Report from Dart Vale and Haldon Harriers Point to Point meeting held at Buckfastleigh Racecourse on Sunday 9^th March 2008

 

The weather forecast will probably keep a few away from Buckfastleigh today as there promises to be a nasty bit of weather coming in soon, but provided it keeps away until tomorrow then we should get some good racing which will include The Totnes and Bridgetown Mixed Open Race known as 'The Westcountry Champion Chase' valued at £700 to the winner plus a perpetual trophy and other goodies.

 

First to get us in the mood is the Pony Racing and the entrants walked the course at a very good pace which was set by Designated Organiser for the day, Miss F Spiering who I must say had a few of the smaller ones at a trot at the end of the snake.  Job done and all set and the results of their two races can be seen in the Pony Racing section.

 

A very heavy shower passed over during the second pony race and was not all gone for the running of the three horse 'Farmer's race.  Although Mrs R Welch's GUNNERS MISTAKE (D Edwards) did not give up he did not bother Mrs T Moysey's best turned out DUSTY BANDIT (C Dailley) too much and came home to win by ten lengths having made every post a winning one.  Mrs D Treneer's HANNAH BAY completed the course but did not jump very well for Alice Mills and was more than a distance in rear at the post.  No investment on that race as I was busy donning more foul weather clothing as rain could be seen in the distance.

 

Two divisions of Open maiden races followed and these were very well contested events and I failed to gather any rewards from both of them. In division one I chose G Keirle's MORE THE MERRIER (J Derham) (favourite) to start a rattle off in the tin but was proved (just!) wrong by Neil Harris bringing in R Perry's JACK'S TAXI to win by a neck with Richard Woollacott on the Penhorwood's SHE'S ALRIGHT just three lengths back in third.  A good finish though and it was all sorted in the tiring run up to the line.  Division two saw me invest on Neil Harris as he could bring off a double on S Wilcock's CARDINAL SINN and will be carrying my money.  The odds on favourite is M Tozer's TRES BIEN (N Wilmington) who was unfortunate in his last race as he was carried wide and should run well. The other one that has taken the eye of the punters is C Firminger's ANSA THE QUESTION (W White) who has had a run this season and should come on for that.  Tessa Hayes had T Boon's COLLEGE TIME way out in front for the first circuit and it was TRES BIEN who led the following group, but it was TRES BIEN  who took the field over the open ditch for the final time with a lot of sorting out done at this fence.  The rain was now coming down in very big drops which was playing havoc with the electrics/microphones etc. but TRES BIEN still led the field along the bottom, closely followed by ANSA THE QUESTION and CARDINAL SINN was still there with a chance.  The race from two out was very good with CARDINAL SINN now getting into it proper and ANSA THE QUESTION and TRES BIEN attempting to stop him winning.  Over the last and the race to the line saw Will White just get the better on ANSA THE QUESTION by a head from Neil Harris on my CARDINAL SINN with TRES BIEN third half a length back.  A very exciting finish when shouting turned into gargling as the rain was heavy at times.

 

Now Neil Harris has had a winner and a second and now it is Polly Gundry's turn to help me out and it is her I rely on to bring home the winner of The Westcountry Champion Chase ahead of all others.  Polly is riding C Bennett's BALINOVA and will probably go off favourite but this is one tightly contested event, so investment will be of a small nature.  Richard Woollacott on the syndicate owned CONCERT PIANIST would really like to pull this one off for the owners and I am sure the Elliott's deserve a good performance from their SARA MONICA and of course there is a previous winner in Ben Robarts's JALONS STAR who has had a couple of outings to get him in trim.  Neil Harris is on Mrs Baker's DARE TO DREAM who won nicely at Great Trethew and R Oliver's MISTER CLUB ROYAL (Mark Munrowd) will be trying but this will not be as easy as his last win in a Members race.  Off they go with all eight no doubt hoping to pick up the worthwhile prize.  MISTER CLUB ROYAL and JALONS STAR took them along early with the favourite and second favourite anchoring the field in rear.  Unfortunately we soon lost I Stevens's best turned out GIN 'N FONIC, so Sam Allwood is not having too good a day so far.  The first of the open ditches (7) saw MISTER CLUB ROYAL lead them over followed by JALONS STAR and SARA MONICA.  It was noticeable at this stage that Polly had BALINOVA wide on the outside and picking up some better ground as this one needs his legs looked after a bit!  It was great watching them race along the bottom as you get a good picture of how your investment is travelling.  With a complete circuit to go it was still MISTER CLUB ROYAL leading them along with DARE TO DREAM now in a challenging position and looking very threatening.  CONCERT PIANIST who will be staying all day in travelling very nicely as is SARA MONICA.   BAK TO BILL (Lucy Gardner) is now getting detached from the main group.  Turning the course down at the bottom and preparing for the three in the straight it was DARE TO DREAM who went on with BALINOVA alongside, CONCERT PIANIST following with JALONS STAR now getting into it also.  As they approached the bend and the hill it was line abreast of three, DARE TO DREAM, BALINOVA and JALONS STAR.  CONCERT PIANIST was weakening back into fourth.  Up the hill came the very tired horses with JALONS STAR up front.  The crowd was really loving this and shouted encouragement to all three contestants as any of them could win this.  Over the last with the race at his mercy came JALONS STAR, but as on a former occasion this one wanted to go to his box and had enough of this racing and this gave an opportunity for Neil Harris to get DARE TO DREAM to the line to win by three lengths from BALINOVA who was four lengths ahead of CONCERT PIANIST with the wayward JALONS STAR eventually finishing fourth.  For an almost certain winner to be passed by three others on the run in has been done here before and I think JALONS STAR was the culprit then.  I will check up with my archives later!  No return from that one for me but it was a very good race and a hard luck story to boot!  Two for Mr Harris but when I wanted him to do well he came second, but that is surely the quirks of racing.

 

Miss Polly Gundry was now about to prove me even more wrong because I didn't fancy her rides and she went on to win the next three - yes THREE races.  In the Intermediate the odds on favourite Mr & Mrs Kelvin-Hughes's TOT OF THE KNAR ran a very good race to win by eight lengths from a front runner performance by D & R Branton's best turned out  LITTLE WORD (S Allwood).  Unfortunately LITTLE WORD suffered what looked like heart failure in the paddock and died so that was very disappointing. The third horse J Brake's DAD SAYS HEAZLE (D Edwards) was the one that helped the tin out last time we were here and this time it helped out the bag by providing a little return. 

 

In the Confined Hunts race it was 'Sheik' Pike's  progressive ROCKWITHACAVEMAN who gave Polly a very nice ride to win by six lengths from Lee Glanville's LISHEEN STORM (R Woollacott) and Joe Cole on his HOLLY WALK was a length back in third.  The latter will win his next race I think as he is looking in tip top condition and surely all the Glanville's will be rewarded before the season goes too much further and I hope I am there when that happens!

 

The third win followed in the Restricted Division one on Kit James's THOOR BALLYLEE and it made Polly pull out all the stops to win this one as Will White on Mrs Truemans best turned out DE LUAIN GORM nearly pulled off what he almost did at Ottery when he made all until falling at the last.  He didn't fall this time and was just one and a half lengths behind Polly on the line and eight lengths back in third was Miss L Clayden's blinkered KING'S WOOD (D Edwards).  The tin is looking sick but this is not due to poor racing, the racing is OK, although the heavy showers do interfere a little but it is due to competitiveness of the runners.  Some times I think you can know too much about them!

 

Well here comes the final one and a seven runner Restricted is all that is left for me to get something for the tin; not a lot, just a little will do although some to carry forward to next week at Wadebridge would help or perhaps a little for Cheltenham this week would not go amiss.  The bag handler is studying as she has not had too good a day as well but better than me at the moment.  We both choose the same horse and are relying on Richard Woollacott to bring home The Woodmore Racing Partners's EMERGENCE to cross the line in that envied position.  The price in the investing arena is not too bad and at seven to four against a good return is assured if the line is met first before the six other runners.  Richard will have to be aware of that good consistent thing, the Du Plessis's KINGSMILL LAKE, who Miss Noszkay will be attempting to get into first place.  On Sunday 18^th February 2007 I was a perhaps a little unfair on the way I commented on the riding of KINGSMILL LAKE at that meeting so I will be watching closely today.  Ben Robarts will be trying to make amends for JALONS STAR'S wayward ways and get his SARGENT MALARKEY up to the line first. Another big threat is The Berwick Rock Partnership's MY BIG SISTER with Tigga Barnes up as this one was an easy winner of her maiden.  Off they go!  The weather has made the going very soft and will take some getting after all the previous racing here. They're off! Well it was very exciting but as the last circuit evolved several were pulled up and KINGSMILL LAKE led the remaining field and was giving Ruth and I quite some fright, because it looked as if Richard had quite some riding to do to get the better of Emily.  SARGENT MALARKEY was still running but would not trouble either KINGSMILL LAKE or EMERGENCE.  We waved, we shouted, some screamed and it was going to be a tight finish.  KINGSMILL LAKE landed over the last JUST to the good of EMERGENCE but Richard was on the inside and won the race to the line by three quarters of a length. Ben Robarts was five lengths back on a very tired SARGENT MALARKEY.  That was close and I think Miss Noszkay has improved somewhat but thank goodness, not enough to get the better of Richard on the race to the line.  Open bag, open tin and pile the stuff in! 

 

Thank you all at the DVSPH meeting for a good afternoons sport which the weather tried hard to ruin but failed. 

 

Next week (Saturday 15^th March 08) we are back to Cornwall for the Western Hunt meeting at the Royal Cornwall Showground.  The weather doesn't bother this meeting too much as most is undercover and on hard standing and super parking so with the earnings from today and hopefully some from Cheltenham, get rich investments will be made there.  All you have to do is - BE THERE!

 

Ruth and Fred