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A familiar name to us brits in the jockeys’ list there,Carl Rafter who used to be based with Charlie Mann.
Wonder if that’s the same Bow Strada that ran in the UK for the Hobbs team a few years’ back.
Gosh I din’t know that pointing was alive and well and happening across the pond!!! Please – would love some more info – how many meetings, where does it happen in USA?
Blimey, yes, any info you’re able to provide would be splendid, ta. I’m pretty much ignorant of pointing Stateside.
Meanwhile, in the week that Cheltenham looms large in many people’s thoughts, here’s as big a ghost from Cheltenham past as you’re likely to see in the pointing field for a very long time.
Would you believe MY WAY DE SOLZEN is entered up for the Mens Open at Kingston Blount this weekend?
Still with three of his four original owners, I read, but has been moved from Alan King to Gabe Mahon for the exercise, meaning that Ryan Mahon is pretty much a stick-on to ride him.
That’ll get a few extra through the turnstiles (and Blount is a long way from the cheapest course as it is). Course supremo Alan Hill, hubby of Lawney, must be delighted.
With Cilwendeg playing host to former 152-rated hurdler Blue Royal’s debut in points on his first start since December 2007, and the 19 (yes, 19) year-old Live Wire attempting to win the Crawley & Horsham Members at Parham on his first outing since winning the same race in 2005, this Saturday’s pointing programme is not short of interest, putting it mildly.
gc
Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
A familiar name to us brits in the jockeys’ list there,Carl Rafter who used to be based with Charlie Mann.
Wonder if that’s the same Bow Strada that ran in the UK for the Hobbs team a few years’ back.
It certainly is! He’s 13 now and has been running in the US since 2005, with some success. He was 2nd in the 2007 Georgia Cup Hurdle.
Gosh I din’t know that pointing was alive and well and happening across the pond!!! Please – would love some more info – how many meetings, where does it happen in USA?
Point-to-points are all over the East Coast from Florida up to New York, and some in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama. Most of these are not NSA sanctioned, but chasers often alternate between the NSA races and pointing.
The websites for pointing in Virginia http://www.centralentryoffice.com/ and Maryland http://www.marylandsteeplechasing.com/ and Pennsylvania http://www.dvaptp.com/
Another interesting horse in the Warrenton entries is the 13yo Westbound Road, who’s a half-brother to Fantastic Light! Apparently he raced several times on the flat in France and England before coming to the US to become a jumper.
Thanks to the rain we received yesterday, Airlie was soaked, and most of the horses were scratched from the first p2p of the season. Of the five races over fences, two were match races and three were walkovers
. Notably, Carl Rafter won every race he was in, and Jamey Price won his first start over fences. Having missed his intended pointing debut at Kingston Blount last weekend, it seems that Gabe Mahon will try again with My Way De Solzen at the historic Vale of the White Horse (VWH) point-to-point meeting at Siddington this Saturday.
He’s been found a Confined Conditions race which could hardly be framed any kinder for him. The flat, galloping, testing ancient turf at the Wiltshire venue can retain softness longer than some venues in the area, which he’ll like; and the closest thing to him on Official Ratings appears to be the terminal bottler Carthys Cross, whom you’d always love to have as the only rival upsides you in a fight.
Notwithstanding his lay-off of nearly a year now, if he is ever going to win a point, methinks it ought to be this one.
gc
Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
Doesn’t look like MWDS hounoured this engagement either. Erse.
gc
Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
Simon Shirley-Beavon introduced a useful looking novice to hunter chasing today in the shape of Quotica De Poyans. Unbeaten in three attempts at points and won the Buccleuch Cup, leading all the way and coming clear in a canter. Early days admittedly, but this one could go a long way.
Rob
Quite a few Cheltenham Foxhunter disappointments are entered up this Bank Holiday weekend.
Chesnut Annie could be seen at Lydstep on Monday, unless connections are sticking to the original plan of Aintree next week, whilst Cowboyboots and Southwestern are both in over 3m6f at Barbury on Saturday (the latter may yet re-route to Cherrybrook on the same day).
Most noticeable of all, however, is that beaten favourite Roulez Cool is a probable starter at Dingley on Easter Saturday – certainly it’s his only engagement of the day.
He’ll like Dingley – far fewer undulations than Cheltenham, with only two fences jumped on anything that could be construed as uneven ground. If he can’t make short work of what is just fair opposition, and collect a third pointing win from as many starts in so doing, there will be a lot of furrowed brows in the Waley-Cohen camp that evening.
Many of you might like Dingley, too. A former
bona fide
course (first used 1931) set in a river valley bottom, field sizes usually hold up due to the natural watering system and the entire course can be seen perfectly from the uphill slope of the valley which acts as the grandstand (think Bangor-on-Dee, only a far bigger slope!).
Betting markets are often strong, and trade stalls abound. The occasional TRFfer can be found in the beer tent, too.
Racing starts at 2pm, and the course can be found just off the A427, one mile east of Market Harborough. I’m often asked which is a good course for point-to-point newbies to try out first, and the answer is usually Dingley.
Other splendid pointing opportunities this weekend are, of course, available.
gc
Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
We’re hopefully running El Hombre Del Rio at Kingston St Mary IF its on but its peeing down again today and Wincanton (his other engagement already off for tomorrow). We are desperate to run and he would love the ground conditions – the wetter the better!
Fully Loaded took his tally to 6 for the season under Lucy in the Intermediate at Black Forest Lodge (where he won on his seasonal debut). He will possibly go to Cothlestone/Upcott Cross the w/e after this.
Our horse Inaro (ex JP McManus/Jonjo O’Neill) won the Ladies’ at High Easter last weekend. He had a bad case of colic over XMAS but now seems close to being back to his best. We have every respect for jockey Gina Andrews who had a very heavy fall in the maiden two races earlier but jumped straight back on and gave him a cracking ride.
Will be at Higham on Saturday, doing the reports for Weekender and H&H. Possibly small fields though despite probable good ground. Will be packed if sun gets out.
Having seen the forecast, Adrian, I fear that might be quite a big "if"!
I’m probably at Kimble that day, which again will be packed to the gunwhales if the forecast is wrong (and maybe still will be even if it isn’t).
Marks Tey on the Monday for me (rerouted from Hackwood Park for the first time in years!), which takes a deal of getting even on good going, so it’ll be an afternoon for brave horses. Bon Accord a possible runner if eschewing two other engagements on the Saturday – something to prove now after his relatively tame Warwick effort, I fancy.
gc
Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
Looks as if My Way de Solzen might be entered up for Tuesday’s meeting at Upton on Seven?
Indeed so, and that’s a course that’ll both test and suit him! Flat, galloping, takes some getting (very old riverside course on old turf), and pretty firm fences by pointing standards.
Last year’s centenary meeting at Upton was a bit of shocker, as firm ground decimated field sizes, but there is little danger of a repeat this time round, and if it’s nice and soft I can’t see there being any reason for connections to pull him out as they did at Kingston Blount and Siddington previously.
I’ve got the day off. Think a trip to Upton instead of Flagg might be in order!
gc
Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
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