Report from South Pool Harriers Point to Point meeting
held on Sunday 17th February 2008 at Buckfastleigh Racecourse,
After leaving home with the countryside covered in a
layer of frost and travelling past areas with the wind blowing very strong, it
was a pleasure to enter the Race Course where there was heavy dew, no wind and
the course in tip top condition and all prepared for a good days racing. The shifting around of a few posts, the
repositioning of the number/jockey name board and the provision of a large shed
had made this a very attractive venue.
Well done to all concerned and now we can even see the fence before the
climb to the home straight which is also an improvement. The first load of race cards were soon sold
out and the contingency batch soon arrived and satisfied what surely must have
been a record crowd for this meeting. I
did wonder why some cars were being parked in discreet places and their
occupants disembarking only to crowd into a waiting Range Rover (8 in one!) so
the entrance fee charge must have made this a cheaper proposition. Try going to a football match for a
tenner!! At least we know where the
takings from a P to P are going and that's more than can be said for most fee
paying sports, so there!
The racing kicked off with a fourteen runner Confined
Maiden for Geldings and Horses only, sponsored by The Farriers. The tin has
been replenished at home by the amount that Ernie (an old friend of mine!) has
sent to me this month so being that I consider that a 'win', into the tin it
goes and a little will be invested on Charlie Rush's WANNA DO A DEAL (Joe Tickle)
as I liked the way this one ran at Wadebridge, (7 length 3rd). The
favourite at the off was the Horniwinks Club best turned out JOSH BE YOURSELF (Richard Woollacott) with M
Tozer's TRES BIEN (N Wilmington) closely following as second favourite. Off they go to start a good afternoons racing
and it looked a lovely sight as they raced along the bottom. J Cole's ROY MY BOY (L Rowe) and J Frost's
RIVERSIDE SPRINGS (S Payne) led the field until the fourth with my choice in
third place when we saw Lee Rowe leave the back of ROY MY BOY in spectacular
fashion but was soon on his feet. Out
through the wing of the fence in the home straight (6th) went M
Bragg's DALIADOT (J Monk) but it was now my choice leading them down to the
first open ditch (7th) and they all cleared this but H Channan's
ANOTHER VIC (M Munrowd) was taking quite a bit of persuasion to get going in
the rear. Lucy Gardner on her OCEANS was
also in the rear. My choice took the
field along the straight at a nice sensible pace followed by JOSH BE YOURSELF
and RIVERSIDE SPRINGS. With a complete
circuit to race it was The Blue Rinses Partnership's NOQUIETO (I Popham) that
now joined my choice and led the field, bye passing the fence and onto the
final open ditch. JOSH BE YOURSELF close
up in third. Back straight and at fence
fifteen there were three in a line, JOSH BE YOURSELF, NOQUIETO and WANNA DO A
DEAL with ground making TRES BIEN following closely. As they left the back JOSH BE YOURSELF took
over the lead with my choice dropping back and not being able to stand the
pace. TRES BIEN is now up challenging
Richard Woollacott for the lead and these two made an extremely good race of it
to the line with JOSH BE YOURSELF just getting there by half a length from TRES
BIEN and NOQUIETO six lengths back in third.
The first horse withstood an objection from the second horse on the
ground of having taken his ground on the run in although it was a sensible objection
and deemed not intentional. The result was first announced as giving my choice
the second spot but the 'bookie' soon put me right when I attempted to collect
some money with words like 'you'll be lucky!' but I wasn't lucky and the
announced error was soon put right. One
person who did push past me to collect was the bag holder with a large grin and
no sympathy for me!
A good competitive Intermediate race saw twelve go to
post and it was good to see that the race contained a number of runners who had
progressed to this level this season.
Richard Darke set the pace and was soon several lengths to the good on T
Geering and R Jones's GNEEVE HILL but was back to being one of a tightly
knitted group entering the back straight. A good pace brought them up the hill
and as they went out into the country for the final time it was Emily Noszkay
on The Aldershot Friends' WALTER DE WODELAND who took over up front and GNEEVE
HILL was pulled up. The Hawker's SWEET
SHOOTER, J Cobden's SENOR CID (W White) and R Cook's MISTY BROOK (L Gardner)
followed a couple of lengths back. My
choice J Symes's best turned out WHIZZAAR
(R Woollacott) was beginning to creep through the field but too early to break
any pencils or jump about yet! The even money favourite, 'Sheik' Pike's
ROCKWITHACAVEMAN was still being held up by Polly (Gundry) in rear. Into the back straight for the final time and
SWEET SHOOTER and WALTER DE WODELAND led a tightly packed group. The favourite is coming through! WHIZZAR now took it up so just a little vocal
support at this time is necessary.
WALTER DE WODELAND pitched on landing over one of the fences and gave
poor Emily a spectacular unseat. WHIZZAAR still leading but ROCKWITHA CAVEMAN
now looked very impressive as he took it up and came away from any challengers.
Now up to the final fence and Polly was really enjoying this and was leading
when WHIZZAAR fell at the last allowing SWEET SHOOTER to take second place with
P Bryant's OFF BROADWAY (I Popham) in third, ten lengths back. The winner is
impressive and will surely go on to better things and the time of six minutes
four seconds was not bettered throughout this meeting but he didn't do anything
for my tin or for the bag!
The maiden Mares only division one saw a hot favourite
rule the roost. Others had a go at
taking the field along but Mr M Sheppard's SERICINA (Robert Lee) dominated this
one from the off and gave the odds on investors no worry whatsoever and came
home to win by twenty lengths from the only one in sight being JEAN'S JOY
(Polly Gundry) and a further twenty lengths back was C Firminger's ANSA THE
QUESTION (W White). This is another one that will surely feature at forthcoming
meetings. Division two was a different
race with the odds on favourite The Woodmore Racing Partners' EMERGENCE (R
Woollacott) again winning but only by one and a half lengths from a good run by
Ross Oliver's improving MISS PRETTY (P Gundry) who had The Cidermakers
Partnership's MIDNIGHT QUEEN (I Popham) two and half lengths back in third. Nothing for the tin or bag from those two
races but this probably due to the fact that we did not invest - odds-on!
Now comes the well contested fifteen runner Men's open
race. The best turned out CONCERT PIANIST (R Woollacott) ran well at
Wadebridge and won the Confined there whilst Reg Hand's DANTE'S BACK (D
Edwards) won the Open at Wadebridge. Lee Glanville's LISHEEN STORM has run up a
sequence of seconds so this could be the one as he has run well on a previous
occasion here. Mrs Murphy's WENDY'S
DYNAMO (M Munrowd), The G B Friends' UNUSUAL SUSPECT and R Oliver's MISTER CLUB
ROYAL (M Woodward) are all surely knocking on the door. I have chosen S Trump's MCSOLO (I Chanin) to
carry my investment as I liked the way this one won the Tiverton meetings
Intermediate (12 lengths) and the bag has been opened for a small touch on
CONCERT PIANIST each way! We watched the
first circuit and the lack of the commentator mentioning my horses name very
often did not fill me with much enthusiasm. The bag holders CONCERT PIANIST was
mentioned quite often and here it was taking the lead on the final
circuit. LISHEEN STORM, DANTES BACK and
Neil Harris on the
Now the Ladies open race where not quite so many
runners but quality nevertheless. Claire
Allen has been brought in to ride Mrs Wilson's INNOCENT REBEL and this one will
go off favourite but only just as Chloe Roddick is well supported onboard P
Nicholls's GOBLET OF FIRE. Some interest
in Ross Oliver's LET'S FLY and Miles Pengelly's DOOF but I have chosen to go
for Jenny Carr on Ken and John Heard's NDITLIR who showed a bit of her fast
finishing form when finishing well coming up the hill at Wadebridge. A good outsider price was obtained and this
could make the tin really rattle if she beat some classy opposition. The bag has been raided and the holder has invested
in Polly to bring home LET'S FLY but this is a hot little race. Plenty of pace from the start and Claire
Allen leads the field on INNOCENT REBEL followed by Alice Pearn on her FINEWOOD
and as they pass the judge for the first time they are six or seven lengths to
the good of DOOF, then Lucy (Gardner) on her BAK TO BILL, Vanessa Shaw on her
GUDLAGE and then LET'S FLY. The Berwick
Rock Partnership's best turned out MATRIX
brings up the rear. INNOCENT REBEL led
the field over the first ditch. Down the
back and INNOCENT REBEL putting in a really good jump with FINEWOOD now being
relegated back down the field whilst BAK TO BILL closes up in second place;
DOOF into third. Up the hill and very
little change with Claire Allen INNOCENT REBEL up in front followed by Alice
Mills on DOOF, then BAK TO BILL, the Jones's DERAWAR (L Jones) then LET'S
FLY. Down to the final open ditch. Safely
over and round the bend and now four from home (should be five but one is
bye-passed!). INNOCENT REBEL taking them
along with no questions being asked by Claire yet! Chloe Roddick has now brought GOBLET OF FIRE
up to follow Claire very closely. Polly
is also now joining in and LET'S FLY is travelling sweetly! My investment carrier, NDITLIR has made a few
mistakes at her fences so picking anything up for the tin seems out of the
question on this occasion. Up the hill
and to the last they come! INNOCENT
REBEL, GOBLET OF FIRE and LET'S FLY will fight it out to the end. These young ladies are now riding as if their
lives are on the line!! By a head, the favourite, INNOCENT REBEL won from
GOBLET OF FIRE with LET'S FLY a length back in third. Quick but a second slower than the
Intermediate race.
Two divisions of Restricted
races to finish up with, twelve runners in division one and eleven in division
two and I need at least one winner, preferably two. The best turned out Mrs K Sanderson's HOLLANDIA (D Pick) after his good
run at
Off go the second division with no clear favourite as Mrs P Butler,
Mrs M Turner and Mr J Gent's ROYAL NIECE (A Wintle) shared the honour with Mrs
S Hobbs's NOEDU VERT (Kath Hobbs). My
choice was a little better price at three to one so I lumped on as surely my
luck had to change. This runner was
staying on quite well when placed at Wadebridge, so on it goes to Mrs J Brake's
DAD SAYS HEAZLE (I Popham) but the bag holder doesn't agree and she thinks
Adrian Wintle is here for this ride on ROYAL NIECE so her investment is made
accordingly but by the time she returned to our watching spot, she had changed
her mind and plonked her investment on NOEDU VERT. Well I never had a minute's anxiety. All up
the hill, past the judge, all over the open ditch, round the bend. In the straight along the bottom, NOEUD VERT
fell. Up the hill it was H Wakeham's
ONWARD BOUND (T Chanin) just ahead of Jim Cole's TRICKY LYPS (M Woodward) with
my choice just happy to sit in behind these two leaders. The Family Group's BOULSDON (C Dailly) was
now up in fourth. Final open ditch and
around the bend and along the straight.
Three from home DADS SAYS HEAZLE took it up, jumped well and held off
all challengers and I can now give some vocal encouragement. Jumped the last really well and went on to
win by twelve lengths from ROYAL NIECE and five lengths back in third was
BOULSDON BOY. At last! In my excitement I thought there was another
race and by the time I went to collect the bookie had packed up and when I ran
after him he informed me that the name on my ticket was not the winner! A quick remonstration and after the support
of another bookie I got my money! That made the tin a little better but not as
full as when I came. The bag was even
worse off! Nuff said!
Next week an entirely different course with very
little flat like today, with steep climbs and even steeper down hill runs but
everybody loves GREAT TRETHEW! So for
the
Fred
E&OE as my proof reader is away out of county.