Report from the Four Burrow Hounds P to P meeting held
at Trebudannon on Easter Monday 9th April 2007.
We went to Trebudannon prepared for a very hot day but
the forecast got it wrong and although bright and dry there was a keen nip in
the North wind coming in off the coast and the extra jumpers we carry were
necessary. This course and its
facilities looked super and the lovely hunting scene table cloth to the silver
ware table in the paddock was very colourful so we put our green baize topped
card table away as it in no way competed with the one provided.
To those few who made unkind remarks about the going
on the course, take a look at the excellent covers to the race card and you
will see what 'firm' looks like and further more there would have been a
ploughed field somewhere to navigate at Tehidy. The good covering of grass here was over a
'good' with 'good to firm' in places course and would race quite quickly.
Horse boxes were in short supply but cars were not and
I think this meeting must have achieved a record for the most parked cars at
any meeting in the Westcountry. Only
thirty two runners turned out on the day for the seven-race card but it
seemed that most meetings suffered the same way with the early onset of firmer
conditions. The Taunton Vale Harriers
had 22 runners and
The racing although sparse in numbers still provided a
thrilling afternoon's entertainment for the large crowd and it certainly did
not go the way of favourites all the time but in the Hunt race Ross Oliver's
LET'S FLY with Polly Gundry up went off at five to one ON but did not win so
cosily as the distances might make it look because the late burst by Reuben
Chapman's INDIAN RAIDER (J Cole) made Polly keep the favourite up to her work
all the way to the line. The third horse
D Congdon's JAUNTY JANNER would definitely prefer a
little more cut in the ground.
Four runners for the first of the Open maiden races
for younger horses over 2 and half miles. The in-form Nick Schofield is up on G Probert's LADY PURTON who is quite fancied by some but the
odds on favourite is the local horse, R Welden's best turned out GREY
WIZARD with Richard Woollacott up, who is expected to run a good race after his
promising run at Kilworthy. Polly is
going to try and get Ros Oliver's MISS PRETTY to finish the course as this mare
has failed to do so in four runs this year.
Sue Young is on the other runner, Mrs Scofield's
LOAN SPITFIRE who hasn't managed to finish in the past couple of seasons. It was obvious from the start that GREY
WIZARD was not at his best, slow away, jumped sluggishly and ran as though he
would rather be at home, up the road, in his box. He would not be a threat to any in this
race. LADY PURTON was put up front from
the off and was not troubled for the rest of the race and came home to win by 20
lengths from Polly on MISS PRETTY. GREY
WIZARD was ten lengths back in third.
Neither the tin nor bag has yet to be challenged because of the skimpy
prices on offer but I shall definitely be investing in the second division.
The favourite for this division is R Westacott's
FRIENDLY AFFAIR (R Woollacott) and is backed down to two to one ON and for why
I cannot understand. I have chosen Polly
on J Carter's bay mare MILLCROFT SWEET AURA to put a little in the tin and
purely on the basis that I like the name and Polly trains this one, as
well. Mrs Dallimore's
RADJEL will surely be pushed along by Tim Dennis and Sue Young's TREBLE TRIGGER
makes up the quartet. Off they go! RADJEL took them along at a good pace for the
first circuit but the quartet was all up together until the commencement of the
final circuit when Polly on MILLCROFT SWEET AURA took up the running. This was a very good race between Polly and
Tim and it is for sure that RADJEL will be winning soon but it was Polly that
brought her charge over the last and to the winning line to cross it two
lengths to the good of Tim with Richard fifteen lengths back in third. This was the quickest race over this distance
for the day and it was the one that helped out the tin very handsomely.
The Confined race attracted only four runners and two
of these didn't finish. There was close
betting at the bookies between them all and although POLIGANA (R Woollacott)
was an odds on favourite at one stage it was M Best's BRIEF DECLINE (Nick
Schofield) that went off with this honour closely followed by Mrs Perry's
SANDERSTEAD (N Harris) and then POLIGANA with The Pickled Partnership's THE
ONLY OPTION the outsider of the field with a new jockey in the plate young Ed
Glastonbury having his first ride in points.
Off they go and Neil Harris on SANDERSTEAD pinched a few lengths from
the others and soon established a good lead.
This lead was maintained for a complete circuit and off down the back
straight again. We lost THE ONLY OPTION
at the first down the back so it was a case of 'welcome to P to Ping Mr Glastonbury,
it will get better!' SANDERSTEAD
continued to lead with POLIGANA in second and the favourite back in third. With one circuit to travel it was still Neil
travelling well in first place with POLIGANA now beginning to look tired and
was pulled up about four from home. It
was up to BRIEF DECLINE now to catch SANDERSTEAD but although he tried very
hard to do it, not to be and Neil managed to hang on to the line where he was
one and half lengths to the good.
The Cornish National followed over three miles four
furlongs where Richard Woollacott showed how it should be done and I managed to
cheer him all the way as Countess Goess-Saurau's best turned out THE KINGS FLING was my
choice for an investment at two to one against.
Flip flopping favourites were the Elliott's SARA MONICA (Will White) and
Mandy Hand's FRONTENAC (D Edwards) with Nick Schofield on the Heard's UNUSUAL
SUSPECT very close to them. My choice
was the outsider. Richard soon had his
charge out in front and although giving me a little worry at a couple of
fences, he remained in that position practically for the whole of the
race. Plenty of cheering in the home
straight for the race to the line made sure Richard pulled it off by a length
from Will White, with Nick just another length back in third. Excellent for the tin which is now standing with some profit on the
day.
Five to post for the Restricted
race with Linette Avery's UMISTA (M Munrowd) and my choice PHANTOM WALKER (D
Edwards) battling for the favourite's place with probably the latter going off
with that honour. The Town and Country
Partnership's EMANATE (N Harris) was also fancied as was G and E Runnalls's TRAVEL DE'HOUCHE (N Schofield) by some but it
was definitely PHANTOM WALKER for me.
The best turned out C Cox's
BLUEBELL HILL (T Dennis) was the outsider of the five. Well it was my choice that took the field
along for the first circuit and led by six or seven lengths passing the judge
the first time followed by TRAVEL DE'HOUCHE
then three lengths back to BLUEBELL HILL, UMISTA and EMANATE. On they go with no change in positions, all
five safely over the fences and travelling well. Passing the judge and out on the final
circuit, PHANTOM WALKER, TRAVEL DE'HOUCHE, UMISTA and EMANAGE. BLUEBELL HILL was pulled up. Down the back UMISTA moved up into second
place but was still chasing the leader PHANTOM WALKER and not closing. TRAVEL DE'HOUCHE was pulled up but PHANTOM
WALKER still pressed on. Into the home
straight and with the winning line in sight, over the second last, the rest are
closing, over the last and to the line he got there by just one and half lengths
from UMISTA with EMANATE a half length back.
An excellent race and the tin will prosper.
Finally the seven-runner open maiden race. An even money favourite was soon established
on Ros Oliver's WEE FLY trained and ridden by Polly Gundry who showed promise
on his last run at Kilworthy, but my fancy went to best turned out KALABELL PRINCE (N Harris) and an investment was
made. P Moorhouse's
KARKIKA (Lucy Gardner), R Oliver's LORD ADPAR (Mark Munrowd) and D Ford's
FINALLY SORTED (J Cole) were all equally fancied with A Leach's
CANTCALLHERTRIGGER (S Parrish) and The Ansell Partnership's DOUBLE GRACE (D Edwards) being the outsiders of the seven.
Off they go! 'Jimmer'
Cole immediately gained a few lengths and took FINALLY SORTED into the first
fence with a good lead then onto the second, then the open ditch where he was
at least 12 lengths to the good of the chasing pack. Passing the crowd the lead was increasing a
little with CANTCALLHERTRIGGER, KALABELL PRINCE and WEE FLY the nearest
followers. Down the back the lead
increased and at one stage it looked almost a fence between FINALLY SORTED and
the nearest follower. Darren Edwards was
tail end Charlie bringing up the rear on ten to one shot DOUBLE GRACE. On going out into the country for the final
time the lead had been decreased to about ten lengths and the remainder were
being strung out like washing on a line with WEE FLY bringing up the rear,
DOUBLE GRACE moving up a place or two.
Towards the final open ditch it was still FINALLY SORTED with LORD ADPAR
and KALABELL PRINCE the closest of the followers and then a gap of about ten
lengths to the remainder with DOUBLE GRACE moving up well. At the penultimate it was DOUBLE GRACE that
closed up on FINALLY SORTED and was surely going to get him, but at the final
fence Jimmer Cole was finally sorted and deposited on the green stuff and Darren
Edwards went on to win handsomely by a length from LORD ADPAR with KARKIKA
three lengths back in third. Nothing for tin or bag as I know the bag handler
was making encouraging noises when KARKIKA was closing up towards the leader
but that is all it did so nothing had to be collected.
A great day out and as I have said before it would
have been better with more runners but that is as it is! I met a gentleman who has worked extremely
hard to produce this course today and I know he was disappointed with the
number of runners, but now he had a huge smile on his face and was really really happy. The
reason for this - he backed DOUBLE GRACE at ten to one with eighty pounds
sterling as his only investment for the day. He assured me he could manage
without the use of a tin!
Large entries for the Eggesford
meeting at Upcott Cross and watering will take place if necessary, so another
excellent meeting is promised - BE THERE!
Ruth and Fred