This season the number of point-to-point horses in training has dropped significantly, so for 78% of the 49 individual horses entered for the Quorn point-to-point at Garthorpe on Saturday to have declared and run is a fabulous result.
Without doubt they came for the ground, and much praise goes to Jim Culloty and his team for their tireless work to produce such good ground, recorded on the day as good, good to soft in places.
The usual Garthorpe westerly did not materialise this week, and a very big crowd enjoyed a truly summery afternoon in the Leicestershire sunshine, with some excellent racing to watch.
The meeting’s feature race, The Davidsons Homes Mixed Open for The Quorn Gold Cup, did not disappoint. Gina Andrews was deputising for injured brother Jack at Sandown so Molly Legg stepped up to the plate to ride No Risk des Flos for trainer Gina and The Stearn Family and did not let the team down. Despite a 3lb penalty the 11-year-old grey made all the running and still had the stamina left to defend his position from a spirited challenge from Charlotte Butler on the Turners’ Good Source to make it home two lengths clear.
“Thomas told me on Thursday that I was riding for him and I was delighted.” Molly said. “Gina had to go racing under rules on Saturday so it felt great to get the call up to ride him in her absence. He’s a lovely horse and that was his 3rd win of the season. I’m very lucky to be part of a great team and getting the opportunities to sit on some lovely horses.”
At the start of the day there were three horses entered which were in leading positions in the Fairman, Knight and Sons Garthorpe Top Horse competition: Will Bishop’s Korkoran, Poppy Shaw’s Shentri and Sarah McLean’s Sambezi. Charlie Case was riding Sarah McLean’s Sambezi, which dead heated with Fumet d’Oudairies here last time out, in the Mixed Open where they came in third and, in the process, secured first place in the and a nice bonus of £1000. All three were local Midlands horses and received cash prizes.
The afternoon began with a young horse Maiden race over two miles and four furlongs, sponsored by Nottingham-based Law firm Browne Jacobson. Admiral Bonzo, ridden by Sean O’Connor and trained by Luca Morgan, was keen to get away and quickly established a ten or more length lead over the pack, who didn’t really seem bothered. Sure enough, the four-year-old faded back into the field as the race went on and at the close it was the bright orange colours of Mrs Beverley Thomas worn by Bradley Gibbs on I’m Like A Lion which took the win, six lengths ahead of Leopard d’Irlande, ridden by Ellie Callwood for The Big Cat Partnership. Kalyeeda Creek (Thomas Easterby) and GN Jefferson (Joe Wright) shared a dead heat for third place.
One of the dominating displays of the day saw joint favourite Cash Or Card take the second race, The Robert Whowell and Partners Conditions Race, for The This That and The Others Partnership with trainer Dale Peters on board. Dale is currently top of the National table for trainers with small strings and this win brought him to 198 wins in point-to-point races so I expect we will see him at the Fernie meeting next weekend. The other joint favourite, Shentri (Poppy Shaw), was a creditable second carrying a 10lb penalty, and Bluescape (Bradley Gibbs) was third.
Dale Peters said, “A couple of seasons ago I thought he was going to go right to the top but that summer he got a nasty infection in one of his front legs and we nearly lost him. So last year was a bit of a right-off but now we seem to have him back to where we we were a season before last and he’s looking really progressive, his jumping is a massive asset to him.”
After the Mixed Open we had seven runners forward for the Manor Farm Rehabilitation Restricted Race which produced another win for Bradley Gibbs, to give him his double on the card. This time the six-year-old favourite Avichi In The Park owned by Julian Sherriff was his mount and they finished six lengths clear. Miss Tele (Jack Teal) competed well and deserved at least second for Mr Knowles, while Keystone and Dale Peters another ten lengths back in third, for Dr Walpole. The only other finisher was Pillar To Post, trained by Kelly Morgan for John Chatfeild-Roberts.
The Open Maiden, sponsored by William Hercock, was next, and nine runners came forward for this three-mile race with no weight for age allowances. Will Fraser and Back In Tennessee were competing in their first point-to-point and came back in one piece but it was Chiroqui Princess and William Thirlby who resisted a very strong challenge in the run-in to take the win by a head from Tellmesam, the 16-1 outsider ridden by Jack Teal. Guseakie (Joe Wright) had led at the turn into the final straight but couldn’t improve on third at the line. Thirty Bob (John Dawson) and Diamon des Flos (Conal Kavanagh) were the other finishers.
The last race was a Conditions race for older horses (8yrs+) sponsored by The Fox & Hounds in Knossington, arguable Melton Mowbray’s premier hunting hostelry. The quickening ground suited Champagne Glory (Fred Philipson-Stow), the nine-year-old trained by Stuart Morris for the Latilla-Campbells and he saw off competition from Atlantic Fleet (Charlotte Butler) and Steppingstone (Cian Murphy), with Getupearly (F. Foster) the last to complete.
We now move on in quick order to the Fernie meeting next Sunday 3rd May at Dingley. Watering there is well under way and judging by the ground they produced for the Woodland Pytchley meeting on Easter Saturday I think we can be confident that they will produce a good track for the 63 entries they have received. Tickets are available on the Midlands Pointing website for that fixture: £15 for adults (under 16s admitted free).