Report from North Cornwall Hunt P to P meeting held at Royal Cornwall Showground Wadebridge on 4^th February 2006.

 

For once it looks as though this meeting will go off in good weather, none of the raging storms as in the past.  A fine, chilly slightly overcast day is a bonus for us here and the course is in good shape and will race 'good' with 'good to firm patches'.  A good lot of entries should ensure us entertaining racing and lets hope the bag and tin can carry away some 'goods' to be invested in our home county.

 

Six to post for the Members race and some keen competition here.  Young Leanda Tickle will be having her first ride on Mum's AMARILLA and will be sure to go off with orders to do well (and return safe).  Mary Biddick will be up on the family's FRANKLY FEAR who will also have the same orders as Leanda no doubt, but will be keen herself to return home in front of brother Will who will be up on the syndicated FOXY JUDAS.  Lucy Gardner will be attempting to get hold of the cup again and will be riding Auntie Roma's (Cook) best turned out HASTEN BAK, and Robert Quinn is riding David Bryant's  (P to P Secretary) IZZYWIZZYWOO who no doubt has been galloped well by Sarah on their new all weather track. (ring 01208 269499 for details)  Tabitha Cave will complete the line up and will be carrying my investment on Sally Messer-Bennetts's SEA SNIPE; this one looked good in the paddock and would not be running unless conditions were thought to be just right for her, but no doubt the trainers of them all think just that!  The starter's flag dropped, the commentator announced that 'they race for the first time of asking' BUT, HASTEN BAK did not agree and refused to start and was left there, so some of the competition dropped out there.  Will and Mary brought the field up past the finishing line for the first time closely watched by Tabitha.  Then Robert and Leanda brought up the rear. Rounding the far end of the course in this order but on coming off the bend FOXY JUDAS slipped and deposited Will unceremoniously on the deck and ran off.  I fancy I spotted a smirk on the face of a young lady as she took the field of four gracefully past the cheering crowd and down the hill and on to complete the first circuit.  Tabitha and Robert followed with Leanda still in touch.  At the final open ditch it was still Mary leading the field but SEA SNIPE was now close up and jumping well. On rounding the top bend all three leading horses were in a line with AMARILLA in fourth still there with a chance.  Through the run through and down the hill and Tabitha began to ask SEA SNIPE for more and got it.  IZZYWIZZYWOO was also now being asked and responding with FRANKLY FEAR still in touch.  SEA SNIPE took the very important fence number 15 very well and got away from it running but IZZYWIZZYWOO did the same and by the time they arrived at fence sixteen they were over it together with SEA SNIPE on the inside.  At the second last IZZYWIZZYWOO hit it hard, in fact went straight through it (a miracle that Robert Quinn remained on board,  no doubt the experience he is gaining at Martin Pipe's stable is a bonus) whereas SEA SNIPE pinged it and raced to the final fence and treated it the same way and went on to win by five lengths from IZZYWIZZYWOO with AMARILLA eventually getting the better of FRANKLY FEAR and came in six lengths back in third.  A pity about HASTEN BAK who probably now at 13 years old will face retirement but the remainder provided a good start for the days racing with the time of six minutes twelve seconds being faster than the Restricted race and only two seconds slower than the Men's Open race.  A very good performance; the tin is open and deposit made.  The bag remains closed - whoops!

 

A clear favourite in the Men's Open race in D Johnson's MAXIMIZE (Guy Weatherly) and although odds-on I invested quite heavily as the tin had been replenished and there was some to spare and I have seen this one run at Larkhill and although beaten, it was by a horse that will turn out to be something to contend with (Barton Baron) and who got round Larkhill in 5.56 and won by 20 lengths.  On that occasion MAXIMIZE was ten lengths to the good of the third horse and will have benefited by that run.  SAMMY SAMBA (R Bliss) from the Dufosee stables should provide good competition and DALE CREEK R Woollacott) and best turned out  YOUNG GENERAL (D McKenna) make up the foursome.  MAXIMIZE went into the lead from the off and although challenged on the final circuit there was nothing in this field that could get to him and from flag fall to finish it was MAXIMIZE.  SAMMY SAMBA ran well and put up a brave challenge from the final bend but could not get up and came home in second place four lengths back and the third place was fought out to the line and eventually went to YOUNG GENERAL who was eight lengths back in third with DALE CREEK a close fourth.  This is great stuff and now the tin is looking really healthy but a little early yet to start counting.

 

The Ladies Open race will see six good pointers going to post.  Mary McCarthy has brought her SANDY DUFF down and I have been told that he has been informed to keep straight down the hill and not to take the easy way out as he did last year. Ross Oliver's LET'S FLY (Polly Gundry) will be challenging again and best turned out BALLY BLUE ('Rilly' Goschen) is surely due a win here.    Lucy Gardner's GREY CISEAUX is back racing again and although he might need the race, is sure to put up a good fight.  I am on SANDY DUFF and I noticed Ruth is as well and with better odds than I got. My heart was in my mouth on the two occasions that Mary took SANDY DUFF down the slope but with strong handling he was only allowed to look where he might like to go but was kept on the course and got around here in the quickest time of the day to win by three lengths from LET'S FLY; GREY CISEAUX is definitely coming back to form and was only two lengths away in second place. Again, this season SANDY DUFF is going to take all the beating but others will have benefited by this race so early in the season and I don't think it is a forgone conclusion that he will not be beaten.  The tin and bag are open, deposits are made and once again, life is just a bowl of cherries!

 

A 'whisper' went around the big shed about the Heard family's COFFEE MORNING but I had already settled for an investment on the Milldalus Partnership's MILLDALUS with Neil Harris up and stuck to my guns with a real good price and a check that I still had the Securicor number on my mobile as this would be needed if Neil passed by those two Union flags in first position.  Eight will go to post for this running of the Restricted Race and initially it looked as if the Ashley Farrant trained RIVER FIELDS with Derek McKenna up would go off favourite but 'the whisper'  brought the price of COFFE MORNING down and eventually at the off this one carried the honour.  Off they go!  Well I certainly saw a lot of my choice during this race as passing the line for the first time he was lying in second place to the Polly Gundry ridden ESKIMO GOLD but this one ran out going down the hill and left my choice leading the field and this was a position Neil held onto until the finishing straight.  It was with two left to jump that MILLDALUS was seriously being challenged by Colin Heard on COFFEE MORNING.  This is a very strenuous finishing up hill straight and both jockeys were now hard at work.  The crowd loved it and the appreciation was being shown by loud cheering as these two raced for the line. An excellent finish but I was unlucky this time and COFFEE MORNING got up to win by a head with ANNIE DIPPER (I Popham) a respectable four lengths back in third place followed by FORDHAM GLORY (W Biddick) and POLLY COME BACK (R Woollacott).

 

In the Confined Hunt's Race a lot of interest is shown in Charlie Rush's KESTICK with Tabitha Cave up as this very capable horse has had his problems and it has been left to Rebecca Kennen to make sure he will run worthy of his interest on the investors' board of even money favourite.  He will be challenged by four others and I have chosen PROCEDURE (Colin Heard) to give KESTICK a good run for the money.  LOUISE'S CHOICE decided that the owner on her back was a nuisance factor on her previous run and is out to make amends here and Will Biddick is going to prove that PERTEMPS PROFILE does go well fresh.  The Channon's SPORTING CHANCE (Mark Munrowd) has form of letters and figures and is not a youngster any more (14) but is not without a chance. Ruth has faith in KESTICK.  A great race and although Tabitha treated KESTICK with kid gloves she was still capable of holding off the challenges from the second horse PERTEMPS PROFILE, one length, and third horse SPORTING CHANCE, half a length.  LOUISE'S CHOICE did better than her previous run, but was tailed off and pulled up.  Well done all concerned with bringing back KESTICK and well done Ruth as well, as the bag will now be opened yet again!  The tin will not!  The time of this race was exactly the same as that for SANDY DUFF - please remember that!!

 

The Intermediate Race has an odds-on favourite and the task will be to find who will be second to this good thing.  Jamie Snowden riding the family's KNIGHTON COMBE is 'the racing certainty' so I am with the bookie who offers a sensible price for BEACHTIME (C Tizzard) to come second, some prefer NDITLIR (C Heard)  to come second but there is no doubt that Jamie is to bring home the winner.  At the off and first to show is KNIGHTON COMBE.  Up around and down the far side it is still KNIGHTON COMBE followed by BEACHTIME and bringing up the rear is NDITLIR.  All jumping well and BEACHTIME is pushing KNIGHTON COMBE but Jamie still takes them along.  Coming up to the open ditch for the final time BEACHTIME got his head in front but over the fence they did it together.  At fence 13 they were still together but KNIGHTON COMBE got away from the fence the better.  Coming around to fence 16 it was still KNIGHTON COMBE closely attended by BEACHTIME and I thought I was in the money as EUROBOB (R Woollacott) lying in third was about to be overtaken by NDITLIR but the leading two were a couple of lengths clear.  Two fences to go and the favourite was some six lengths to the good of the following BEACHTIME and NDITLIR but they were both closing.  A very good race over the last and to the line with KNIGHTON COMBE making it by one and half lengths from NDITLIR with BEACHTIME a length back in third.  Nothing to pickup this time and as Ruth was on EUROBOB the bag will have no reason to be opened for deposits.

 

Two divisions of Open Maiden races were on the card to complete the day with nine to run in Division One and ten in Division Two.  They were both good races and in good times, the first being faster than the Men's Open and the final one just a second slower.  The favourite in Division One was a newcomer from Ollie Jackson's stable for Mr Kilpatrick and came home under Guy Weatherley to win by two lengths from James Tudor on FREEMANTLE DOCTOR with Rachel Green bringing up CHARLIE CHAPEL in third place a length back.  The Division Two turned out to be the most popular race of the day with a six to one winner but I don't think the price really mattered.  It was local jockey, Will Biddick that brought the late John Weldhen's CORAL BAY up the winning straight and on past the post to win by three lengths and thunderous cheers and into the winners' enclosure to more rousing cheers.  John had tried hard to get this one to win but numerous placings were in the form book until today.  Guy Weatherly brought D Johnson's THIRTYTWO RED into second place and Mark Munrowd had WHATS UP MAID a length back in third.

 

The end of a great days racing and as seven out of eight favourites went past the post in first place and nearly all at sensible prices, pockets, tins, bags and many other containers went home full.  North Cornwall Hunt did the Point to Point circuit proud today and there are not many venues that could do it better in February month. If we can get away from the celebrations tonight at a sensible hour then we will be at Chipley Park tomorrow for the Tiverton meeting and for those who have opted to live in Spain instead of here in Cornwall you missed a great day and we will leave a space for you next to George at dinner tonight.

 

Tomorrow Chipley Park BE THERE!

Fred and Ruth