- This topic has 377 replies, 43 voices, and was last updated 9 years, 7 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
He hasn’t, CR – the two British Point-to-Point runs alluded to in Oneway’s form profile on the
Post
archive date back to 2002. They comprised a fall at halfway at Barbury Racecourse (next to Alan King’s place) and a promising third set an impossible task under Mark Rimell at Siddington, both in Open Maiden company.
Now, as then, Rimell would presumably be permitted to hunt Oneway as often as he chooses with the Heythrop. Coming as it does after Derby Day, however, Friday’s win has barred the gelding from contesting any actual points or hunter chases in the coming season.
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.
…and mention above of the name "Rimell" seems enough of a seamless, Radio 2-style link to mention that none other than
Simon
, still in the ownership of Mercy Rimell, has already racked up the number of days’ worth of hunting (and has been certificated to that effect) to run in point-to-points this season.
…A season which starts, incidentally, this coming Sunday. Can’t wait.
Simon’s not won a race of any description since the Racing Post Chase in 2007, but that’s long enough ago now to meet the relevant eligibility criterion on such matters. He is 1-1 between the flags, having scored on debut at Ballysteen back in April 2004.
Not the biggest horse ever created (putting it mildly), I think he might just enjoy himself over the smaller obstacles of points, assuming his enthusiasm has been rekindled since his last blowout under Rules just under a year ago.
Roulez Cool, too, is already qualified for this winter’s campaign. It wouldn’t constitute much of a shock to see him turning out at either Barbury or Chaddesley Corbett before the end of the year. Watch this space…
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.
UPDATE: just been advised that Simon is entered in the Mixed Open at the season’s curtain-raiser at Black Forest Lodge this weekend. Out even sooner than I thought! Le Duc, Nenuphar Collonges, Southwestern and the up-and-coming youngster Bishy Barnaby could oppose.
Last season’s winningmost horse, Fully Loaded (mentioned copiously above, and with good reason), is set to try to take the Novice Riders’ race for the second year running, albeit under Emma Pugsley as opposed to sister Lucy this time.
First race (of nine all told!) now programmed for 11am. Nice course if you can get there – dead easy to find off the M5, and viewing from the natural grandstand is not at all bad. Enjoy!
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.
The horse i have shares is entered for his P2P debut in the Open Maiden (Division 3) – the last race on the card.
Not looked at what else we’d be up against in detail but he’s a possible runner though if not it’ll be on to Cottenham a week later for a similar event.
Good luck to anyone going and hopefully Fully Loaded comes back as good as ever.
Martin
Bob’s planned first outing is at Detling in January, one of the nicest but coldest race tracks in the country and then on to Horseheath and then Charing, all three tracks I missed due to bad weather last year and man flu at easter.
Aldington on Easter Monday is a really good day out. The setting is really picturesque and if the ground is decent, then the sport is good. A very good hound parade and excellent grub. It comes with my recommendation as does Kingston Blount, Kimble, Dalston, Dingley and my local track the extremely dotty day out that is the lovely Northaw between Potters Bar and Waltham Cross. You would not believe that the M25 was just over the next hill or that the built up area of Greater London was only 5 miles away. First May bank holiday monday is its date. See you all there.
Hey how about a Northaw TRF meet up or any other point in the South East that i can get to, Charing Sunday fixture for instance?
UPDATE: just been advised that Simon is entered in the Mixed Open at the season’s curtain-raiser at Black Forest Lodge this weekend. Out even sooner than I thought! Le Duc, Nenuphar Collonges, Southwestern and the up-and-coming youngster Bishy Barnaby could oppose.
Last season’s winningmost horse, Fully Loaded (mentioned copiously above, and with good reason), is set to try to take the Novice Riders’ race for the second year running, albeit under Emma Pugsley as opposed to sister Lucy this time.
First race (of nine all told!) now programmed for 11am. Nice course if you can get there – dead easy to find off the M5, and viewing from the natural grandstand is not at all bad. Enjoy!
gc
Thanks for the update – good to know about Simon, but I hadn’t realised Nenuphar Collonges as going pointing. At one point he looked like he should be a pretty decent sort but it all went wrong somewhere. Hope he has more luck in his new career.
Sounds good Bob – think I’ll be giving Northaw a miss as it’s on a bank holiday normally IIRC.
First trip is Cottenham a week Sunday followed by a return trip to Cottenham at the start of the New Year. The rest is pretty much dependant on where Aim will be running but I’m hoping to take in Whitfield again and get to as many of the East Anglia meetings as possible
Thanks for the update – good to know about Simon, but I hadn’t realised Nenuphar Collonges as going pointing. At one point he looked like he should be a pretty decent sort but it all went wrong somewhere. Hope he has more luck in his new career.
He’ll certainly be campaigned as a "proper" Pointer / hunter chaser with championship aspirations, rather than as a fun hack – the Hodges forked out £40,000 for him, which is very big money indeed for this sphere.
They’ve also got Preacher Boy in the novice riders’ race, almost four years to the day since he finished third in the Hennessy. The class horse in the race if enough of the old ability remains, for all that’s something of an "if" nowadays. Suspect Fully Loaded will be best placed to mop up if he blows out completely.
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.
Hey how about a Northaw TRF meet up or any other point in the South East that i can get to, Charing Sunday fixture for instance?
Less likely this season than last, alas, having moved back up to Yorkshire in the interim. I still anticipate getting sent to work some of the Midlands and East Anglia Area fixtures in 2011, but which ones I simply don’t know at this remove. I’m sure we’ll contrive another meet-up somehow!
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.
First trip is Cottenham a week Sunday followed by a return trip to Cottenham at the start of the New Year. The rest is pretty much dependant on where Aim will be running but I’m hoping to take in Whitfield again and get to as many of the East Anglia meetings as possible
Someone loves Cottenham…
Nowt against the place myself, of course, but given the choice, a course I’ve never been to before always wins out. Hence the mammoth journey to Lydstep instead on January 2nd!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.
I love Cottenham – not sure why but it has a nice grandstand, is a flat enough track and I seem to see plenty of people I know which always helps
Suffers a touch of the "Cheltenham’s" though according to the annual there seemed to have been plenty of races with dolled off fences due to low sun in recent years.
I love Cottenham – not sure why but it has a nice grandstand, is a flat enough track and I seem to see plenty of people I know which always helps
Suffers a touch of the "Cheltenham’s" though according to the annual there seemed to have been plenty of races with dolled off fences due to low sun in recent years.
My only visit last season was that fun day in February when the fog came down before the first and we had James Crisp on the walkie talkie relaying the back straight to Steve payne in the Grandstand to give us a commentary. Great fun and well done for the effort,
Yeah, that was a rare old afternoon wasn’t it, Bbob! Nothing they don’t have to put up with more frequently around Stafford Cross, though, I’m told, or at Nedge back in the day.
James and Steve played a blinder commentating in nigh-on impossible circumstances, and I don’t think it was much fun for the duty race-reader (can’t remember who it was, but possibly Scott), either. Very good day for thee and me to be there nothing more than socially!
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.
Incredibly cold days racing but they did well to race there.
Fully Loaded duly obliged under Emma P – he is an incredible horse – one in a million and very special to be involved with!
Preacher Boy’s pilot lost his irons early on so was pulled up.Simon looked very uninterested. He pulled hard on the way to post and then sulked his way round the back. Sad to see.
Le Duc should have won the Open perhaps if Jack Barber had not been outridden by a quick thinking lady rider who sent her horse clear. JB seemed to think he was Jamie Spencer and consequently the winner had flown.
A good first day back though even if it wasn’t the warmest!
That was Sally Randell on Le Duc’s conqueror Surenaga, wasn’t it? Confidence certainly breeds confidence, and her winning rides under Rules have certainly done no harm at all.
The meeting at Cottenham this Sunday has attracted 117 takers (full list of entries already available to Point-to-Point Racing Company website subscribers, of course), which is fewer than I’d have expected but quite possibly owes something to pessimism over the meeting going ahead (and for everyone with horses fit to race actually being able to get there safely if it does).
Cedrus Libani versus Quotica De Poyans versus Start Royal in the Mens Open could be a hell of a race if it comes to pass, though, and Tumbling Dice, Ruairi and Locksmith wouldn’t be turning out in the same race just for a giggle, either.
Doubt Alan Hill will have Viel Gluck anything other than 110% spot on for the 6yo&up Maiden at a meeting he loves.
And ooh, and is that Kicks For Free entered in the Ladies? I think it might just be…
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.
and if Alnwick always stands a fair chance of surviving the cold by virtue of its proximity to the Northumberland coast, then it just seems barking to me not to try to utilise them pre-Christmas.
…except, of course, that this cold snap is so severe that Alnwick have been forced to cancel outright their Ratcheugh Club fixture scheduled for December 12th today, nearly a whole fortnight in advance.
I’m never actually going to get to this venue, am I! Arsington Sodmonster.
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.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.