A race won twice, an impressive bit of Foxhunter prep and a treble for trainer and jockey Dale Peters will all mark the South Wold’s annual point-to-point meeting – AKA Revesby Races – in the memory for some time.
The Lincolnshire track’s preparation had clearly gone to plan and did not disappoint, resulting in Good to Soft ground which produced six race times within five seconds of one another. Trainers and jockeys were happy and any horses which were unsure about the ground were soon declared.
The Mark Barthorpe Open race attracted high class entries and two of the better pointers in this country – Music Drive and Linelee King – came to do a bit of Foxhunter preparation here, joined by Kansas du Berlais (Paddy Barlow) and Sambezi (Sam Lee). A cagey race ensued, with nobody really wanting to take the pace on, leaving the Pomfrets’ Sambezi out front at a fairly steady pace until half way around the final lap, when Music Drive took it on in the capable hands of Ellie Callwood. James King eased Linelee King past with a couple to jump and went on to win by about three lengths. Music Drive, the better on paper of the two, went off at 2/5-on but trainer Kelly Morgan wasn’t remotely bothered. “This was always just a stepping stone,” she said, “and we will now go straight to Cheltenham.”
The afternoon’s card began with a slightly unusual conditions race for novice riders which saw two riders ride a finish a lap early. Louis Hadfield, riding Coeur Serein, which he owns and trains said afterwards, “I was aware of another horse coming up alongside very quickly and I thought I must have got it wrong so I went for it too.” Cue lots of shouting from the sidelines and luckily both combinations continued on for the last lap and Hadfield and his Fame And Glory 12-year-old held on well to beat odds-on favourite Francesca Poste-trained Major Dundee (Clara Blewitt) by six lengths. Seven No Trumps, ridden by Ben Durrell, was the only other finisher.
The Morgan yards were out in force to cheer on Louis Hadfield in the first and returned for the Robert Harriss Melvyn Leach Memorial Maiden which saw victory for Pillar To Post on his fifth outing between the flags. Pillar To Post was bought out of Station Yard Racing by Sophie Harris, who gave him a bit of retraining, including some dressage, before he came back to racing as a syndicate horse for The Old Meltonians at Kelly Morgan’s Waltham-on-the-Wolds yard. The seven-year-old was never far off the lead throughout and prevailed after a good strong finish with Guseakie, ridden by Sam Lee for Francesca Poste.
The second half of the racecard was a textbook display by Dale Peters on three horses he trains, recording a treble on the day which became a 5 from 7 over the weekend after picking up a spare at Sheriff Hutton the following day.
His first win, in the Spilsby NFU Intermediate Race, proved that he deserves his billing alongside the best horses in the country at this level. He was, perhaps predictably, odds-on favourite when the flagged dropped, but he controlled the race perfectly. The Andrew Pennock-trained Trojan du Berlais, with Paddy Barlow in the plate, led the race until midway round the last lap when Largy Pearl made his move. Premier Fantasy, in the hands of Bradley Gibbs, joined Trojan du Berlais in trying to quicken, but were ultimately left behind, with the latter finishing second, five lengths behind the leader, Premier Fantasy four behind that. Dale Peters says he might have one more run in points and then go hunter chasing.
The nine-year-old Wallace Olinger was his ride in The Jockey Club 0-110 Rated Series race, winning by two lengths after a hard-fought finish which saw him make up five or six lengths after the last, despite some mediocre jumping. This goes some way to making up for being brought down at Alnwick last month when looking well positioned. “He’s a yard favourite,” Peters said, “and I don’t get to ride him much at home. He’s got a massive engine, but he can’t jump. Bless him.”
The Annandale Restricted Race, last on the card, was won with a comfortable and assured performance by Line Em Up, following up on his win at Alnwick last month. The seven-year-old managed to pull away to beat Boley Bob (Henry Crow) by five lengths on the line, with French Symphony (W. Badlan) in third. “That was a good run today,” Peters said, “giving five pounds away. Obviously, Bradley’s horse, he was giving nearly a stone to, so I was pleased with that.”
In a fortnight’s time the Melton Hunt Club fixture will welcome all-comers to Garthorpe for their six-race card. You can see the race details or buy tickets in advance here on the Midlands Pointing fixture page.