Report from the South Tetcott P to P meeting held at Upcott Cross on Monday 29^th May 2006. 

 

A very heavy downpour of rain dampened our spirits as we crossed Bodmin Moor on the way to Upcott Cross as having already endured two meetings at which water fell from the sky in no uncertain manner, we did not really want another one, but the shower soon passed over and good weather prevailed for the remainder of the day. 

 

Small adjustments to the layout of the amenities had taken place since the first meeting here and things were better and no doubt will continue to improve with knowledge gained at every meeting.  An immense amount of work has gone into making this a good racing track and the providers should be commended for it.

 

One or two were a bit anxious to get away in the first race and had to be called back and it was the second attempt when the twelve runner field got underway for the Confined hunts race.  Tabitha Cave up on Charlie Rush's KESTICK went off the odds on favourite but the arena offered opportunities to invest without the favourite so I took a chance on Will Biddick up on PERTEMPS PROFILE to bring home a few scratchings for the tin.  Ruth was also on Will as she will be trying to get back some from a previous meeting when she failed to get him at 25/1.  It was GUNNERS MISTAKE (D Edwards) who took the field over the first where we lost ISOU (S Partridge).  The long straight is good here and one can see the field coming down towards them.  On passing the judge with two circuits to complete it was now BRUTHUINNE (D McKenna) who took them along followed by ALNEY ISLAND (T Hayes), MY WHISPER (M Woodward) and GUNNERS MISTAKE.   The leading protagonists in the betting market were travelling sweetly in the middle of the field.  Coming down the long home straight again it was KESTICK who had made a move and was now up in second place behind BRUTHUINNE with MY WHISPER back in third and PERTEMPS PROFILE and GUNNERS MISTAKE followed.  This group had pulled away from the field and made there way out onto the final circuit.  Soon ALNEY ISLAND and PRIMERO (J Cole) were to be pulled up. At the final open ditch it was a line of three that met it and KESTICK jumped it well and came away the better from BRUTNHUINNE and driven along PERTEMPS PROFILE.  At the top of the course it was KESTICK who had yet to be asked for very much, who led from driven along PERTEMPS PROFILE and these two were to race down the long home straight.  KESTICK won by four lengths from PERTEMPS PROFILE with GUNNERS MISGTAKE staying on nine lengths back in third place.  The time of six minutes forty-nine seconds was the fastest of the day and KESTICK had finished without being asked too much and on this demanding surface.  The tin and bag are smiling again!

 

Four to post for the Men's open with James Tudor up on MILLARDS LAD being made the favourite very quickly but not before I managed to invest the contents of the tin, or very nearly all of it.  All this one has to do it to beat MISTER CLUB ROYAL (M Munrowd), MAXIMUS (B Wright) and best turned out FRONTENAC (D Edwards).  It was FRONTENAC who set the pace and led the field for most of the first circuit but the others closely followed at a steady pace.  At the last next time round, it was still FRONTENAC but a few reminders were necessary to get him to keep it up with MISTER CLUB ROYAL alongside and MILLARDS LAD travelling well in third place.  MAXIMUS brought up the rear.  No change over the final ditch and on to the top of the course and it was now that MILLARDS LAD began his move.  MISTER CLUB ROYAL was pulled up.  Racing down the home straight it was the favourite who took command and came away from a hard driven FRONTENAC to win by five lengths and MAXIMUS came in twelve lengths back in third.  Now the tin is smiling (in fact laughing out loud!)  but the bag did not reap anything as no investment was made so was not opened.

 

Just four for the Ladies open as well and Rachel Green was made favourite to win on The Axe Valley's syndicated best turned out GAYE TRIGGER.  The price was so short I looked for alternatives whilst Ruth did not invest at all.  I chose to invest on a forecast so GAYE TRIGGER had to win and YOUNG GENERAL (N Rovai) had to come second but I did not lay out too much as although the favourite was a 'cert' there were great doubts about who would come second.  I got it wrong!  It was Dee Newman who brought her FRUIT DEFENDU into second place some twenty lengths behind GAYE TRIGGER with my choice, YOUNG GENERAL four lengths back in third.  FRANKLY FEAR (Mary Biddick) was fourth.

 

The next race, the Restricted race, was even more difficult to chose a winner from the four runners.  Eventually Richard Woollacott on Oliver Carter's FIRTH THOUGHT was sent off favourite with D Congdon's JAUNTY JANNER (N Harris) second favourite closely followed by Will Biddick on A ROMP TOO FAR.   Mark Sweetland on I MOVE EARTH was the outsider.  We fancied A ROMP TOO FAR but that proved to be costly.  A really good race, the decision being made after a tight contest down the home straight, between Richard and Neil with the Oliver Carter horse getting the better of the duel by one and half lengths. Our choice was fifteen lengths back in third.

 

I will attempt to get the details of the next race correct but I was so busy filming it for 'What happened next' that I might get things mixed up.  Firstly let me say that I have just had word that the jockey of SHERBOURNE GUEST - John Kwaitowski who was taken away by Air Ambulance is at this moment travelling by train back to his work in London, perhaps a little bruised but nevertheless ok. Now what happened next was& Five runners set off for the Intermediate race.  The established odds-on favourite was Ryan Bliss up on LADY EDISON but Ruth fancied second favourite Will Biddick on CORAL BAY.  The others were, best turned out COFFEE MORNING (C Heard), SHERBOURNE GUEST and TH'MOONSABALLOON (S Partridge).  All over the first safely.  At the second SHERBOURNE GUEST fell and brought down LADY EDISON (fav), so that is both the runners from the Dufosee stable out of it.  The three remaining runners pass the judge with two circuits to go led by TH'MOONSABALLOON followed by CORAL BAY and COFFEE MORNING.  Over the first open ditch and onto the next, fence eight and there we lost COFFEE MORNING.  The next fence is by-passed and around the top we go.  Next is fence ten where we lost CORAL BAY leaving TH'MOONSABALLOON racing down the home straight alone with a circuit to go.  Over fence eleven but now travelling very slow but with no opposition why hurry? Maybe Simon has forgotten there is another circuit to complete!  Way back up the course Will Biddick is to be seen sprinting and doing it well enough to catch up with the young mounted hunt staff who has caught CORAL BAY and Will remounts.  This action is not liked by CORAL BAY who promptly discharges Will to the deck again.  Surely he is trying to pass on a message here!  Again Will remounts and gets back to the racing line and continues down the course, over fence eleven and off after TH'MOONSABALLOON who by now has slowly rounded the bottom bend and is at the first fence up the back straight.  Simon now pulls up TH'MOONSABALLOON who has a blood vessel problem and cannot go any further.  Into sight now comes CORAL BAY and appears to be behaving reasonably well.  On he goes over the final ditch, two more plain fences up the back straight, around the top, two down the home straight and across the line to raptures of laughter and loud appreciation of a job well done.  The bag appreciated that race and a good deposit was made.  I do know that Will passed on praise for the young member of the hunt staff who managed to get hold of and to hang on to, a very wayward CORAL BAY. 

 

Next came two divisions of Open maiden races.  I was very successful in division one because after much studying I chose the right one from the closely fancied three. ON A DEAL (J Guerriero), ROY MY BOY (L Rowe) and best turned out  TED ONE (C Farrant) were all available at two to one in the arena so no one was quite sure who would prevail.  Coming down the home straight for the final time it was ON A DEAL that left the others and came home to win by twelve lengths from FEARLESS DAISY (S Berry) and ROY MY BOY two and half lengths further back in third.  Just a little more for the tin which is looking more than a little healthy - if that is possible!

 

I found it difficult to pick out the winner in division two as the favourite (odds-on) RANGE ROVER (R Green) did not strike me as being such a good thing as a lot of others thought and I eventually settled for an each way price runner and invested on SURE HOW BAD (C Dailley) to top off the tin for the day. It was that man again, Richard Woollacott and Oliver Carter who eventually won this one as the favourite fell when looking to be in charge of the race and best turned out GONE MISSING was brought home to win by three quarters of a length from well ridden LOUP DU SUD (D Summersby) and twenty lengths back in third place was my each way chance SURE HOW BAD.  That was just the little I needed to make it a real good day for the tin and the bag holder is still smiling so things are really looking up.

 

My final word of thanks go out to a Bookmaker who uses this site for the results pages and any other information he may be able to gather and for that he has kindly made a donation to our local hunt, the North Cornwall Hunt.  We really appreciate that!

 

Next week we are off to Exmoor again and the Exmoor Foxhounds meeting at Bratton Down.  There are masses of entries (200) and sure to be plenty of runners so - BE THERE!

 

Fred and Ruth