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Viel Gluck is the "milk bottle" horse apparently Jeremy – which is a bit of a shame really as we’re in the same race as him at Cottenham and it doesn’t look like there’ll be a divide
Fingers crossed it goes ahead anyway – hoping there’s no snow in East Anglia and Cottenham goes ahead
Aye, I read that as well, Irish. Heh-heh, not to worry – we’ll just have to have a stonking place bet on yours as well as emptying the bottle for the win bet on Viel Gluck.
It’s just like the name of the gambling panda. Win Win.
(sorry).
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 like it anyway.You going to be there on Sunday (providing it’s on)?
Looks a good opening card in East Anglia and hope they get more from the other areas too – be good to get back into a muddy field and watching horses jump fences again
£5 reverse will be on the cards lol
I’m supposed to be working that day, Irish, but I will let you know if the weather intervenes and frees me up.
Would you believe I’m starting to give some serious thought to Wadebridge on the 12th now Alnwick’s bitten the dust (just the 640-mile round-trip, then), but common sense may yet intervene…
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 figured Cottenham might be a bit too local for you
Got the Cambridge buses down to a tee now – well Cottenham and the Horseheath/Haverhill one anyway.
Alnwick going is a blow but it appears the South West and South have missed most of the bad weather (I know we’ve yet to get snow in Brighton) so hopefully there’ll be some racing at Barbury before Christmas too
Wadebridge would be a long trip – certainly get to take in plenty of motorway service stations anyway
The Cottenham meeting lost last weekend is rescheduled for this Sunday, and should survive the weather at the second time of asking. They also race at Wadebridge in Cornwall this weekend, and the forecast is similarly upbeat.
If you haven’t already seen the entries for Wadebridge, it might interest you to learn that the Mens Open there has attracted
Takeroc
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Can’t be many former 161-rated, Elite Hurdle / Maghull Chase / Tingle Creek / Scottish Champion Hurdle placees to have found their way into Pointing, much less whilst still only rising eight, but he meets all the qualification criteria fair and square. Can’t help thinking the stamina issue alone (untried beyond 2m5f) could determine whether or not he will mop up in Points.
Kicks For Free and Cedrus Libani, mentioned previously, are entered at both fixtures as Angela and William Rucker hedge their bets going / weather-wise.
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.
Hope you’re right regarding Cottenham Jeremy
Be interesting to see how Takeroc gets on in the Open at Wadebridge, and can’t help but feel and uphill finish will be against him and will favour a few of his likely rivals (mainly Kicks For Free).
Interesting restricted at Cottenham too with Rapidolyte De Ladalka going – the form of his maiden has stood up well enough with the runner-up going in next time out and the yard have done well with Quotica De Poyans (entered in both Opens for anyone interested).
The ex-Tom George trained Tank Top is in the older maiden as is the ex-Ferdy Murphy trained Viel Gluck along with a couple of others who bring rules form to the table, a runner-up from BFL a couple of weekends ago and a few ex-Irish pointers.
Looking forward to what will hopefully be my first meeting of the season (weather permitting).
Hmm, so what did we learn from the weekend?
1) Cottenham thaws quicker than neighbouring Huntingdon, and Wadebridge quicker than both,
2) Kicks For Free has killer late tactical speed by Pointing horse standards if his rout in the Ladies at Cottenham is any guide, and he could make hay in sub-3m hunter chases this winter,
3) Takeroc possibly won’t ultimately prove able to stay 3m in Points, though it doesn’t sound like he gave his rider Harry Derham (nephew of Paul Nicholls) a right lot of assistance at Wadebridge by racing unkindly early on. Possibly worth another try under stronger handling.
4) Sericina took the Ladies at Wadebridge in grand fashion, and is very much back on the radar as a Foxhunter aspirant. Those trackside suggested Chloe Roddick is already showing more tactical nous in the saddle this year compared to last.
5) Cedrus Libani won’t be winning any more Ludlow hunter chases this winter if his attitude doesn’t improve again sharpish.
The dismal forecast might yet have the Barbury Racecourse exec cursing its decision to move the two-day PPORC fixture this side of Christmas this season, alas. What rotten luck they’re having with it. Mind, if it does defy the odds and go ahead, the following are entered up on both the Saturday and Sunday;
According To John, Horsham Lad, Jaunty Times, Minella Tipperary, Naunton Brook, Nenuphar Collonges, Preacher Boy, Takeroc, Teeton Bollinger, Turthen.
You might additionally see some of these on the Sunday;
Battlecry, Billyvoddan, Cappa Bleu, Chiaro, Gaelic Flight, Kicks For Free, Ring the Boss, Snakebite, Thisthatandtother.
Some very familiar names inamongst that lot – have to imagine Foxhunter qualification is on the minds of the connections of most of them.
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.
Agree with all those points Jeremy – the Mens at Cottenham became a bit of a non-event once Cedrus Libani was out of the race and Start Royal won very impressively against inferior rivals.
Good ride from Freddie Mitchell to win the opener on Stroom Bank and he looks a jockey going places – 2/2 as a fully fledged amateur now after his win a couple of weeks ago on Brabazon – in the same race Cuigny looks one to keep an eye on when returning to a stiffer track as he ran on with some purpose.
Viel Gluck was well backed in the Open Maiden but tipped up early on the second circuit before they had really started racing so will be worth another go IMO.
Yet to see Takeroc but it sounds like he really doesn’t stay 3m at all but he might be worth another go on faster ground on an easier track.
Do you think the Rucker’s might target Kicks For Free at the Foxhunters?
Martin
Pointing returns this weekend (touchwood) with both Lydstep (West Wales) and Cottenham (East Anglia) set to stage meetings.
The following are all engaged at Cottenham – Cork All Star, Cedrus Libani, Indian Print, Le Seychellois, Locksmith, Quotica De Poyans, Start Royal, The Hollow Bottom, Tumbling Dice, Big Moment, Kicks For Free and Tank Top amongst others.
Sounds promising on the weather front but doubt the ground will be as fast as at the last meeting where all of the 3m races were run in sub-6m times.
Also a very nice P2P preview section in this weeks RP Weekender – well worth purchasing.
Yes I’m looking forward to going to Cottenham on Sunday and will be reporting for Weekender afterwards. Glad the thaw has come in plenty of time – around 7 to 8 degrees today and fingers cross it doesn’t get cold again before the weekend.
CR, don’t forget that the promising Cappa Bleu was plying his trade around the East Anglian point to points before winning the Cheltenham Foxhunters in March and going under rules.
Pointing is a good place for the youngsters to start and the veterans to finish.
GC – suprised that Lee Gap Fair didn’t make your list
I have to disagree with pointing being a good place to start. Having been heavily pushed in that direction with a youngster it had its first start at Larkhill. With around 20 runners it survived 5 fallers at the 3rd only to be one of three fallers at the ninth. With that it continued riderless and disappeared for some length of time with another horse. Thankfully a very kind lady on the loudspeaker let us know it was on the road to Durrington and being followed by the Police. It did pitch up 2 hours later relatively unscathed. Think i’ll give that one a swerve!
CR, don’t forget that the promising Cappa Bleu was plying his trade around the East Anglian point to points before winning the Cheltenham Foxhunters in March and going under rules.
Pointing is a good place for the youngsters to start and the veterans to finish.
GC – suprised that Lee Gap Fair didn’t make your list
I have to disagree with pointing being a good place to start. Having been heavily pushed in that direction with a youngster it had its first start at Larkhill. With around 20 runners it survived 5 fallers at the 3rd only to be one of three fallers at the ninth. With that it continued riderless and disappeared for some length of time with another horse. Thankfully a very kind lady on the loudspeaker let us know it was on the road to Durrington and being followed by the Police. It did pitch up 2 hours later relatively unscathed. Think i’ll give that one a swerve!
You could not have picked a worse track to start a youngster than Larkhill. It is one of the most testing and wide open in the country. If they do get loose then there is the wide open spaces of the Wiltshire Downs for them to play in. Mind you two horses did gallop into the wood at the first Kingston Blount meeting last year. Oh the joys of pointing.
Do you think the Rucker’s might target Kicks For Free at the Foxhunters?
If you pushed me, I’d probably say no. Not the Cheltenham version, anyway – his rout at Cottenham three weeks ago suggested to me that he still possesses enough foot to be effective around the speedier tests Pointing and hunter chases can offer.
A nose defeat in the Coral Cup proved 2m5f around Prestbury Park was within compass, but 3m2.5f? Not sure. The Aintree equivalent may play more to his strengths, but even then not half as much as the Ladies Bowl over 2m7f at Stratford on Horse & Hound evening.
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.
Pointing returns this weekend (touchwood) with both Lydstep (West Wales) and Cottenham (East Anglia) set to stage meetings.
Lydstep now off, as the bad weather in West Wales has given the executive there inadequate time to prepare the racing surface to their satisfaction. My crazy plan to travel there on Sunday to see the imperious Chesnut Annie make her seasonal reappearance will have to wait a while, therefore, whilst an alternative date is sought.
Another name you might want to mention among the Cottenham entry is Massimo, unseen since hosing up in the 2008 Intermediate Final at Cheltenham. Here’s hoping the injuries suffered in victory are finally behind him.
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 have to disagree with pointing being a good place to start. Having been heavily pushed in that direction with a youngster it had its first start at Larkhill. With around 20 runners it survived 5 fallers at the 3rd only to be one of three fallers at the ninth. With that it continued riderless and disappeared for some length of time with another horse. Thankfully a very kind lady on the loudspeaker let us know it was on the road to Durrington and being followed by the Police. It did pitch up 2 hours later relatively unscathed. Think i’ll give that one a swerve!
You could not have picked a worse track to start a youngster than Larkhill. It is one of the most testing and wide open in the country. If they do get loose then there is the wide open spaces of the Wiltshire Downs for them to play in. Mind you two horses did gallop into the wood at the first Kingston Blount meeting last year. Oh the joys of pointing.
Sorry gents, but I’d have to argue to the contrary on all points above. Larkhill is a perfect venue to blood a youngster, and the propensity for loose ones to run off all over Salisbury Plain isn’t matched by the actuality of it happening, as the outriders around the course are mustard.
A big, wide, galloping expanse, its two long rows of fences afford the inexperienced horse greater opportunity to get into a rhythm jumping than, say, somewhere more on the turn such as North Carlton or Higham.
Indeed, Cottenham rightly garners lots of praise on this thread, but it boasts the fastest 2m4f (and probably 3m, too) in the country and the obstacles don’t half come at the competitors quickly. If I were the owner or trainer of an East Anglia Maiden pointer, I’d sooner take it to Marks Tey or Horseheath for its initial foray any day of the week.
Back to Larkhill, though, presumably at least some of the point of the exercise with your youngster, Obiwankenobi, was to see how good your animal actually was. Pitched in against the firepower from the likes of Richard Barber’s string, you’d have been unlikely to have got a better steer on what you’ve got than in an early-season Wessex Area Maiden.
Such races around Larkhill, Charlton Horethorne, Milborne St Andrew, etc. pre-Cheltenham invariably take a great deal of winning and metaphorically bat a long way down; and it’s probably no coincidence how many winners at the first-named’s Royal Artillery and United Services meetings in particular have gone on to carve out decent Rules careers in recent seasons.
It sounds as if that initial foray into Pointing was unfortunate, but nevertheless I wouldn’t be minded to steer away from repeating the exercise based on just that.
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.
Cork All Star won his come back race at Cottenham today in a way which suggested he will be a force to be reckoned with at this level. Starting at 5/4 he was ridden by Jack Quinlan and trained by his mother Joanna. Still owned by the Cillian Ryan, of Swordlestown Stud in Ireland, he took it up 2 out and won comfortably by 2 lengths and a distance from Forget the Ref and Honourable Spider He now goes for a Higham Open before tackling Hunter Chases.
Start Royal (4/9) was suprisingly brushed aside by Posh Dude who showed improved form, in cheek pieces, for Simon and Jack Sherwood. The latter – amateur rider for Venetia Williams – is one to keep on the right side.
The Ladies resulted in a bloodless victory for Kicks for Free (1/3) who will be kept to ladies points as the owners have Cappa Bleu coming back at Larkhill next weekend and then Hunter Chases.
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