Harbour Court

[graysonscolumn]

Hello there,

With the heaviest of hearts, I’m afraid I must report that Alan Hill’s classy hunter chaser Harbour Court was lost at the North Norfolk Harriers Point-to-Point this Sunday just gone, having broken a leg during the Mens Open race.

Not always the easiest to train, as a return of 19 career starts in five years may attest to, the Rodney Mann-owned ten-year-old was a regal presence between the flags when at his best and, in taking the Connolly’s Red Mills Final at Cheltenham and John Corbet Cup at Stratford in successive 2013 outings, stood for a while as the great young British hope for Foxhunter honours. In the event, his one tilt at hunter chasing’s blue riband event netted him just an 11.5l fifth, as 5-1 favourite, in the 2014 renewal.

An 11-time winner, including twice from three visits to Cheltenham’s hunter chase night, he frequently kept good, better or the best of company on both Rules courses and at Pointing venues. Although not the winner on the day, the Intermediate race at Whitfield in which he finished a neck second to Woodview Prince in March 2012 was and remains regarded as one of the strongest single pieces of form in that grade in recent memory (pair 30 clear, time appreciably quicker than even the Opens).

Rest easy, Harbour Court.

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.

[Author]

Posts