Report from Four Burrow Hounds P to P meeting held at Trebudannon, St Columb Major on Saturday 26^th April 2008.

Not far to travel today but it is such a pleasant morning we will leave early anyway and I am so pleased we did. What a lovely place to sit and watch the world go by, in the sun overlooking one of the better courses raced on today with terrific viewing for the entire circuit. It is the bag handler's' day today and Ruth will be providing hospitality to all supporters who look after us when we are up country. The boiled fruit cake, the chocolate biscuit bars, the sausages, the meat pies and masses of liquids are provided and will be dished out to the many friends. Ruth will not have much time to pay attention to investing today but I will try and make sure the tin is kept replenished and maybe I can pass a little to the bag owner at the end of the day. Nothing promised though! A really genuine good with good to soft in a place or two' would be the going and I have never seen this course in such good condition. Well done to all those concerned.

There was a fear that the card would be affected by the recent running of several Hunter Chases and maybe because of the meeting at Stafford Cross on Sunday but this was definitely not the case. The news soon spread that the first race, the Open Maiden for younger horses, colts and geldings, over 2m 4f would be split. Ten runners in each division so it is obvious that trainers and owners alike have a fancy for this course and its layout is appreciated, as the long straight and two fences to start with gives the youngsters time to settle before approaching a bend. Off they go with T Hughes's best turned out OSCAR IRELAND the two to one favourite. The field is led by Alice Mills on S Reddaway's FAIRLY GLORIOUS closely followed by Joe Tickle on Charlie Rush's WANNA DO A DEAL and Darren Edwards on C Lawrence's THE BUDDLE. After a complete circuit the positions up front hadn't changed at all and the fourth horse who was now challenging for a position was Danny Cook on the Faulks's POINT WEST. Coming into the home straight and to the line a great race was on between Alice and Danny with much shouting and cheering by supporters of both but the light weight, ten stone four pounds, on the youngster told in the end and despite a mammoth try by Alice (twelve stone) it was POINT WEST that took it by a head from FAIRLY GLORIOUS with Joe three lengths back on WANNA DO A DEAL. No casualties and it was noticeable that jockeys have the sense to pull up the younger horses if they consider they have done enough. Well done!

In the second division it was Alison Cole on George Turner's BRIMLEY that led the field over the second fence closely followed very closely by Ed Glassonbury on David Bryant's LOURD HYMN and then came Ross Oliver's HARDKNOTT who is being piloted today by Mark Munrowd. The Roberts's WILL SCARLET with Richard Woollacott up went off odds on favourite and is back in mid division at the moment. The form of the favourite is just two letters BUT will go close with a clear round. He was leading when he last fell. I will be rich if I win the lottery! Well once again the positions up front had not changed a great deal as they all cleared the first open ditch. BRIMLEY, LOURD HYMN and HARDKNOTT over in that order followed by The House Family's best turned out PINK NOTES (I Popham) and WILL SCARLET. These five were about eight lengths clear of Emily Noszkay on Jane Baker's KANAPARK, then the remainder. Mark kept HARDKNOTT up to his work and came home the clear winner from a good run by LOURD HYMN who managed to hold off BRIMLEY for third place with PINK NOTES back in fourth. Another good race with PINK NOTES being the four year old who came out best of the much younger horses, although all three placed horses are not aged. The stewards did an inquiry into the running of the favourite and accepted the jockeys explanation that WILL SCARLET did not enjoy the going today and did not act on it.

Twelve to run in the intermediate and I am now pushing past the bag handler who is busy pouring wine as I get to the tin to grab a little for my investment in this one. Although the form of my choice consists of a 1 and varied letters, the fact that Geoff Maundrell has brought his horse, THEATRE CALL, all the way down from the Vine and Craven area to run here is sound enough for me to have a little each way investment. I was so very wrong! The horse that has previously won his restricted at the odds of fifty to one with the Reverend onboard is running here again after some lack lustre displays recently and now owned by Jimmy Frost. FORT OF GOLD will be ridden by Stewart Payne, had a starting price of seven to one and never looked as though he would do anything but win. From flag fall to finish this one, FORT OF GOLD, was always travelling well under Stewart and held off the effort of the favourite, COME WHAT AUGUSTUS (R Woollacott) and MISTY BROOK (Mark Munrowd) in the finishing straight to come home three lengths clear in the fastest time of the day over three miles. Only a length separated second and third. I didn't hear much about THEATRE CALL so the tin will have to suffer this time.

I studied the next race and chose the best turned out SHAABS QUEST with Will Biddick onboard to carry a considerable investment again and took the favourable price of ten to one to boost the tin well and truly. This one has previously run well over the first couple of miles but never lasted out the full three miles and as this race is for Maiden Mares and Fillies over two miles four furlongs this is the one for me. The favourite is a horse that ran well previously here and should again do well so the starting price of two to one for the Humphrey's LUCETTE ANNIE (S Payne) is snapped up by a considerable number of investors. Not for me as SHAABS QUEST must win over the two and half. Passing the judge on the first occasion it was P Froud's MAYFAIR TAMBOURINE (Will Potter) leading and I noticed (as one does when money is involved!) that SHAABS QUEST was travelling along in fourth place. Mark Munrowd was having an arm pulling ride on Brenda Russell's STICH UP LADY and it was this one that took the field safely over the first open ditch. Andrew Leach's CANTCALLHERTRIGGER (J Cole) (see LOST on my home page please!) followed and then came SHAABS QUEST in third. Round the bend and down the far straight for the final time and it was SHAABS QUEST that took it up from here. Ed Glassonbury took the opportunity to walk home from here and left Reuben Chapman's COUSIN JENNIE to gallop on by herself. Final open ditch and over two lengths to the good came SHAABS QUEST followed by LUCETTE ANNIE moving well. SHAABS QUEST widened the gap and pulled away but LUCETTE ANNIE did not give up and started her challenge again. I know my choice will start slowing down about now and the gap closed - and the gap closed - and the shouting continued, the jumping up and down increased and a height of about three feet was obtained and the gap still closed. The line came in time and Will was there to win by a length from Stewart on LUCETTE ANNIE and twelve lengths back came Jim Cole on CANTCALLHERTRIGGER. Sorry about this Ruth but you will have to take over pouring the whisky as I go to collect a lot of cash. A lot of cash, so you can have a little.

I hope Ian Chanin on C Dupont's BRAEROY can do the same in the Mixed Open which will see twelve go to post, BUT this is a very competitive race. Ross Oliver's LET'S FLY (Mark Munrowd) was leading the field as they took the first of the open ditches, followed by the Robert's ALFA SUNRISE (Will Biddick), Vanessa Shaw on her GUDLAGE and Claire Howarth's HERE COMES HARRY (I Popham). Taking the bend and about to go out into the country we lost one of the very favoured ones, in fact the favourite, in S Hobbs's CROIX DE GUERRE (D Hobbs). This one now has a form line of four first places and three unseated so I will need some reassurance before this lovely looking grey carries my money. GUDLAGE ran well and it was some time before he was out of contention. With one complete circuit to go there were five definitely in with a chance, HERE COMES HARRY, GUDLAGE, SWIFT WOOD, CATTLE CLASS (R Woollacott)d and BRAEROY. It was a great race from here on in and eventually Charlotte Tizzard brought SWIFT WOOD away to win by four lengths from my choice, BRAEROY with CATTLE CLASS back in third. I didn't pick up but thoroughly enjoyed a first class race with first class competitors. Just a little slower than the Intermediate.

The Open maiden saw 14 go to post and once again a good finish was provided with only one and half lengths between the first two. The remainder were some way back but nevertheless a very enjoyable race. The well known colours of Mr B Kilpatrick were in contention through the stables of Ollie Jackson with young Danny Cook up. This runner had very little form, which consisted of one figure and many letters, but in the end MAJOR MATT ran a very good race and pulled it off from Ian Channin on R Alner's TURNWORTH. These two surely are full of improvement and I will be keeping an eye on them. The third horse was The Civil Partnership's TREBLE TRIGGER (Sue Young) who has now been in the frame consistently without just getting there for a win. No investment for me or Ruth here as the hospitality was being enjoyed and it was quite obvious I would be driving home.

Finally the Restricted had twelve runners and this was again going to be a very competitive race. Early in the day I met one of the families who had travelled all the way down from Bratton Down with their horses. Their first runner was in the race where I had picked up on SHAABS QUEST so it must be this race that I must load it on their other runner. I had picked this one out before really, as it ran a very good race here on its last visit. For me, almost a tin full will go on at six to one. The colours are very easy to see. The one carrying the bright yellow diamond on a blue background with bright red sleeve and even brighter red cap is given the task of really filling the tin up. It's the Thomas's MASTER KEVIN with Darren Edwards in the plate. Mr and Mrs Thomas do so much for P to P racing up on Exmoor and although she is not the tallest lady, I have been put firmly in my place on more than one occasion when complaining about the car parking at Bratton Down. I am sure between us we have got it sorted now. We really are good friends and could be even really really good friends if MASTE KEVIN does exactly what I expect him to do. According to the boards it is either The House Family's WINNING CONNECTION (I Popham), Mrs Trueman's MIRAMAR (D Gallagher) or Frank Thorne's THE BUSY FARMER (R Woollacott) that will win but I know different. Off they go! The field was very quickly spread out with Vanessa Shaw on Paul Harvey's APOLLO BLAZE taking them along with S Elford's UNFINISHEDSYMPHONY (M Griffiths), THE BUSY FARMER, H Wakeham's ONWARD BOUND (R Darke), WINNING CONNECTION, APPLEPIE LADY (J Congdon), MASTER KEVIN, LORD ADPAR (M Munrowd) and the grey, The Berwick Rock Partnership's MY BIG SISTER (N Rovai). A slight amount of grouping up when we saw UNFINISHEDSYMPHONY give Matt Griffiths a fright but he cleverly remained onboard but the leaders haven't changed much. Down to the last on the far side of the course and it was still THE BUSY FARMER, APOLLO BLAZE, UNFINISHED SYMPHONY, MIRAMAR and WINNING CONNECTION in the leading group. Over the open ditch and APOLLO BLAZE and THE BUSY FARMER took the field along. Out into the country and it was noticeable that LORD ADPAR was stealthily creeping through the pack. The bright yellow diamond was travelling well and in my eyes - cruising! (I would say that but it was true.) Soon the leading group opened up a six or seven length gap to ONWARD BOUND, MIRAMAR and MASTER KEVIN. No panic - yet! LORD ADPAR now crept into a couple of lengths lead followed by APOLLO BLAZE and WINNING CONNECTIONS. Losing ground is THE BUSY FARMER. MASTER KEVIN is now chasing the leading pack down. Yippeee! MASTER KEVIN is now in fourth and closing and passing LORD ADPAR. APOLLO BLAZE fell. MASTER KEVIN in third! Final open ditch, WINNING CONNECTIONS moving up alongside LORD ADPAR but MASTER KEVIN is reeling them in. MASTER KEVIN still travelling well but I knew that all the time. MASTER KEVIN closing down WINNING CONNECTIONS. Second last and they rise and land together, MASTER KEVIN and WINNING CONNECTIONS. Now the shouting really starts and the jumping up and down reached an all time height of nearly four feet, well, two feet anyway. I didn't think Darren was giving it his all but as was later explained to me - he didn't have to because the bright yellow diamond on a blue background with red sleeves and cap had it all wrapped up and was never in doubt as to whom was going to cross the line in first place. I will now definitely join the queue IN CASE the bookie chooses to leave early! Now off to the paddock to congratulate Hugh and Mrs Thomas and their girls. A super win both for me and them. It didn't really matter that their lorry had no brakes as they intended to leave it here to give them an excuse to come back to the place of their victory. Hugh was full of praise for the wonderful venue, the good racing and the hospitality and help provided by the Clerk of the Course. I believe MASTER KEVIN and AT RISK travelled home in a very smart box no doubt well marked with Cornish number plates but clearly one which befitted such a winner. No charge for over night horse box parking in this part of Cornwall provided you face, like Bratton Down, the right way.

Thank you Four Burrow for such a grand meeting and one that will be talked about for quite some time. The weather, course, facilities and atmosphere were second to none.

Two matters which dampened an otherwise great day and that was when I learned of the passing of David Morse. David has long been a lover of the countryside both through terrier work and hunting hounds. He has always been a great help to the volunteers of North Cornwall Hunt in preparing their P to P course and personally, as he taught me how to stuff birch and build jumps properly in the making of P to P fences for the Wadebridge course and I know, likewise, he has helped the Four Burrow Hunt. David will be sorely missed and our condolences go out to his wife Judy and family.

Disaster has struck and I will be unable to travel to Stafford Cross. A rather large molar has unexpectedly had to be removed from my lower jaw. This did not come out easily and the fourth lot of injections failed to deaden the necessary parts so the extraction went ahead somewhat painfully. Two hours later shock set in and Nurse Ruth complete with bag had to deliver yours truly to the local surgery. A reasonable amount of stability was later achieved but because of the vast amount of drugs (legal ones!) involved in this operation I am unable to travel. I apologise for the lack of results/report from the Axe Vale meeting but will endeavour not to let it happen again. Sorry about that!

For the next six weekends I see that trips to Exmoor will be on the cards starting with the D & S meeting at Holnicote this Saturday 3^rd May 2008. First race 2 pm.

On Monday 5^th May 2008 we will be at Vauterhill for the Stevenstone meeting with the First Race at 2 pm.