Report from the two day PPORA Point to Point held
at Barbury Castle on Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th
January 2005. Day One.
The start of the P
to P season was a long time coming but to get off the mark with a two day
meeting made up for some of the wait.
We, unfortunately, due to a circumstance completely beyond our control,
had to miss last Saturday's meeting at Larkhill but its all go from now on.
We went up on
Friday and got to our regular B & B in good time. This being one of our best B & Bs with Mr & Mrs Rawlings
at Ashley Farm near Devises we knew that we would enjoy our stay so we booked
up until Monday so an extra long weekend was in store.
The Saturday
morning saw a misty fog around Melksham, Devises and Bedhampton so it did not
bode good for the Marlborough Downs. It
was not good! I walked the course and
it was not until I passed the same jump twice did I appreciate how really bad
the visibility was. The start of the
first race was delayed by 30 minutes.
The going would be 'good' and the course was in really good shape but
this visibility problem is hanging around.
The first race went off at 1200 noon but we could only see the
contestants as they passed the finishing line so it took quite a bit of the
excitement away.
Fifteen went to post
for The Hiscox PPORA Club Members Intermediate Race, well I counted 15 in the
paddock so I presume they all got to post. The commentator did his best but
being unable to see more than about fifty yards; we had to wait until
practically the completion of the race before we knew who was likely to win and
by how much. The favourite, J Bennetts
FERTILE VALLEY, with the ever keen Miss Polly Gundry up must have run a very
good race and came home by two and half lengths from Miss Scarlett's GLACIAL
PEARL (P Mason) in the very good time of 6 mins 40 secs with the Everall's
BEAUCHAMP ORACLE (R Hughes) quite a long way back in third.
The conditions for
the second race were no different. Nine
went to post for The Scarvagh House Stud 5 & 6 years old PPORA Club Members
Maiden Race Division One. A gamble was
going on with R Croker's MURPHY'S PRESENT (D Allers-Hankey) and his price
rapidly shot down from six to one to two to one but then went up a little to
seven to two at which price was available at the off. On passing the judge for
the first time he was visible next to last so probably hold up procedures were
in force. They were all soon out of
sight. Radio communication from the back
straight gave us some information and the prominent horse first time round was
C Hitchings's SAINT REVERIEN (A Wintle) but tailed off was G Edwards's ACKHURST
who had already attempted to free himself from the twelve stone on his back but
a marvellous recovery by both animal and jockey allowed them to continue. Back in sight again and it was still SAINT
REVERIEN (cheek pieces and a sheep skin nose band!) leading the field by about
three lengths from Marilyn Scudamore's SELASSIE (N Oliver) in second and then
came the rest of the field. ACKHURST
was still continuing. At this point the
commentator attempted to increase his vision by leaning out of his commentary
box but the wind across his microphone prevented his voice from being heard at
all now so I waited until the last jump before deciding who was in with a
chance. It was SAINT REVERIEN who was first in sight and
was the only one for a long time and crossed the line some thirty lengths to
the good of the gambled on MURPHY'S PRESENT with C Dupont on the best turned
out CABER (D Jacob) in third. There
were only four finishers. ACKHURST
fell before getting into the home
straight but was apparently closing on the leaders when he did. One for the note book. Brush up on his jumping and he will be
winning.
The conditions are
improving and more but not all, of the ten runner Fawcetts Men's Open Race will
be visible. Mr C Hitchings's FANE
COUNSEL (R Burton) went off as favourite with L Suenson-Taylor's KERSTINO TWO
(D Alers-Hankey) second favourite. We couldn't
see it but were reliably informed that there had been a false start. (Wonderful these mobile phones!) We were convinced they were eventually off
when the commentator announced "Here comes some shapes towards the first".
Passing us, on the finishing line, it was the favourite some ten lengths clear
of the field. Unfortunately the
ends and back straight of the course
were still out of sight but reliable information told us that the favourite was
continuing to lead but was jumping away to the right! At the eleventh fence it was Mrs Suenson-Taylor's KERSTINO TWO (D
Alers-Hankey) who took the lead and began to increase it from FANE
COUNSEL. Someone clouted the ditch - we
didn't see it but the thud was definitely audible. Three out wasn't visible,
two out wasn't much better, here they come, just two figures - yes its KERSTINO
TWO and FANE COUNSEL, nothing else in sight - yet! Not much between them as they raced between the final two fences
but it was KERSTINO TWO who stayed on the better and came home to win by three
lengths. A distance back was Roy Neal's
TRIBAL RUN (S Morris). This accounted
for the fastest time of the day but if we could only have seen it!
Hurrah! It has
cleared and the course can now be viewed in its entirety. Nine will go to post
in the next, it's the Scarvagh House Stud 5 & 6 years old PPORA Club Members Maiden Race Division
Two. The time to beat for the Hugh
Sumner Cup is 6.55. Off we go! Ah! So
that's what a start looks like!
At the investing arena punters found it a little difficult to sort out a
favourite but I think it would have been M Parr's MOYCRAFT (G Hanmer) who
eventually went off shouldering that burden but he was in the rear when the
field passed us after jumping the second.
The Martin's MR MOGUL was leading the field with The Deep Pockets Partnership's
DEEP POCKETS (J Snowden) very close up as they rounded the top bend for the
first time. S Fraser and B Edwards's
WIESER BUD (R Burton) made a move up and joined the two leaders and it was
these three that took the field down the back straight for the first time. Coming up the straight with a circuit to go
it was still MR MOGUL leading but not getting away from the his two main
protagonists. Heading towards the
thirteenth and down the back straight it was a much depleted field now being
led by WIESER BUD with DEEP POCKETS on his inside making the running with R
Jukes's BRONSON F'SURE (H Dowty) closing into third position and travelling
well. Five remaining at the ditch with
DEEP POCKETS leading by two lengths from BRONSON F'SURE - WIESER BUD in third
place. On the downhill run for home,
BRONSON F'SURE made an effort to get on terms with DEEP POCKETS but was
unsuccessful and the order as they crossed the line was the same - DEEP POCKETS
by seven lengths from BRONSON F'SURE with WIESER BUD back in third. The time was 7.02 so it was the 1st
Division that took the silver.
There then
followed two divisions of Restricted Races sponsored by Weatherbys Chase. In both races the fields were very soon
strung out and could hardly be classed as races' but nevertheless it was the
Richard Barber trained pair for Axe Valley Racing that took away the
honours. Division One, 18 runners, saw
Nick Williams bring home DRAGON'S DREAM to win by a large distance from NEW
LODGE EXPRESS (T Stephenson) and a
further fifteen lengths back was CHIEF SUSPECT (R Bliss), only four finished.
Division Two, 11 runners, saw Nick
Williams doing the job again on SPUDDLER'S DREAM who won by a distance or more
from Rilly Goschen on Mr & Mrs Awdry's SPIERS PEACE and twenty lengths
further back was M Hingley's CATCH THE BUS (H Dowty). Only three finished.
Well it was a day
ruined initially by the weather but the standard of racing can only
improve. The visible' fields were
really well strung out before completing one circuit and several never
completed the course and would not have done if they were there now. Tomorrow maybe better. Neither bag or tin have been used very much
today but somehow the tin has managed to lose whereas the bag has maintained a
sensible level.
I don't think I
can get used to packing up at four in the afternoon but it will be even earlier
tomorrow if we start on time. Lovely to
meet all our friends again and we will be back in the morning. BE THERE!
Fred & Ruth