Report from Tetcott Hunt Point to Point meeting at Jays Farm Lifton on Sunday 15^th May 2005.

 

As Jays had a fair soaking yesterday the going here today will be a little on the soggy side and some very damp patches will have to be negotiated to say the least.  Plenty of sandy patches are evident and some of the fences have been moved a little to better ground but I would say the going conditions must be good to soft and soft in places.  Quite a contrast to yesterday where it was firm and had no rain whatsoever.

 

I slipped the Jimny into four wheel drive to get in through the gate but then we were early and no doubt it would squash down with a few more spectators arriving.  Although it doesn't seem like it but I know for sure that we have not had to wear our Barbers more than once for the whole of this season and we have been pointing every weekend since the beginning of January.  On the occasion we did put them on it didn't rain enough to wash the creases out of the coats.  Bratton Down time is coming and in the past we have had every thing from snow, lightning and near blizzard to blazing sunshine, up there on Exmoor so we will continue to carry foul weather gear.

 

Eight races here today and we kick off with two runners in the farmers race.  The fine looking unregistered hunter MOON who will be ridden by her owner Steve Craddock will be challenging Russell Ross on the Linda Blackford trained best turned out SOME TOOL.  A sensible pace saw both complete the course with some good jumping by both horses.  SOME TOOL did not have it quite his own way as though for most of the race he was well in front, MOON did get back at him and raced along with him before giving in and letting SOME TOOL cross the line ten lengths to the good of MOON.  Those that were brave enough to invest at the price of six to one ON could now go and collect there earnings.  I was not one of them!

 

The confined hunts race saw eight go to post and I have been reliably informed who will win this one so the tin lid is off and a considerable amount, not enough for me to see the shiny bottom, but a good handful will be invested on Jennifer Congdon riding her (and father's) POSSIBLE PARDON who will go off favourite.  I expect my source of information has passed the good news around considerably as the price has dropped down but still an attractive six to four against.  CHESTER CHARLIE (T Dennis) is the nearest rival in the investing arena and EMALI (W White) is also fancied.  Off they go and Jennifer went straight into the lead.  Will Biddick was up on Reuben Chapman's INDIAN RAIDER and was following in second place with PERSIAN DAWN (R Woollacott) , MILLENIUM GOLD (R Darke) bringing on the rest.  POSSIBLE PARDON jumped his  way around this course in fine style and took the field down to the open ditch on the final circuit without looking as though he would be caught.  INDIAN RAIDER continued in second place pressing hard and getting just up to the leader with EMALI in third and MILLENIUM GOLD closing up and these four leaving about a four length gap to the remainder of the field.   Whoops! What is happening!  MILLENIUM GOLD has got up and taken a two length lead over POSSIBLE PARDON. These two pulled away by about four lengths and this was a worrying time as the wrong one was in front.  With two fences to go Jennifer got to work and POSSIBLE PARDON went away from MILLENIUM GOLD and went for home without him bothering her but Will Biddick had not given up and brought INDIAN RAIDER along and would make sure that Jennifer never took a rest for the remainder of the journey.  Young Miss Kennen on IT'S NOT SIMPLE had not given up either and ran a very good finish to get within a length of INDIAN RAIDER.  The result was POSSIBLE PARDON first by four lengths from INDIAN RAIDER and IT'S NOT SIMPLE third one length behind.  Now I can stop shaking and queue up to collect.  That was good!

 

The men's open race will see nine go to post and I will be able to choose my selection quite quickly as this one was only half a length second at the D & S Staghounds meeting recently and as it was that good horse PORLOCK HILL that beat him I am convinced he can pull it off today.  Guy Weatherley riding ASTRONAUT will be the one and will be carrying a little from the tin.  The odds on favourite is FINEWOOD (R Woolacott) and we all know how good that stable is at the moment but I am sure my choice will be the one but just a little investment.  (I can hear you saying he cannot be THAT sure!)  PETER'S TWO FUN (J Barnes) is here as well but has been disappointing since winning at Lamerton but he was impressive that day.  KNOCK STAR (S Partridge) can go well fresh and PROVINCE is also here after his impressive win at Flete where he frightened his opposition off the course and went on to win as he liked.  Something Mrs Winzer has discarded is hanging from his mouth so maybe that will help him back to winning ways.  The Robarts's JALON STAR (B Robarts) is an outsider with a chance as is Will Biddick on the family's SCARBOROUGH FAIR and he is carrying an investment from the bag.  I am sticking with my first choice - ASTRONAUT.  Off they go!  Ruth was jumping a bit already as they successfully completed the first half circuit and SCARBOROUGH FAIR took the group past the judge for the first time, FINEWOOD and ASTRONAUT were bringing up the tail end.  All safely over the ditch.  SCARBOROUGHT FAIR was soon to make a mistake and Will did very well to remain onboard but was left out the rear and had some catching up to do now.  FINEWOOD was another one who made a mistake and Richard showed some good survival tactics in remaining onboard but surely out of the race.  JALONS STAR was now leading the field with my concern ASTRONAUT moving slowly up through the field.  Out on the final lap and Guy Weatherley moved ASTRONAUT up to lead the field.  KNOCK STAR was probably first over the final open ditch but Guy soon got back into the lead and opened up a five length lead.  JALONS STAR jumped well along the back straight and kept pestering ASTRONAUT and they travelled head to head for some time and came through the run through and climbed up to meet the final two fences locked together.  PETER'S TWO FUN, KNOCK STAR and PROVINCE were following very closely.  JALONS STAR had the lead at the final fence and looked the winner but as a very experienced ex jockey standing next to me predicted, he attempted to run out, thought better of it and jerked back again and dumped his pilot unceremoniously on the deck.  ASTRONAUT came home to win by three lengths with his jockey flipping his whip into the air, expertly catching it and then racing to the line, from PETER'S TWO FUN with tongue tied PROVINCE just a neck back in third.  If the horse that came second goes to Bratton Down, the tin will be on him for sure!.  A healthy tin is a tin more than half full and that is just about it at the moment. (Guy Wetherley admits to unintentionally losing his whip and catching it when he remembered how much it cost!)

 

Only four for the ladies open and it is sure to result in a match between RIMPTON BOY (R Green) and LETS FLY ( Polly Gundry)  although the other two, SALFORD (T Newman) and TONY'S TIME (C Tizzard) are not to be completely discarded as both carry some decent form.  I am going for LETS FLY and because of the price of slightly odds on I will have to use a little more than I usually do in a race like this.  Quite a big handful is selected and the bottom of the tin is just about visible so go like hell Polly and beat this best turned out  grey one but remember he hasn't been beaten in his last four open races.  SALFORD led for most of the race followed by LET'S FLY then TONY'S TIME and RIMPTON BOY brought up the rear until into the final circuit. RIMPTON BOY closed up a little prior to the final open ditch but when the three fences along the bottom came into view Polly got LET'S FLY going and RIMPTON BOY went with her and relegated SALFORD to third place.  Although SALFORD ran very well the race for the line after completing the course in fine style was going to be between the two main protagonist and they fought it out up the rise and along the final straight and RIMPTON BOY showed class and came away to win by four lengths.  LET'S FLY was lucky to hang on to second place as SALFORD finished with a good challenge and was only a length behind in third on the line.  Although I lost I did enjoy that race and would have difficulty in choosing a winner if they meet again. 

 

Onto the novice riders race with five taking part and no clear favourite is established as, like me, some think MONTEBANK (G Walters) will collect whilst others, the bag holder included, favour best turned out  PROBY LADY who will be ridden by one G Wigley.  I have never seen PROBY LADY ridden by anyone other than The Hon Di Harding so here is a new one to add to my list.  SILVERMAN (I Chanin) and MARQUIS MAX ( A Oliver) took the field around for the first circuit with an eight length lead over the remainder set off for lap two.  At this time SILVERMAN was jumping well and had a four length lead over MARQUIS MAX at the end of the back strait and the field now was spread out over about thirty lengths.   Out on the final circuit SILVERMAN ran wide on the down hill bend and lost his advantage which left PROBY LADY and MARQUIS MAX leading the field.  PROBY LADY jumped well over the open ditch whereas MARQUIS MAX was continuing to jump left and lost ground allowing MONTEBANK up into second place.  Along the final back strait PROBY LADY and MONTEBANK  raced together with SILVERMAN in third followed by GUNNER BE TRUE.  I think MARQUIS MAX was pulled up down the bottom corner.  Now a true race developed between the joint favourites with first PROBY LADY looking to have the advantage but then MONTEBANK getting back up - over the last together, passing me just before the winning line they were still together but at the line the judge gave the decision to PROBY LADY by half a length from MONTEBANK with GUNNER BE TRUE just managing to hold off SILVERMAN,  twenty lengths away in third.  Bag holder smiling, I am finding it difficult to do just that!!

 

I heard reports that although a 15 length second behind SANDY DUFF at Flete Park recently GUNNER'S MISTAKE travelled very well for Will Biddick in the Pegasus race so maybe I should be following that one here in the eleven runner Restricted race.  Today Will will be riding the family's FRANKLY FEAR and Darren Edwards will be up on GUNNER'S MISTAKE. I am going to go for Richard Darke who will be up on best turned out  VERO BEACH who was an easy winner at the Stevenstone meeting in a maiden.  This will not be an easy race to win though as Mrs Stoneman has her LADY WURZEL here with Polly Gundry up and this combination is sure to enjoy this going and is more than likely to go off favourite.  The two likely to cause confusion to the commentator and are also fancied are STAND ON ME (G Weatherley) and STAND ON (T O'Brien).  Off they go!  Passing the judge for the first time and out into the country the field was led, as from the start, by GUNNER'S MISTAKE and being followed by PANTO PIXIE (T Cave), VICTORY BELL (L Gardner) and LADY WURZEL.  Passing the judge for the second time it was still GUNNER'S MISTAKE but PANTO PIXIE continued to breath down his neck and out into the country for the final time.  Over the final ditch these two continued to lead with Will Biddick making a move on FRANKLY FEAR up into third.  Along the bottom straight GUNNER'S MISTAKE went for home with LADY WURZEL now giving chase.  An extremely good race continued to the home strait and to the line with GUNNER'S MISTAKE holding on to his lead and crossed the line to win by six lengths from a spirited run by LADY WURZEL in second and just half a length back was PANTO PIXIE.  An excellent race but nowt for tin or bag!

 

Two divisions of maiden races followed with division one going to the odds on favourite DIONYSIAN (D Jacobs) followed by my choice, SLIPPERY FRIEND (R Darke) and third was CORAL BAY (W Biddick).  As the runners met the rising ground for the final time it could have been anyone's race with STEP ON THE BANDIT (T Cave) very prominent but from here on in DIONYSIAN showed his superiority and came away from the others in good style by five lengths with another five lengths between second and third.  Nowt for tin again.

 

The second division and final race saw ten go to post and from the off the race turned in to an elimination race and the one and only one left in at the end was Andrew Glassonbury onboard best turned out  ALAZYLADY and neither I nor Ruth had selected this one so tin remained shut but still with contents (a little!) and nothing was added to the bag which is rather low. 

 

A real good afternoons racing and although there was some doubt about the going the course stood up to it reasonably well.  Next week we start our visits to Bratton Down and to the Dulverton West meeting; we are nearing the end of this season so just make sure I see you next week - BE THERE!

 

Fred and Ruth