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Six years after an aborted trip there with the syndicate I am contemplating (if the weather allows) going back there for the second day of their rearranged meet on Sunday.
As a non driver I presume the nearest station is Swindon (there is nothing to Marlborough) and then it would be a taxi to the course.
A couple of queries for our resident pointing experts:-1.)Admission,if I recall from our aborted trip Barbury is one course that charges per car rather than per person,have we any idea what that cost will be?
2.)Five races with the first due to start at 11am,can I safely assume a couple of races will be divided to make a seven race card?
I know final decs are made at the last minute but could it just be a five race card if the decs aren’t huge numerically.3.)Is it a good viewing track and how close can you get to the action?
4.)Is there any chance it could get called off again?
Thanks for any help.
Hi GD, I remember that aborted trip well. I’m finally making my first visit there tomorrow
In answer to your questions:
1) This meeting charges by the head – £10 per person, not by car
2) Entries are massive, it will be a huge surprise if there weren’t three or four splits on the day (i.e. the fifth race has an entry of 81 – safety factor 18 )
4) Perhaps – the course is already soft and there will be a 100+ running on it tomorrow and heavy rain is forecast for Saturday night. Talking Point (09068 446061) will have updated news first thing Sunday morning. It’s a premium rate number but it will be worth it if it saves you a wasted journey.
HTH
And here is another refugee from our aborted syndicate visit who’s planning to go this weekend ..
Might see you there HJ ….
Nothing to apologise for,hopefully you’ll all have an enjoyable day.
Original plan was to go to Towcester but all being well I’ll be there for the meet a week Thursday so thought I’d have a change as I don’t get many opportunities to go to a p-t-p as most are at weekends (and it might be a while before another opportunity arises with things as they are at the mo).
Very helpful thanks HJ,that’s a bonus regarding the admission as I feared it might be a bit higher than that.
Of course if any of you are able to report on here what conditions were like then it would be appreciated as I will probably need to set off quite early Sunday.
11am seems an early time to start,even in the height of winter I can rarely remember a rules fixture starting that early.Thanks again.
An 11am start is a necessity. Given the number of entries there’s every chance it could turn into a nine or ten race card.
GD,
4/1 Finding a Swindon taxi driver that’s ever heard of Barbury Castle
20/1 Finding a driver that has heard of it and is prepared to drive there
I hope the winners are easier to find if you get there. Good luck.
AP
Of course if any of you are able to report on here what conditions were like then it would be appreciated as I will probably need to set off quite early Sunday.
We’ll see what we can do! Alternatively, don’t have any bones about phoning up Talking Point very early on Sunday morning. They don’t tend to sit on going updates – if the organisers ring though with a going update at 6am, it’ll be on the phone service p.d.q. thereafter.
It’s just courtesy, really, especially at this infant period of the season, where some horses have to travel miles out of their areas for runs. We’re another week off the North West Area, a fortnight off the North Area, and fully six weeks off either of the Wales Areas starting, for example.
I’ll be at Ampton, in Suffolk, and I’ll be surprised if at least one prize doesn’t find its way back to Warwickshire, as happened at the same meet last year.
11am seems an early time to start,even in the height of winter I can rarely remember a rules fixture starting that early.
Remember that most pointing meetings routinely employ a 35-minute gap between races (an absolute godsend for race-readers confronted with an 18-runner Bonvilston Open Maiden to quantify!), plus occasionally a bigger gap somewhere in procedings if there is to be a parade of hounds or somesuch.
Ampton is starting at midday to facilitate a seven-race card ending at 3.30pm, ditto Black Forest Lodge, ditto Sheriff Hutton and Detling if required. Barbury could easily run to eight or nine races and has been time-scheduled accordingly.
Have to echo what HJ suggested re: your chances of getting very wet, btw – the Good Book even has a permanent entry that says of Barbury, "Weather can be diabolical so come prepared". Don’t say you weren’t warned!
Jeremy
(graysonscolumn)Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
GD,
4/1 Finding a Swindon taxi driver that’s ever heard of Barbury Castle
20/1 Finding a driver that has heard of it and is prepared to drive there
I hope the winners are easier to find if you get there. Good luck.
AP
I thought that myself Alan,hence I’ve printed a map in the hope that helps!!!
Talking Point (09068 446061) will have updated news first thing Sunday morning. It’s a premium rate number but it will be worth it if it saves you a wasted journey.
I like the meeting previews.
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
GC – I look forward to seeing you at Ampton on Sunday.
James isn’t commentating for a change – Matt Coleman is on the mike and if he’s in his Horseheath form he’ll be very good.
Fingers crossed it won’t be too wet…
We’re another week off the North West Area, a fortnight off the North Area, and fully six weeks off either of the Wales Areas starting, for example.
The preview for Erw Lon will be submitted four weeks late, then.Yes, but he’s cheap and enthusiastic.
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
We’re another week off the North West Area, a fortnight off the North Area, and fully six weeks off either of the Wales Areas starting, for example.
The preview for Erw Lon will be submitted four weeks late, then.Oh yeah, just checked. What a terrible Erw I’ve just made.
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
The preview for Erw Lon will be submitted four weeks late, then.- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.