Report from Western Hunt Point to Point meeting held at The Royal Cornwall Showground on Saturday 17^th March 2007.

 

 Not far to travel today, just about a twenty minute journey but it is nice to get there early and walk the course.  We haven't had much rain just lately and this is a drying area in particular when the wind is blowing like it is today.  My first impression was that it would be difficult to make a good footprint on most of the course but after seeing the cut after the first race I changed my mind somewhat and decided it was good going with good to soft in places; in fact almost a perfect racing surface.

 

Six went to post for the Confined Hunts race with Mrs K Heard's FAUNTLEROY (C Heard) going off the odds on favourite after opening up at even money in the investing area.  The remainder were much bigger prices with probably NDITLIR (T Dennis) arguing with OFF THE HOOK (I Hambley) for second favourite spot.  PERTEMPS PROFILE (Miss R Barnett), POSSIBLE PARDON (Jennifer Congdon) and COFFEE MORNING (Miss C Horsley) were the outsiders.  A good pace was set with the leader frequently changing until fence 14 when both OFF THE HOOK and POSSIBLE PARDON fell.  This left NDITLIR and FAUNTLEROY to race down the hill together with POSSIBLE PARDON bringing up the rear.  Over the fourth from home together and round the bend and over fence 16 together and I am now beginning to get more than a little excited because my first investment of the day was on NDITLIR.  They approached the last together but FAUNTLEROY stayed the better up the hill and came home an easy winner in the end.  POSSIBLE PARDON was eight lengths back in third.  Not a good start!

 

Now comes the Ladies open race with only four runners.  Ladies opens this year have not attracted too many runners and have not been so classy as in the past but here we are likely to see a match between Polly Gundry on Ros Oliver's LET'S FLY and Mary McCarthy on her SANDY DUFF with DIAMOND MONROE (Mary Biddick) and best turned out BLUEBELL HILL (J Carr) the outsiders.  Decision time and I chose Mary McCarthy to win on her first appearance this season with SANDY DUFF and I hope LET'S FLY's recent exertions may have taken a little out of him.  It could also have improved him!  A moderate pace and as expected a race between the two top horses was on for the last half lap with them jumping each fence alongside one another.  Unluckily for me LET'S FLY got the better of SANDY DUFF over the last fence by just a squeak and on the run to the line this distance increased to two lengths.  Well done LET'S FLY, but SANDY DUFF you owe me and I will be following you very closely.  Ruth thought it was a wonderful result and the new bag which has been classed as 'necessary overheads' and for which I paid half, is now being brought into use and would you believe it, it is enormous and much bigger than the so called worn out one.  Someone is living in hopes!

 

Four for the Intermediate and a clear favourite is soon established in Caroline Wilson's best turned out  INNOCENT REBEL (C Heard) but I see this one has done well here in the past but has pulled up on his last two races.  I am going to choose BUCKET AWL (R Woollacott - birthday boy!) to start my tin off as this one has only pulled up once this season. Some fancy S Batchelor's CHESTER CHARLIE (N Harris) to pull it off but not many fancy The Family Partnership's BISHOP'S BLADE but I know Pam (trainer) knows he will certainly do his best.  Off they go! The two main protagonist set the good pace and went past the judge with a circuit to go with INNOCENT REBEL just ahead of BUCKET AWL.  CHESTER CHARLIE was pulled up and took no further part.  Down the hill for the final time and a good race was certainly on.  Three fences to go and they were neck and neck. Two from home and BUCKET AWL got the better of INNOCENT REBEL by a neck and raced away, over the last in the lead but was slowing or was he being caught.  A very good race over the last 100 yards saw BUCKET AWL win by half a length from INNOCENT REBEL with BISHOP'S BLADE ten lengths back in third.  Whooppeee! Open up the tin Ruth dear, on second thoughts, I will do it as that bag of yours is far too close and far too big!

 

Three divisions of Open maiden races followed with seven runners in each.  The first two were won by that excellent young jockey, Nick Schofield, firstly on Charlie Rush's new horse BALLYBROWN who came home five lengths to the good of the favourite RIVER HEIGHTS (C Heard).  This winner looked and ran impressively and must be watched as he climbs the ladder.  The third horse MILLINER'S JIG (T Dennis) was also impressive and was only three lengths back.  The second division was won by Nick again impressively on (J Frost) WHATCANISAY. This was won by a distance and in a much quicker time than the first division.  I was whooppeee-ing again as I chose the correct one to win and was patient enough to wait at the investment area for a sensible price to come up and eventually got even money.  Second was Jennifer Congdon on OH SO NAUGHTY with best turned out  ROMANY SONG (N Harris) three lengths back in third.  The third division went to a very excited trainer/jockey on JOLLY HOPEFUL (J Cole) who rode out a finish with Richard Darke on my choice G Turner's MATATU and the former got there by two lengths with MURPHYS MAN (T Dennis) a length back in third.  A very good finish by all.  Caroline Farrant (CASTLE ISLAND) was brought down when hit by a loose horse during this race so we wish her well and not too many bruises. I must comment on the bookies board at the run up to this race as it was a board we like to see at Point to Points.  Seven runners and not one was below five to two and the highest was five to one.  The eventual favourite was the winner at two to one. 

 

A good contest was assured in the Men's open race, only four runners but quality was to the fore.  Young Nick Schofield would, as usual, be up on SEA SNIPE with Richard Darke on best turned out FRONTENAC, Richard Woollacott on TONY'S TIME and the Cottle family's MONTU with Neil Harris up.   A handkerchief would cover all four over the first open ditch, and the situation hadn't changed much over the final open ditch with MONTU now leading the group.  SEA SNIPE was soon to be asked to quicken which the game mare did and was soon taking the field along.  The rest is history and Nick had SEA SNIPE travelling sweetly and came home to win by three lengths from FRONTENAC with TONY'S TIME four lengths back in third.  Not too much to pick up as the odds of two to one on prevented a large investment but the tin has a very generous look about it now.

 

Finally came the five runner Restricted race with five runners.  The best turned out J Symes's WHIZZAAR (R Woollacott) went off the clear favourite and carried some of the contents from the tin. This one won his maiden so well at S Pool that he is entitled to be favourite and carry my investment.  The second favourite is J Cole's HOLLY WALK and this one has some form and maybe give his trainer/rider a double today. D Congdon's JAUNTY JANNER (T Dennis), Mrs R Welch's LITTLE APPLE BAY (R Darke), and G and E Runnalls's TRAVEL DEHOUCHE (N Schofield) are all desperate to get out of their maiden tag.  TRAVEL DEHOUCHE led the field at a steady pace but when at the final ditch Nick had to remind this Defacto mare that more was required and it needed to pay attention.  WHIZZAAR was now being asked for a little more and moved up to join the leader.  Down the hill for the final time it was WHIZZAAR followed by TRAVEL DEHOUCHE and HOLLY WALK.  Three fences to go and WHIZZAAR was travelling and jumping well.  Up the home straight and across the line to win by four lengths from LITTLE APPLE BAY with HOLY WALK ten lengths back in third.  Great, that puts the tin in a very happy state and I can go to Oliver Carters tomorrow without having to borrow any out of that massive bag.  Ruth has picked up today also but it barely covers the bottom of the bag (haversack).

 

A great days racing and I am off now to dash home, get Betfair up and running and invest on England to win against Wales in the last of the rugby matches. 

 

Tomorrow we are at the East Devon meet at Bishops Court for the re-arranged meeting; plenty of runners and I am assured the course will be like a golf course (assurance from a gentleman by the name of Oliver Carter, no less!) BE THERE!

 

Fred and Ruth