Report from The Stevenstone Hunt Point to Point held
on Monday 7th May 2007 at Vauterhill Farm High Bickington.
Although on holiday it did not upset us last night to
hear the patter of rain drops on the window as it meant that the course at
Vauterhill would appreciate this no end and racing, which was a little
doubtful, would now go ahead. I walked
the course in a steady drizzle and the aggravated areas would really take the
rain in and the course would race good to firm at best but probably firm for
most of it. Unfortunately the rain had
not come early enough to convince owners and trainers that racing would be safe
and only 19 turned out to race. The
revised parking arrangements for the 'bookies' was so much better than the
previous layout and the people who should have been parked on the edge of the
racecourse were and the 'bookies' line was were it should be. Well done and top marks to the organisers.
The first race, the 'Farmers' race, three runners, was
marred a little by the odds on favourite, Mrs Perry's SANDERSTEAD (Neil Harris)
slipping whilst going down the slope, but the reason I say a little' is
because when it happened a little
cheer went up from the custodian of the bag who had invested heavily on the best turned out JUNGLE GINGOES (Jenny
Congdon) and was now smiling considerably as she won by one and a half lengths
from Jim Cole on D Ford's FINALLY SORTED.
The two horse Restricted race was run at a funereal
pace until into the final circuit and on the down hill slope approaching the
start area Will Biddick on FOXY JUDAS, who up until now had been upsides
Richard Woollacott on best turned out, odds-on
favourite R Westacott's RUN OF KINGS, asked for an effort and promptly got it
and went a few lengths to the good of his challenger. The race was now on proper! These two jockeys gave it their all and came over
the last together flat out and to the line for the judge to make his verdict
that FOXY JUDAS had taken it by a head.
The bag owner is doing well!
Two for the Mixed open race and it was nice to see
Sally Alford's RAREGEM (
Onto the Confined race where three will race for The
George Blackman Memorial Cup. The odds
on favourite is Mrs Prouse's SHOBROOKE MILL (D
Edwards) but unfortunately this one slipped up on the far bend allowing the
Horsley's COFFEE MORNING to take it up and race on. Now the outsider of the three Bryn Wright on best turned out MAXIMUS thought he would
like to have a go, did so, got the better of COFFEE MORNING and raced home to
win by fifteen lengths with the remounted SHOBROOKE MILL twelve lengths back in
third.
Only two in the Intermediate race where Richard Darke
on G Smith and J Miles's best turned out ABSEAL
finished alone as The Pickled Partnership's THE ONLY OPTION (Alice Mills)
pulled up at the end of the second circuit having pricked his foot when losing
a shoe.
Two divisions of Open maiden races followed with three
in division one which saw Lucy Gardner win by ten lengths on the Gillbard's
LIR ROSE from the only other finisher, The Cory Club's FALINES WAY (R
Woollacott), M Sluggett's WESTWOOD LIR (A Mills)
having been pulled up. Division two saw only two finish
from the four who started. The odds on
favourite best turned out A Cottle's TOMSK (N
Harris) slipped on the far bend and was out of it whilst D Ford's DAME EDNA (A
Mills) fell three from home allowing D Ford's HAZEL MERE (J Cole) to go on and
win by twenty seven lengths from Ian Popham on J Down's SILVER IMAGE. For this I was very pleased as it provided me
with my only winner for the afternoon but the amount of the reward meant that
the tin would go home in exactly the same state as it arrived. The bag though would go home with an
increased amount deposited as Ruth had been much luckier than I! I have often been informed that I couldn't
pick a winner in a two horse race and today it almost proved it!
Thank you Stevenstone for a very enjoyable afternoon
and it was obvious that you had done ALL you could to make it successful. We will be back next weekend and enjoy this
lovely venue for one more time this year which is in itself a bonus.
It's Hunnycut (Holnicote)
and Vauterhill for our next two meetings and then there are not many more -
quite upsetting, but we will certainly enjoy those that are left - BE THERE!
Fred and Ruth