Report from the South Tetcott P to P meeting held at
Upcott Cross on Monday 28th May 2007
It was a great pleasure to get out of Newquay this
weekend as others arrived to enjoy themselves and
crowd the place out. They did not want
the downpour of rain that came yesterday (Sunday) but I know John and Ken up at
Upcott Cross welcomed it and the course when I walked it was in great
condition. Obviously a lot of hard work
and time has been spent preparing it for this meeting and thanks must go to all
those involved. A good days racing with
nine races, which includes the two pony races, is on the cards and the going
will be 'good' with 'good to soft' in places.
This is a new'ish course and
the organisers are still trying out the parking arrangements and have differed it a little this time but I have been asked to
point out that the car parking behind the tented area is thought to be much
better than spreading the cars up the middle of the course. Viewing the course/fences up the far side was
obstructed by the cars in the centre where as previously they (the fences) were
all visual. No doubt this will all be
discussed during the close season but I have passed it on as requested.
Just three for the first pony race and it was an
excellent finish between SUMMERTIME BLAZE with Chloe Grove giving it all; she
had to hold off Heidi Lewis on best
turned out DOUBLE TROUBLE on the
line. Hannah Welch brought her WISH UPON
A STAR into third place.
Division two for the bigger ponies was contested by
five runners and a good race was put up by Bryony Frost on JACK SPARROW and
Jack Barber on MISS BRADY but it was Bryony that got the best of it and crossed
the line in that much sought after position -first with MISS BRADY in
second. Josephine Gordon came home third
on best turned out WINNIE.
The card got started with the Confined Hunts race with
eight going to post. I deliberated over
these entries and found myself none the wiser after doing so. Difficult!
The best turned out G Smith
and J Miles's ABSEAL (R Darke) and Mrs Murphy's WENDY'S DYNAMO (M Munrowd) were
vying for favouritism and also quite a few were going for Mary Biddick's DIAMOND MONROE (R Woollacott). The Ansell's OFF THE HOOK (I Hambley) and Reuben Chapman's INDIAN RAIDER (C Wallis) were
friendless but Mike Weir's QOBTAAN (T Chanin), W Dennis's STARS 'N' STRIPES (M
Dennis) and Mrs Welch's GUNNERS' MISTAKE were at sensible prices and fancied by
some but not by others but no one was lumping on big money. I have settled for GUNNERS' MISTAKE and took
the generous nine to two on offer. The
bag handler has settled for DIAMOND MONROE.
ABSEAL and GUNNERS MISTAKE led the field for most of the first circuit
at a steady pace with the remainder close up in a group but five lengths would
cover the field. Passing the judge and
disappearing round the tents it was still ABSEAL, GUNNERS MISTAKE, STAR 'N'
STRIPES and DIAMOND MONROE.
Unfortunately out of sight DIAMOND MONROE had slipped up but before I
had finished commiserating with Ruth (with a wry smile!) I found out that it
was GUNNERS MISTAKE that had slipped up and Ruth's investment carrier was still
travelling very well and was now close up in third place. When this correction was noted, the bag
handler uttered loud enough for me to hear -GOOD! WENDY'S DYNAMO led over the final open ditch
with DIAMOND MONROE now up into second place.
With four fences to go DIAMOND MONROE took up the lead followed by
WENDY'S DYNAMO, QOBTAAN, ABSEAL, OFF THE HOOK and INDIAN RAIDER with STARS 'N'
STRIPES getting a little detached at the rear.
Three from home QOBTAAN fell but Richard on DIAMOND MONROE meant
business and was heading for home at a good pace followed by WENDY'S
DYNAMO. Over the last two and to the
line, although Mark was making good progress it was another one for Richard
Woollacott followed five lengths back by Mark and then another ten lengths back
to Richard Darke on the early leader ABSEAL.
The bag is open and there is room for the deposit and it is deliberately
slowly entered, but to do it in front of me and my tin is not nice!
The tin will prosper now as the Men's Open race has
only three runners and as much as I and the tin have enjoyed the running of best turned out KARINGA COIN (R Darke)
and as much as I appreciate the ability of TEDDY BOY (R Woollacott), I will be
tipping the tin on Ben Messer-Bennetts's SEA SNIPE to win and I will take the
two to one ON and will show the bag handler how to do it as I know she will not
invest when the price is odds ON. Well
it all went as planned and at the final top bend it was clear that, providing
no mishap, SEA SNIPE was going to come home an easy winner. Unfortunately TEDDY BOY broke down before the
home straight and was pulled up. He has
gone home and the owners will be able to assess the damage within a day or
two. The pace was just too hot for
KARINGA COIN and came home some twenty five lengths behind Nick Schofield on
SEA SNIPE. I have had a look at next
week runners at Bratton Down and I see an entry for this game mare so maybe
there is another chance to witness this very good combination this season. Just a minute! I need to call the bag handler over to
witness the depositing of said winnings into tin! Ah! That's better!
Four for the Ladies Open race with a clear favourite
in Rachel Green riding C Dupont's best turned out BROWN COCKLE but as I am
not sure of the value of the form about this horse I will not be investing at
the price available. Perhaps a better
thought is to get on Miles Pengelly's DOOF (A Mills)
but no -I will take the ten to one about Polly Gundry riding G Probert's quirky LADY PURTON who is only carrying 10 stone
seven pounds. I remember the fiasco
about getting this one home at Seavington with the aid of the hunt staff but
maybe today she could be back to winning form.
A little wager is placed and the layer took pity on me and gave me
twelve to one and called me 'Fred'. The
one I haven't mentioned is V Gilbard's BISHLIR (Lucy Gardner) but this one's
form is also suspect so I will stick to the one that hasn't got a chance but
there will be a little encouragement from me if she is anywhere near the front
on the home run to the line. DOOF set
off and took the field along at a good pace and it was soon obvious that there
was little fear of me having to shout at all as LADY PURTON was soon being
ridden to stay with the field. As
BISHLIR dropped back BROWN COCKLE took up second spot following the trail
blazer DOOF. Over the final open ditch it was still DOOF followed by BROWN
COCKLE then BISHLIR and LADY PURTON.
Around the far bend and straightening up for home with three to jump it
was BROWN COCKLE now upsides DOOF and the race for the winning line was on. Two from home and a fiddle through the top of the
fence did not obstruct the forward motion of BROWN COKCLE. I have to say that
young Miss Mills gave DOOF all she had but it was just not enough to overcome
the superiority of the winner (BROWN COCKLE) who crossed the line three and
half lengths to the good. Guess
what! LADY PURTON was a distance back in
third. I would have picked up if there were
more than eight runners but I expect some would have passed Polly on the way to
the line, don't you? And would you know
it! The bag handler had backed the forecast, so is reaching for the bag again.
The horse that was 'whispered' about at Hunnycot the
day before she was due to run at Vauterhill, Mrs King's PITCHFORK (I Chanin)
was here now for the Restricted Race after winning her maiden and would contest
it against thirteen others who were also trying to win their Restricted so we
will see how she gets on. She is made favourite but at a sensible price, well
to start with anyway and then went off at seven to four. Another gamble was being mounted on R Smith's
VELVET VICTORY (N Harris) and the price available on this one soon came in as
the excitement grew around the investing arena.
Polly on Ken and John Heard's MURPHYS MAN would be a very popular win as
this partnership has put so much into the making of this course and deserve
this one. The in-form Nick Schofield is
up on Paul Tylor's HOWDY CLOUD, another one like Menarow that is by that very good stallion Throwa and trained by Nicky Frost; it is also taking
investments. Off they go at the first
time of asking and there are three miles and nineteen fences to conquer, in a
very open race. It's T Thorne and D Been's THE BUSY
FARMER (R Woollacott) carrying my investment.
Charlotte Tizzard on LUTTEUR BLEU led the field followed by a tightly
packed group around the top bend and onto the first in the home straight. It
was noted here that The Ansells DOUBLE GRACE (I Hambley) had fallen and would take no further part in this
one. Ruth's not happy. All remaining came safely down the home
straight and around the bend at the bottom and faced the run up to the one
before the ditch where LUTTEUR BLEU and D Summersby on his LOUP DU SUD led the
field. PITCHFORK was in the centre of
the pack as was MURPHYS MAN, THE BUSY FARMER and the gamble of the race, VELVET
VICTORY was last but one. LUTTEUR BLEU,
LOUP DU SUD, MURPHYS MAN and UNFINISHED SYMPHONY (L Gardner) brought the field
over the three in the home straight and past the judge for the final time. The Horwood
Hopefuls' APPLEPIE LADY (J Congdon) was pulled up so it was Charlotte Tizzard
on LUTTEUR BLEU who took the remaining twelve around the bottom bend and on up
the back straight for the final time. UNFINISHED
SYMPHONY made a forward move but PITCHFORK and VELVET VICTORY were moving
equally well behind the leaders. Four
from home PITCHFORK took off just in front of LOUP DU SUD with MURPHYS MAN also
moving up as was VELVET VICTORY. A good race ensued and the decision was made
at the last fence, as VELVET VICTORY who was surely closing up on PITCHFORK
came unstuck and stumbled and was out of it, leaving Ian Chanin to take
PITCHFORK over the line four lengths ahead of LOUP DU SUD who ran well to get
second a length ahead of MURPHYS MAN. A
good restricted race but I didn't hear much about my choice which hasn't helped
the tin at all.
Just four for the Intermediate race with a clear
favourite established in Nick Schofield riding Oliver Carter's GONE MISSING,
clearly an odds on choice with BIG BRENDON (R Woollacott) second favourite and
Mike Biddick trained FOXY JUDAS (I Popham) in third place on the investment
boards. The fourth runner F Daniels's
OKE DU MOULIN MAS (J Cole) didn't impress me in the paddock as he walked poorly
and I certainly didn't give much for his chances. Ian Popham went off at a good
pace and soon built up a commanding lead.
Probably four lengths to the good over the first of the open ditches
followed by BIG BRENDON, OKE DU MOULIN MAS and finally GONE MISSING. Very little change down the
home straight and into the bend behind the tents. Up the back straight
for the final time and BIG BRENDON got up to FOXY JUDAS and in fact took a
couple of lengths lead followed by the other two with GONE MISSING probably
just with it. Five from home BIG BRENDON
took it up as FOXY JUDAS started to show signs of distress and Nick Schofield
now began to use his very clever race-judging ability and started to close up
on the leaders. The rest is
history. Without further ado Nick
brought GONE MISSING up and took the lead and on to win by ten lengths from BIG
BRENDON and ten lengths back in third was FOXY JUDAS. Mr Carter was very pleased with this outcome
and it was another one for Nick Schofield.
Two divisions of Open maidens followed and they both
returned excellent finishes. A Sutcliffe's THE REAL BOSS (N Harris) was sent
off the odds on favourite to win the eleven runner first division but did so,
only just, from Nick Schofield on Oliver Carter's LOST DIRECTION by a head
after a good race down the home straight with Charlotte Tizzard six lengths back in third on COOMBE
HILL. The second division also had
eleven runners but the result was so close that the delay of the announcement
of the judge's decision was eagerly awaited by no less than three owners and
connections. The loudest cheer of the
day greeted the news that ON YOUR TOES (W White) had got it by a head from R
Partridge's best turned out MINTED (R Woollacott) who was a head to the
good of the Lawrence's DURNOVARIA. Very
exciting but unfortunately nothing from both for either tin or bag, but the bag
was nearest with a pick up if MINTED had made it.
A cool wind from the North did nothing to stop an
excellent day's competitive racing which left both receptacles (tin and bag!) in
need of replenishment but not by much. A
quick journey home now and hopefully we can get back into Newquay. A few chores to catch up with and then it
will be off to see Mrs Thomas at Bratton Down on Saturday for another promised
good day's racing. The entries will be
published on the website soon and I think you will all agree that they are a
real good list of competitive racers. So
we will see you there -Bratton Down for the Exmoor Hunt P to P on 2nd
June - BE THERE!
Ruth and Fred