Report from The Silverton Foxhounds Point to Point
held at Black Forest Lodge on Sunday 29th January 2006
To wake up this morning and find that there was very
little frost at our B & B location at Hayne House near Silverton bode well
for the conditions at Black Forest Lodge and after a hearty breakfast we set
off and arrived on course early. After
walking round I thought that this was as good as I have seen this course and it
would race 'Good to Firm' with 'Firm in places'. A lovely sunrise and it was bound to be
warmer than yesterday. An eight race
card was in store and as it turned out there were 72 runners. Excellent support for this hunt so early in
the season and their good organisation deserved this support it gets, but a few
more runners for the Hunt race would not have gone amiss. Only three to race!
Only three runners but favourites flip flopped for
this one. D Williams's MILLENIO (G
Weatherly) was fancied by some whilst others went for Lucy Gardner's best turned out TYRE HILL LILLY, to be ridden
by her. The third horse was A Knox and T
Chanin's BARTON ROSE to be ridden by Ian Chanin. The first two fences were omitted would you
believe because the sun was at a dangerous level at the moment; they would be
included later provided the sun did as it normally does and rise above fence
height. It was MILLENIO who took it up
to set the pace and went clear very soon after passing the stands and going out
into the country. A considerable gap
between first MILLENIO and second TYRE HILL LILLY was established as they
rounded the far end and came down to complete one lap. On going out into the country for the final
time Lucy began reducing the gap a little and looked full of running but she
had to get to Guy yet. Ian was still holding on in third place. MILLENIO made a mistake at the open ditch and
allowed TYRE HILL LILLY and BARTON ROSE who was now on second wind to get up
and as the field crossed the end of the course all three were together. Prior to coming down the hill to the start
area BARTON ROSE pulled up and this left the other two to fight it out. On the run for home, missing out the two
sunlit fences it was TYRE HILL LILLY who proved to be the fittest and fastest
and came round the final bend and over the last fence with a perfect jump and on
to win by a distance from MILLENIO. A
good performance by the winner and I am sure this is not the last time we will
see MILLENIO who will have benefited by the race. Nothing at this stage for the tin but I
spotted the big smile on the face of the bag holder so a deposit was definitely
made there.
A good field of fifteen went to post for the
Restricted Race for Novice Riders and the clear favourite turned out to be a
horse I have mentioned already this season, Mrs Collett's best turned out SCUTTLEBROOK and on this occasion to be ridden by
Felix (or is it Freddie?) de Giles. This one will be Ruth's choice. I have chosen R Willcox's HAWAADEJ who came
good towards the end of last season and maybe will progress even further. Off they go and my choice did not seem to
start too eagerly and when the field passed the finishing line for the first
time it was obvious to me that the tin would not be profiting on this occasion
as my investment carrier was in the rear and the eagerness with which he was
running told me he would still be there at the end of the race. I will now cheer on Ruth's selection. Mrs Healey's FRUITFUL CITIZEN ( J Mahot) took them over the open ditch for the first time
with SELASSIE (C Wallis), ONE DAWN (J Jones) and FIESTY FROSTY (M Scudamore) in
close attendance. Out into the country
for the final time it was FIESTY FROSTY leading now with the Lawrence's NO WAY
A LADY with young Nick Scholfield up challenging but the challenge was short
lived as he was soon to fall leaving FIESTY FROSTY, SELASSIE and FRUITFUL
CITIZEN taking the field to the final open ditch with SCUTTLEBROOK in fourth
but a little way back. Soon it was
obvious that it was going to be between FIESTY FROSTY, SELASSIE and the now
improved SCUTTLEBROOK. Young Michael
Scudamore rode a good race and brought his charge home to win by one and a half
lengths from SCUTTLEBROOK with SELASSIE eight lengths back in third. A very good race in which the novice riders
would certainly have learnt a lot and hopefully for those that were unseated
they at least learnt a little about falling off and the pain it causes. Don't
do it again!
Seven to post for the Ladies Open with some good stuff
in here. Mary McCarthy
on her SANDY DUFF went off favourite but it was not going to be an easy race as
Vanessa Shaw on her GUDLAGE has already had a good run at Larkhill and would
have profited by that. Lucy Bridges on
The Culm Valley Syndicate's
The Men's Open is well supported and eight good
entrants will go to post with my selection this time being Neil Harris riding
Mr Lever's READY TO RUMBLE who has several letters in his form but the couple
of figures that are there are valuable ones and probably enough to bring this
one off. With a price available of ten to one I must be the only one thinking
along these lines. Ruth thinks Richard
Woollacott riding R Westacott's best
turned out SIR WILLIAM will do the trick.
The Scudamores are involved by the way of
The Intermediate is also well supported and thirteen
will go to post with Ruth's choice Mrs Mackness's GREGORY PECKORY (R Morgan) going
off the well fancied favourite. I am
having great difficulty choosing in this one so I will just sit back and watch
and give Ruth a little support. It was a
good race with WEE JUNIOR (Will Biddick) going off at a good pace and was seven
lengths to the good of the field after the first open ditch and seemingly
travelling well. ALL EYEZ ON ME (J
Tudor), Lucy Gardner on her TSAR'S TWIST and MANHUNTER (M Barber) were the
closest followers with the field getting spread out. By the time it got to the finish line for the
first time things had altered a little and it was ALL EYEZ ON ME leading with
TSAR'S TWIST upsides and GREGORY PECKORY moving into third place, MANHUNTER was
back in fourth with the early leader WEE JUNIOR now following in fifth place. Several horses were now pulling up. After the final open ditch it was GREGORY
PECKORY leading Lucy on TSAR'S TWIST followed by MANHUNTER and ALL EYEZ ON ME. From the far end of the course to the winning
line it was a good race between Lucy Gardner and Ronald Morgan and eventually
it was TSAR'S TWIST who came home to win by two lengths from GREGORY PECKORY
with Polly on NICKET some ten lengths back in third. A good double for Lucy who appears to have
her horses in real good nick. Ruth is
not all that happy about that as the bag did not pick up that time.
Three division of Open Maiden's followed with Neil
Harris winning two of them making it a treble for him, the first one on
OSOKENDA by a distance from Darren Edwards on PHANTHOM WALKER who were the only
finishers and the final one on 'Jacko's' syndicate from Exford's SOUTHWESTERN
who came home a distance clear of the newcomer, RICHWAY (J Price) with Ryan
Bliss on DOUBLE POPS five lengths back in third place. The second division was won by Mark Barber on
JOHN STORM who made a good race of it by beating Charlotte Tizzard on FILLE
DÉTENTE with QUANTOCK'S RETURN (D Turner) a distance away in third.
That ended a good days racing for me, with the tin
looking very healthy and ready for my visit to Wadebridge next week. Unfortunately the bag is not so happy and the
gains of yesterday have now been returned, on loan, I am assured to John Bocock,
Bookmaker, to be used on another day.
As previously mentioned our thoughts are with Lucy
(Bridges) and family and hope for a real speedy recovery. Thank you Silverton for a very good meeting
which was well organised and provided the crowd with good racing. Long may it continue!
Next week it will be the North Cornwall Hunt's turn on
Saturday and the Tiverton's on Sunday.
The weather forecast for the weekend is cold but dry so good racing will
no doubt be provided by both meetings.
BE THERE!
Fred and Ruth