Report from Spooners & West Dartmoor Foxhounds P
to P meeting held at Cherry Brook Tavistock on Saturday 7th April
2007
I successfully emptied the tin into the 'safe' keeping
of a house near here which paradoxically harbours a load of thieves and is
called a 'bank' but it is as safe a place as I know at the moment, so a shiny
bottom can be seen with just a float available for me to invest today. The weather is just perfect and we are on the
road early to avoid traffic on the much disrupted A30 but even at this hour
traffic is building up to enter the county.
A lot coming down to see a group of plastic green houses no doubt, which
is a shame, as (some of) the money could have been spent providing free parking
at the main hospital so relatives and friends could visit the not so fortunate
ones, who are spending time getting repaired.
Enough!
It was really lovely walking the course here at
Cherrybrook but I don't think the late harrowing is doing much good as it is
very drying weather and the little moisture available is being soaked up by the
heat. Even the little stream is bone
dry! The Clerk of the Course will
probably declare the 'going' - good to firm.
It will race fast and no doubt it will be too firm for some of the
horses but nevertheless eight will go to post for The Ward and Chowen Hunt Race.
Mandy Hand's DANTES BACK (Darren Edwards) will go off
favourite and quite rightly so as this Phardante
gelding has won three this season but never on ground this firm. The Nicholls's VIRGOS BAMBINO (Alice Mills)
is second favourite with the remainder all available at much bigger prices. VIRGOS BAMBINO took them along to start with,
closely followed by WHATS UP MAID (Mark Munrowd) and DANTES BACK. The unraced BLACK GROUSE ( D Summersby) was at the back and not giving his rider a very
good time and Jim Cole on his previously unraced TWO WHEEL DRIVE needed 4 wheel
drive possibly to improve his position.
The leading three maintained their positions into the second circuit and
at a good pace. Over the final open
ditch which we all get a good view of here at Cherry Brook there was nothing
between VIRGOS BAMBINO, WHATS UP MAID and DANTES BACK followed by best turned out FINAL DEAL (Shaun Callow) and L Blatchley's DUEL ISLAND (S Parish); MR COOMBE (Lee Rowe) now
getting detached. Across the top and the
journey home now starts with VIRGOS BAMBINO the first to drop off, which left
DANTES BACK and WHATS UP MAID to race for the line. A very good race but it was Mandy's charge
that did it the best and came away to win by ten lengths from WHATS UP MAID and
VIRGOS BAMBINO was a further ten lengths back in third. This race produced the quickest time of the
day which is somewhat unusual for a Hunt race - five minutes forty-six
seconds. We did not invest in that race
so the shiny bottom of the tin still exists and the bag is
still padlocked.
Just four runners for the Restricted race with Mrs Prouse's best turned
out TED ONE the odds on favourite
closely followed by Arnie Sendell's
THE WALNUT TREE (Ian Chanin) and then my choice for a small investment, the
Three to One Club's (Mrs C Furse) HUMBLEEXPECTATIONS
(Tim Dennis). The R Westacott's RUN OF
KINGS (Richard Woollacott) who hasn't completed in four runs this year is the
outsider of the quartet. THE WALNUT TREE
led the field along for most of the first circuit followed by my choice then
came TED ONE and finally RUN OF KINGS; four lengths between first and
last. The same order for the second
circuit but closing up as the race progressed.
Down the hill for the final time RUN OF KINGS closed up on the leader,
THE WALNUT TREE whilst my choice began feeling the pain from some reminders but
he chose to ignore the hurt at this moment.
The front two soon opened up a six or seven length lead, on the inside
was RUN OF KINGS and upsides was THE WALNUT TREE. As they headed for home TED ONE had ten or
more lengths to make up whilst my choice needed more than reminders now and a 'Furse' bush might have been a help. Apologies to Mrs C Furse
but it's the tin that will suffer I am afraid.
Three from home and the two leaders are stride for stride; TED ONE
closing. TED ONE continuing to
close! Second last RUN OF KINGS on the
inside with TED ONE now getting upsides.
THE WALNUT TREE slowed very quickly. A great race to the line with
Caroline getting the better of Richard by just a head AND a surprise, Mrs Furse's syndicate, Three to One Club, could rejoice as
their HUMBLEEXPECTATIONS came in third just five lengths back. It was a very exciting finish but nothing for
the tin on this occasion.
To the tin for the entire float as Lucy Gardner is
running GREY CISEAUX in the Mixed open race against just two other contenders.
Tigger Barnes is here to ride The Old and Free Partnership's best turned out SPRING GROVE which is a
well thought of horse with past form and has won at Barbury albeit he was left
clear. SPRING GROVE went off favourite
at four to six ON but I took the two to one on Lucy and the bag handler went
even further, she announced that her investment had been on a straight forecast
for GREY CISEAUX to beat SPRING GROVE.
If only Lucy knew what responsibility she had on her shoulders. No records will be broken by the pace being
set, very sedate. Mouse Racing's WEST
END WONDER led the field for the first circuit followed by GREY CISEAUX and
then the held up SPRING GROVE. The pace
was so funereal that the commentator had chance to give us the details of the
forthcoming nuptials of the jockey of SPRING GROVE between fences. To those that want to know; Tigger Barnes is
getting married this year, 4th August, best man is Richard
Woollacott and his future wife owns half of this horse. Wedding present list is in the Secretary's
tent next to the declaration board and could all TVs and play stations be
digital and the colour scheme of the main bedroom is purple with a smudge of
orange. If he wins this race it is a
steak dinner and afters tonight but if he loses it will be dog house and no
afters for a week. Over
the second open ditch with no change in the order and no increase in the pace. I know my investment carrier will stay, but
if it is a sprint from the held up SPRING GROVE I will be a little
concerned. Four from home and no change
in the order but the pace is increasing. Lucy now gets upsides WEST END WONDER with
SPRING GROVE not making any great impression yet; two out and its all on now. GREY
CISEAUX jumps it well and now has a two lengths lead. At the last Lucy is over it first and the
expected challenge is not a very convincing one and to the line goes GREY
CISEAUX to win by six lengths from SPRING GROVE and WEST END WONDER another six
lengths back. We will take it in turns
to collect as someone might throw away my empty tin if it is left unguarded but
it will soon look very healthy and in the meantime I will sit on the bag whilst
it awaits its refill. Well done Lucy and
dog house for you know who!
Six to run in the Confined Novice riders Hunts race
and TOI EXPRESS is the odds on favourite and is to be ridden by Nick Scholfield
today as although Mary (McCarthy) the usual jockey, is here she is slightly
injured and cannot ride but I don't doubt she will be able to collect the
silver ware when her horse comes across the line first. The pace was very much quicker and it was
Mark Dennis on STARS'N'STRIPES that took the field along with COFFEE MORNING
(Charlotte Horsley) and TOI EXPRESS following closely. All travelled well and
about four or five lengths covers the whole field. With a circuit to travel it was
STARS'N'STRIPES still taking them along with COFFEE MORNING close up and TOI
EXPRESS in third with the remainder in with a chance if good enough. Three from home COFFEE MORNING down, crumpled
on landing and didn't give
Only three for the Intermediate race and unfortunately
only two of them were to finish as R Skinner's visored
FORDHAM GLORY (Will Biddick) pulled up.
The favourite was the odds on best
turned out COOKIES BANK (Richard Woollacott) who jumped well for most part
although through the top of a couple on the way home but made it by six lengths
from Will White on JOLI CHRISTMAS.
A couple of Confined hunts maiden races completed the
day, seven runners in the maiden for 8 years old and over and four for the race
for 5, 6 & 7 years old. The older
horses' race saw some close wagering in the investing arena between A Ford's best turned out HOORAY HENRY (R
Woollacott) and Mrs S Spottiswoode's PLANTAGANET
(Will White) with possibly the latter going off favourite. H Bray's HIGH ROCKER (Ian Popham) who has
been knocking at the door before was also fancied a little and Mrs Treneer's RITEWAY ROUND (Will Biddick) likewise. I am on HOORAY HENRY but just a small stake
and the bag handler is on RITEWAY ROUND for an even smaller stake. It was all to no avail as Will White saw to
it that we picked up nothing as although it was a close race for the places, he
came home to win by seven lengths on PLANTAGANET from HIGH ROCKER and HOORAY
HENRY split by just half a length in that order.
Finally the four younger ones went off and it was
MATATU (Tessa Hayes) with the distinction of being favourite
and my choice best turned out OVER
T'PAGE (Richard Woollacott) as second favourite. Mr Hooper's JUNGLE GINOES (Jennifer Congdon)
was available at one stage at ten to one but went off nearer four or five to
one so he was the apple in someone's eyes and J Lightoot's
EMSKI (Lucy Gardner) was the outsider of the field having shown no form this
year yet. This was a very good race and
the result a very close one. JUNGLE
GINOES led the field from the off from MATATU, EMSKI and OVER T'PAGE content to
bring up the rear. Very
little change until the final open ditch. OVER T'PAGE stepped at it but soon put herself right and going down the hill it was anyone's race
except EMSKI who was beginning to lose touch.
Up the hill JUNGLE GINOES kicked on by a couple of lengths followed by
MATATU and then OVER T'PAGE. Over the
fourth from home the places were the same with just two lengths between first
and third. Two from home and they're in
the air together. My investment is on
OVER T'PAGE so a little shouting is now necessary and as I see them coming
towards the line it is obvious I am now going to win a little more for the tin
so some more shouting is really necessary.
I ran to get on the line to make sure I was going to pick up but to no
avail, Jennifer had got there first on JUNGLE GINOES by a neck from OVER T'PAGE
with MATATU three quarters of a length back in third. Now the card says the horse is called JUNGLE
GINOES, the commentator says the horse is called JUNGLE JINGOES but what I have
just called it is not worthy of printing.
Now a stewards' enquiry and this could help. The third horse is objecting to the first
horse! Whoa! Helloooa!
If the first is disqualified then the second wins which means I can
collect! I doubt whether the stewards
will decide that the third horse could have overtaken the second horse if no
interference had taken place. Dash to
make sure the investment holder doesn't leave whilst Ruth recovers investment
tickets from waste bin; she had also fancied OVER T'PAGE. I have just seen a cat run out of the lady
jockeys' changing room but there must be another one still in there as a lot of
'meeeeooowing' is echoing around the tent. Patiently waiting I check up on the tin and
if Richard is given this race the tin will go home in a winning state but if
the result stands then we, tin and I, will travel home exactly as we came and
be ready for Easter Monday. Ah! Result stands and Jennifer is the winner,
Richard second and Tessa third. Never
mind!
It would have been a better day if there were more
runners but we cannot adjust the weather and the going and we thoroughly
enjoyed ourselves amongst a very large happy crowd. Thank you to the owners and others who provided
the sport. On Monday we have a choice;
the Four Burrow meeting at Trebudannon or the
ps...Alderplot Friends...I have
now met a member of the Alderplot Friends and have
had an excellent explanation of the origin of the name and how they came to
have the connection with Walter de Wodeland. Thank you, we really appreciate that!
Fred and Ruth