to get into this race but Lucy and James certainly made a race
of it. At one stage ONE DAWN was five
or six lengths to the good of SAFARI PARADISE but Lucy never let up and her horse was jumping well and with one
circuit to go she jumped up alongside James and continued to race alongside for
some time. Four from home ONE DAWN had
a lead of a couple of lengths and was increasing it but SAFARI PARADISE did not
give in. All over the final ditch. All safely over the penultimate and to the
final fence it was ONE DAWN and now
SAFARI PARADISE under pressure. James
over the last just to the good of SAFARI PARADISE but on the run in Lucy got that little bit extra from her gallant
horse and took it at the line by one length from James with Jamie Snowden some
eight lengths back in third. A good
finish but nothing for the tin or bag.
Six will go to
post in the open maiden race and Jamie Snowden had much better luck in this one
on the favourite A LOT TO LIKE. This
one led the field to the first fence and kept the pace up for the entire race. The second favourite ON YOUR TOES (W White)
had a go at the favourite for a while but A LOT TO LIKE soon got hold of this
race and built up a clear lead and it was guesswork as to how much his lead was
and I think at times it could have been a fence to the good. One circuit to go and the leader was
travelling well and failing a fall was sure to win. ON YOUR TOES was second and best turned out HAYLING STAR (Mark Sweetland) was travelling
in third. Well the favourite had a
shaky jump down the back but kept going and came home a distance clear of ON
YOUR TOES with my investment carrier ROYAL APPOINTMENT (Lucy Gardner) back in
third. Not good!
There is a good
bit of class in the mixed open race but only four runners which is a little
disappointing. I am choosing Mrs
Sanderson's JABIRU (D Edwards) to carry my investment but others fancy PORLOCK
HILL (T O'Brien) to cross the line first.
CHEROKEE RUN (C Tizzard) is not out of it either and the outsider of the
field best turned out PRINCE SANDROVITCH (J Barnes) has also taken some
money so it looks like a close thing all round. I was soon a little worried.
I did not get the impression that JABIRU was letting himself down and
racing with ease and was travelling in the rear. To me the going was against him.
PORLOCK HILL led the way closely followed by PRINCE SANDROVITCH with
CHEROKEE RUN in third. Along the back
straight, past the point of departure and no change - Indian file. Over the second of the open ditches and on
to the home straight - no change! On
passing the winning post with a circuit to run a slight change occurred with
JABIRU and CHEROKEE RUN closing up a little.
The pace quickened as the quartet entered the back straight with PORLOCK
HILL taking the lead again after letting PRINCE SANDROVITCH have a taste of
what it is like in front. JABIRU also
taking closer orders but was very untidy over the second along the bottom. PRINCE SANDROVITCH again got the better of
PORLOCK HILL who was now being ridden along, four lengths to JABIRU and
CHEROKEE RUN racing together. Over the
final ditch and it was PORLOCK HILL again at the head of affairs followed by
PRINCE SANDROVITCH. At the first fence
in the home straight PRINCE SANDROVITCH pulled up and left PORLOCK HILL now
being hunted down by JABIRU. Now the shouting
started and the two main protagonists raced to the final fence and then the
line. It was close- it was one for the
judge but I thought my investment was safe as I was quite near the line but I
couldn't stand a 'dead - heat' or at least my investment couldn't. Whew! JABIRU
won by a short head from PORLOCK HILL with CHEROKEE RUN a distance back in
third. A good race but I would say that
- wouldn't I! Seriously though it was
good and I believe JABIRU moves on to bigger things soon so the best of luck to
all concerned but I hope there will be some give in the going.
Now it's the time
of the novices and five will run in their race. The favourite was Jonathon Jarrett on TUBBER ROADS but EARL'S TOY
was my choice and I hope young Mr Fry would bring home the family owned horse
to boost my tin. The Hayes's best
turned out MAGICAL FUN will be taken along by Miss Hayes and The King's
CHISM will likewise be taken along by Mr King.
The other one who has attracted some attention is SNOWBOY (J O'Rourke) but his this season form is not
too much to go on so I will stick with EARLS TOY. TUBBER ROADS and SNOWBOY had a go at leading the field for the
first half circuit but on passing the judge with two complete circuits to go it
was MAGICAL FUN that had progressed from worst to first and took the field
along around the bend and down to the starting area followed by SNOWBOY and
then TUBBER ROADS and EARLS TOY. The
open ditch saw SNOWBOY just ahead of MAGICAL FUN and these two were pulling away from TUBBER ROADS and the others.
With a circuit to run it was SNOWBOY ahead of MAGICAL FUN and surely the winner
was going to be between these two.
Along the bottom and to the fourth from home MAGICAL FUN had now
appreciated his breather and put his effort back to racing again and got the
better of SNOWBOY, on to the final open ditch and MAGICAL FUN now had a two
length lead over SNOWBOY and was on his way home, keeping up a very good pace,
to cross the line some fifteen lengths to the good of SNOWBOY with TUBBER ROADS
four lengths back in third. EARLS TOY
was fifth and no use whatsoever to improve the amount in the tin. The smile on Fred Hayes's face was a joy to
behold which was only equalled by the one his daughter was producing.
Seven go to post
for the intermediate and the favourite is CAUNDLE CHASE which would go down
very well if the grey could pull this one off as it is owned by one of the West
Somerset Hunt Masters, Mrs Doggrell and her husband Peter and will be ridden by
her son Will. BEACH TIME (C Tizzard) and
JOLLY JAKE (E Walker) are also fancied by quite a few but nobody fancies SILENT
ACTION (D Smith) and best turned out HILL TRAIL and MRS PEGGOTY (M
Sweetland) are not expected to do too well either but this opinion is only
governed by the amount of money being deposited in the investment arena and
probably bears no alliance to the truth.
My money from a depleted tin is on JOLLY JAKE. Off they go! HILL TRAIL
established a good pace and kept it up for quite some time but with one circuit
to go it was now MRS PEGGOTY who took over closely followed by my concern,
JOLLY JAKE, CAUNDLE CHASE and SOUL KING. I noticed HILL TRAIL had pulled
up. Towards the final open ditch it was
CAUNDLE CHASE on the inside of MRS PEGGOTY and JOLLY JAKE about three lengths
back in third. The leading two took the
second last together with MRS PEGGOTY under pressure and on to the final fence
which they also took together and a good race to the line with Mark Sweetland
getting MRS PEGGOTY home by one and half lengths from CAUNDLE CHASE and JOLLY
JAKE six lengths back in third place.
Nothing for the tin whatsoever and a hole beginning to appear showing a
shiny inside where coloured paper should be - must do better and only one race
left to do it in!
The confined hunts
race with just four runners and decision time is here. Do I dump the contents of the tin on best
turned out CANADA (R Ross); a horse I have liked ever since I saw him at
the North Cornwall P to P or follow the crowd and hope PROCEDURE (C Heard) will
bring me some return. The other two in
this race, CONTEMPORARY ART (M Sweetland) and HAYDN JAMES (T O'Brien) are not
slouches but their this-year's form is of the letter type ('pp') and it really
should be figures. No - I will make
sure the tin will have some contents for tomorrow at Lifton so I will just use
a little but it will go on CANADA. The
best I could do was to get even money so there is no way the tin will
overflow. Off they go for the final
race of the day and the final one this season on this course. I was happy early on but then I heard that
CANADA had pecked on landing. Well that
is the last thing you need so early in the race but I will allow just one
mistake. At the first of the open
ditches it was the two less fancied leading the field with PROCEDURE just in
front of CANADA in the rear. It was a
tight group that went out around the top bend and down towards the starting
area. Along the back straight it
changed from a tight group to Indian file with CANADA still in the rear with an
unsettled leader in CONTEMPORARY ART taking them along. A brisk pace being set but CANADA was surely
playing a waiting game. It is better to
see what you have to beat than to get someone creep up from behind and rob the
spoils. Three in the air together with
CANADA a couple of lengths behind in fourth place. It was now along the back strait that CANADA must have read my
mind (along the lines of - 'get a move on'!) and put in a spurt which took him
forward to join the leader and over the fourth from home with a fractional advantage. The commentator thought it was anyone's race
at this point but I can assure you I didn't.
CONTEMPORARY ART was the first to weaken and left the other three to
fight it out. Over the final open ditch
and into the home strait with two to jump it was CANADA who held the
advantage. A good race to the line with
much jumping and shouting (from me anyway!) and CANADA crossed it five lengths
ahead of PROCEDURE with HAYDN JAMES ten lengths back in third. Just the way to end the day and now there
will be enough and some to spare for tomorrow at Lifton. The bag didn't finish
too well, but put it down to the fact that Ruth was concentrating on acting as
'runner' for Margaret who had broken her ankle this week; the tin however is
looking happy again.
Unlike here where
we have not seen any, it has been raining in Cornwall so the going at Lifton
will probably be soft so no excuses will be entertained for not being there -
BE THERE!
Fred and Ruth