Report from The Lamerton Hunt Point to Point held at
Kilworthy on Saturday 24th March 2007.
Brilliant weather, good going and a big crowd saw this
year's meeting at Kilworthy kick off to a fine start after missing out last
year. The tin and bag are ready to
receive and a six race card is here for us to use, possibly seven races; all
there is to do now is to find the ones that cross the line first without
breaking the rules like not carrying a jockey, missing a fence or two etc. so
off we go.
The odds on favourite in the seven runner Farmers'
race did the job as expected and many were to pick up a little as Mark Munrowd
brought W Murphy's WENDYS DYNAMO over the line by a good ten lengths from a
well ridden, did well to stay put at the Island Fence, COFFEE MORNING (Charlotte
Horsley) with LOUP DU SUD (Dean Summersby) some
fifteen lengths back in third. The best turned out A ROMP TOO FAR (Vannessa Shaw) was fourth.
Of the others, R Britton's JEMANNETTE dumped Richard Woollacott out the
side door at the first open ditch and HARFORD LADY (Lee Rowe) pulled up at the
final open ditch. Mr C Cox's BLUEBELL
HILL (Tim Dennis) pulled up on the homeward run. We didn't pick up any on that one as jointly
we refrained from investing and at two from home I expect a few investors were
a little anxious as COFFEE MORNING was right there but the favourite
prevailed.
The confined hunts maiden was split; eleven in
division one and fifteen in division two.
There was a late change when one runner was pulled out of the first
division and placed in the second division and the bookies cried for a
deduction and took one. Off they go with
my investment placed early ensuring a good price for rather a large amount for
me, in particularly in a maiden. I
didn't mind at all when I spotted that my choice had eventually gone off
favourite. This lightly raced nine year
old is due a win and today, so go for it Mr Woollacott and bring R Thompson's
SIMPLY BRUNO home in first place and the seven to two odds will suit my
investment very well. A quick discussion
with the bag holder and this confirms that Richard Woollacott has taken her
investment as well so we will either be well up or full of excuses. They're off!
The also well fancied Ben Robarts on PHAIRY STORM took the field along
to the first bend. Onto the first of the
open ditches where PHAIRY STORM was followed by CHASING KATIE (Alice Mills),
BENARINA (Sarah Gaisford), HIGH ROCKER and the rest of the field. Our choice was travelling mid division along
with best turned out GREY WIZARD
(Josh Guerriero). When the field came
back into view after completing the turn out of sight there was little change
up front but it was nice to hear that our choice in fifth place was travelling
nicely. All leaders safely over the
final ditch with the commentator again praising our money carrier and Richard
now has him in fifth place. On going out of sight for the final time it
was still the Nicky Frost trained PHAIRY STORM but this one is now joined by
SIMPLY BRUNO followed by GREY WIZARD.
The time that the field is not visible is only a minute or so, but now
it seemed like a week as we both waited for the runners to come back into
view. Here they come PHAIRY STORM,
SIMPLY BRUNO upsides followed by GREY WIZARD.
This was now an excellent race between these three. The unraced GREY WIZARD was doing an
excellent job and so was PHAIRY STORM but SIMPLY BRUNO was doing that little
bit extra. Two from home our choice
jumped it well and had a couple of lengths over the others. The final fence loomed up and when Richard
Woollacott landed safely on the right side a massive cheer went up and now he
had to hold on to his lead up the hill.
This he did and crossed the line five lengths to the good of PHAIRY
STORM with GREY WIZARD half a length back in third. The fourth horse home must
be noted. Ros Oliver's five year old, WEE FLY trained and ridden by Polly Gundry had spent the majority
of this race out the back or very near to it but finished travelling well. One for the future. The tin and bag rejoiced and although I was
not pleased with a reduction by the bookie as the horse moved from division one
to division two was sixteen to one at the time, we were more than pleased to
pick up what we did. It is the first
time I saw the bag being carried TO the investment area to collect instead of
winnings being brought to the bag. We
have been married quite a few years but I have never heard the bag holder
whistling before. The things money can
buy!!
Division two saw a shaky start at the back of the
field by Caroline Farrant on her eight to one TED ONE but she persisted and got
him going and followed the field which was being led by Reuben Chapman's
FURZECHAT (J Cole), JUNGLE JINGOES (Jennifer Congdon) and BONNY BUSONA (Lee
Rowe). The well backed, Mrs Perry's
JACKS TAXI (Neil Harris) is bringing up the rear some thirty lengths back. I have chosen J Baker's mare SERVE TO LEAD (T
Dennis) to bring in a little more for me and at the moment this one is
travelling mid division. Back into sight
again and they are all still standing and the order hasn't changed much except
that Caroline now has TED ONE settled in fourth place. The first one to pull out of the race was Sue
Young on LOAN SPITFIRE - had enough!
Going out into the country for the final time JUNGLE JINGOES was pulled
up - had enough! Before going out of
sight for the final time I was pleased to hear that SERVE TO LEAD had taken it
up after progressing through the field followed by
It is not often you get the three top pointers racing
against one another but in the Mixed open we have
SOUTHWESTERN (N Harris), JALONS STAR (Ben Robarts) and TEDDY BOY (R Woollacott)
which should provide a thrill. Darren
Edwards will be trying to upset them all on A Finch's best turned out ZESTA FIESTA while the lady in the race, Lucy
Gardner will try her hardest to beat them all on J Tucker's SIR FROSTY. This nine runner field provided a cracker and
only three lengths separated the first three.
Ruth and I took some time to study all the material we have plus
memories of recent races and the sight of TEDDY BOY coming up the hill (in a
Confined) at Wadebridge at the North Cornwall meeting led us to make him our
choice and we both got on at seven to two.
JALONS STAR went off the even money favourite followed by SOUTHWESTERN
at six to four. The remainder were much
bigger prices. Lucy set off to lead and took the field over
the first couple and out over the open ditch for the first time followed by
ZESTA FIESTA and TEDDY BOY. As expected
the three jockeys on the main protagonists were watching each other and the
pace was a good one. Each treating their
mounts to their own idiosyncrasies, SOUTHWESTERN held up, TEDDY BOY taking the
field on and JALONS STAR mid field. Mrs
Berwick's YOUNG GENERAL (S Beveridge) did not like the
set up at all; the cheek pieces were definitely not achieving very much and he was
soon pulled up. Coming down the home
straight with a circuit to travel Richard had put a bit of pace into the race
and went on by about four lengths followed by SIR FROSTY, JALONS STAR and ZESTA
FIESTA. The tongue tied BILLY
BALLBREAKER (Tom Chanin) found the going not to his liking and was tailed off
before completing the final lap. Going
out of sight for the final time TEDDY BOY was joined by JALONS STAR in the lead
and SOUTHWESTERN had started to close up on the leaders and was a three length
third with SIR FROSTY following. Here
they come! The first we see of them is JALONS
STAR leading from SOUTHWESTERN and TEDDY BOY following. JALONS STAR goes about two lengths up with
SOUTHWESTERN in hot pursuit with TEDDY BOY trying to get to the leading
couple. From here on it was one of the
most exciting finishes I have seen at a P to P.
The crowd cheered them all over the final fences and all the way to the
line. Richard Woollacott rode a blinder
up the hill and crossed the line two and half lengths clear of Neil Harris and
the finger waving action by Richard had to be read as I knew I could do it!'
or something like that but certainly not as vociferous as their meeting round
the final turn at Ottery! Ben Robarts also rode out a
great finish and was just half a length behind Neil in third place. Lucy kept going to come in fourth place. What is happening? We both pick up again and
the bag takes another journey to the investing arena. The tin is doing very nicely thank you!
Eleven go to post for the Confined hunts' race. I chose an outsider in the North Bovey
Racing's MATRIX but it wasn't until I had invested that I found out that Tigger
Barnes would not be riding so I wished I had paid more attention to
detail. Unfortunately this one fell
after a circuit. The favourite at eleven
to four was Easdon Partnership's THE FLYER (Sarah
Gaisford) but I could find no reason for this so hence the investment on an
outsider. That failed! It was a very good race but unfortunately TOI
EXPRESS, who was going very well, tipped Mary (McCarthy) out whilst pushing
down the home straight and would surely have been in the sort out on the line.
The best turned out SHOBROOKE MILL
(Caroline Farrant) was also pulled up as was POLIGANNA (Richard Woollacott) and
I believe DANTIE BOY (Jennifer Congdon) fell.
This did not deter from a very very exciting
finish again. Over the last and the race
for the line between three good horses was won by Will White on the Elliotts' SARA MONICA who took it by a neck from R Welch's GUNNERS
MISTAKE (Darren Edwards) and D Branton's UNUSUAL
SUSPECT (Nick Schofield) just two lengths back in third. Alice Mills rode a very good race and brought
VIRGOS BAMBINO into fourth spot. It
really is terrific watching three (or more!) horses racing down the home
straight, over the last couple and then get up the hill. It also takes a fit jockey to ride them out.
Richard Woollacott was going for his hat trick in the
Restricted race onboard the jointly owned CASTLE CLASS but opposition to that
would be in the form of one trainer/jockey Polly Gundry on J Alfords KILLORAN, the slightly odds on favourite. The Jeffords' DOUBLE MEAD (Darren Edwards) and
the Club horse HUMBELEXPECTATIONS (T Dennis) have taken some money but I see
the bookies have made sure they are not available at sensible each way prices. No investment by me this time. The bag handler was off to the investing area
again so some layer is bound to be shivering in his boots when he sees her
coming with the bag open. Off they go! Mrs Killingbeck's
AH YEAH (Nick Schofield) and Mrs Spottiswoode's
PLANTAGANET (
Finally comes the Exeter
Racecourse Intermediate race with ten going to post. After seeing Lee Glanville's LISHEEN STORM (T
Dennis) finish so well at Buckfastleigh I was off to the investment area as
soon as the prices were up and was about to grab whatever price I could get but
it was four to five ON favourite so I decided to wait and hope I could get
better; if not, I am so sure this is a good thing and I will have to take this
price, so back to the tin for a little more and then to the paddock to see what
my investment carrier was looking like.
Looked really good! Things are
changing! The price is going out, from 4/5 to 1/1, 11/10, 11/8 and finally
6/4. On it goes and ignore
the fact that the money is going on the
Thank you Lamerton Hunt for a very good day's
entertainment and better still it was a profitable one. Next Sunday we are back in
Ruth and Fred