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Yes they do – get the cert signed by the Master of the Hunt and then register with the appropriate authorities and you’re away
They do indeed, Nighthorse. I don’t yet know what the minimum number of days’ hunting required to gain the Hunter Certificate is set to this season, but on the evidence of recent years I wouldn’t have thought it would be any less than four.
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.
Yes they do – get the cert signed by the Master of the Hunt and then register with the appropriate authorities and you’re away
Yes, Irish Stamp, I should think you would be away!
Very far away in front of the field, just behind hounds! 
A superfit racehorse which has been trained to run and jump and get to the front, in a new and very exciting situation?! The mind boggles! There must be some sights to see in the field!
Not many well-known names turned out at either of the new Pointing season’s first two meetings – at Black Forest Lodge and Cottenham – yesterday, unless one counts ex-McCain inmate Khachaturian and the legendarily hard-to-pronounce Googoobarabajagal!
The two-day PPORC meeting at Barbury Racecourse (next door to Alan King) this coming weekend has attracted all of these at the initial entry stage, though:
Chaptoturgeon
Gidam Gidam
Kicks For Free
Master Medic
Nevada Royale
New Little Bric
Palypso De Creek
Start RoyalFingers crossed first and foremost that the meeting actually manages to defy the elements, though, something which is has failed to do on each of the last two occasions.
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 Khachaturian ran well, a real old fave of mine. It’s only a year since I really fancied him for Aintree.
Hopefully another old fave, Gidam Gidam, will put up a good show when he appears.
Khachaturian fared pretty well, VtC, albeit outpaced a touch around a reasonably speedy track in Black Forest Lodge (notwithstanding its undulations).
The winner of his race, Divine Intavention, has now won two from three in Open company, and the defeat was hardly shabby – a close second to Gone To Lunch in last season’s second "classic", the Coronation Cup at Larkhill.
Gidam Gidam is the sort of animal who is going to have to be placed well to find the grimmest of stamina tests Pointing can offer. Barbury’s rolling contours can take some getting, particularly when the ground is too tacky and holding either to rattle along or slosh through, but when all is said and done it’s still just a 3m race he’s entered in this weekend.
If his new connections have leafed through his Rules form, I’d be amazed if his early-season target isn’t the first "classic", the Lord Ashton of Hyde, over 4m at Dunthrop in late January.
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.
Hoping Chapoturgeon turns up on Sunday at Barbury if I go Jeremy – working out what to oppose him with is the main question
Rain in Wiltshire and Swindon is greatly appreciated this week so that Aim For The Stars can make his seasonal return too
Five-day forecasts suggest that part of the world should get a drenching tomorrow and Thursday, Martin, which can only be welcome given the quick-drying, chalk-based surface there.
Of course, it has my permission to stay snuff-dry during the actual races, natch.
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.
Gidam Gidam? Have been meaning to ask about him, not having heard anything since he ran [pulled up?] in the Scottish National [?? memory loss; old age…]. Spring cleaning at the moment[don’t ask] and was looking at some old photo’s of when the East Midlands Racing Club went to see John Mackie many moons ago, in the Wigtown Bay era [just by the Salt Box Cafe which I was also thinking about the other day with Fisher mentioning Etwall…].
GC, thanks for the update, good to hear Khach didn’t disgrace himself. Hopefully Gidam Gidam will pick up a race or 2.
Work permitting, I’ll make it to Overton Farm this year, and see a couple of old faves myself.
Irish Stamp…..I see you like Wise Old Owl as a possible Aintree horse this season, just so you know, I’ve stuck him on to the GN list on Betfair. I’ll be wasting a couple of pound on him myself, so thought I’d better add him.
Cheers VTC – Not sure if they’re aiming him at the race but they think he has plenty in hand on his current rating when tackling decent trips.
Kicks For Free won at Barbury Castle yesterday in the Ladies Open
Gidam Gidam had his first start since the Scottish National of 2010 when 3rd in the Mens equivalent.
Race 1 – Won by ex-rules horse Mount Benger under a cracking ride from his Novice pilot. Third was New Little Bric who ran with some success under rules over here and in France.
Race 2 – ex-Nicky Henderson mare Kahlua Cove (half to Amaretto Rose) won Div 1 of this Mares Maiden, she looks like she’s able to score in a Restricted in time.
Race 3 – Pretty Penny who was tailed off in three rules runs for Martin Keighley earlier this year took the 2nd division of the Mares Maiden.
Race 4 – Offshore Account won the Mens Open on this tough staying track.
Race 5 – The Richard Barber trained Toby Lerone (half to Mr Warbucks) won this for Niche Market’s owner. He did well for a 4yo on his racecourse debut and was running on strongly at the finish to suggest he has a decent future under rules as a staying chaser in time. The horse I part own ran in this but was Pulled Up approcahing 6 out, the vet is down at the yard today so we’ll try and find out what the exact problem is.
Race 6 – Won by the ex-Edward Stanners trained What A Laugh for Gary Hanmer and Josh Hamer. He was my nap of the meeting and was last seen when pulled-up behind Oneeightofamile at the Punchestown Festival. His best effort was when runner-up in a Limerick Maiden Hurdle in March whilst he was runner-up in a Dromahane Maiden in May 2010.
Martin
I’ll comment on the Barbury results and this weekend’s entries in more detail later on, but for now I thought some of you might like to know that
Racing Demon
has been entered for his first Pointing start at Wadebridge this Sunday.
Interesting to see how he fares around this trappy left-hand course given he often seemed happier to me going clockwise. And this is before the fact the dual Stratford Foxhunters winner Southwestern is set to oppose is taken into consideration.
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 can flesh out the entries at this Sunday’s three meetings a little more now. I’m going to be at the Cornwall Hunt Club meeting at Wadebridge (you know, what with it being right close to my Yorkshire home and that
), and the chances are these will be turning out;Ballydub
Border Castle
Nevada Royale
Racing Demon
Sericina
SouthwesternAll bar Sericina hold entries in the Mens Open. Sericina started out last season’s campaign geared towards the Cheltenham Foxhunter in the Ladies Open at this fixture, and is likely to do so again. The same race offers Nevada Royale an alternative to the Mens.
Fewer big names are entered up for the Hursley Hambledon meeting at the old military course at Tweseldown, Hampshire, though I’m sure the former Sir Alex Ferguson-owned Cut The Lugsreilly has the class to win a Maiden unless he’s totally gone at the game. He’s entered in one of two such races on the card here. Sagalyrique, Terramarique and Divine Intavention are among the better animals entered in the Opens.
Quite a few old favourites of both the Northern Rules and Pointing scenes number among the 105-strong entry for the Ratcheugh Racing Club fixture at Alnwick, Northumberland, and the course’s proximity to the coast should ensure frost won’t claim it barring a descent to the sort of exceptional temperatures we had this time last year. Familiar names include:
Catch The Perk
Edmo Yewkay
Harmony Brig
Leac An Scail
New AlcoNo massive stars of yesteryear there, for sure, but they’ll be waiting in the wings, alright – it’s impossible to imagine the likes of the Greenalls won’t have a battery of classy types ready to unwrap in the Northern and Yorkshire Areas in the coming weeks.
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.
Hopefully Gidam Gidam will pick up a race or 2.
He was last of three finishers on the day in his race, but he wasn’t beaten at all far and acquitted himself very well considering insufficient about the test suited him.
As is usually the case at this Barbury two-day meeting, they moved the fences further in on day two, and the ground had also gone one increment quicker to good, good to firm in places since day one.
Thus, whilst Barbury will never be a short-running speedballs’ course (it’s actually quite reminiscent of Hexham in its (galloping) nature, topography and dramatic location), it was nevertheless taking a bit less getting on day two than day one. No use to an out-and-out stayer such as Gidam Gidam, that.
He also had a late substitute rider in Claire Hart, who is certainly extremely competent (as those who sided with her for winning rides on the indefatigable Lady Myfanway last term will attest to) but will likely not have sat on him previously. Since acquisition out of John Mackie’s yard, Gidam Gidam would have been hunted and schooled by owner / trainer / rider Heather Kemp (badly shaken in a fall on day one) and quite possibly nobody else.
Claire did perfectly fine in the circumstances, and she’ll definitely pick up her share of victories on mounts for Simon Hart, Myfanwy Miles and others this term. Her partner, however, couldn’t help but be outpaced, and were he mine the thought of running him in sub-3m4f Points would never have entered my calculations at all.
As such, the logical next race for him would be the 3m5f Ladies Open on Lord Ashton of Hyde day at Dunthrop in late January. 4m-plus events, such as the Grimthorpe at Whitwell-on-the-Hill or the Crudwell Cup at Cold Harbour, would rate sensible longer-term targets.
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.
GC,
Wish you all the best in your new role at the Weekender.
PS:- Do you recommend any PtP’s within reasonable distance of Watford that would be worth visiting over the season?
Noting that I have two young children (4 & 2) also.
Cheers
Sean (As confirmed on the Des Scahill thread)Aces Or Better likely to go well in the Tweseldown Open too if it develops into a test of stamina – was top 4 in 10 of 11 starts in Open’s last season so providing his new connections are as good as Graham McKeever he should go well and he stays 3m 4f so a stiff finish will help.
If you don’t mind a trip to Brackley then I can fully recommend Whitfield a week on Sunday – quite whether it’ll have much for the kids at this meeting is another matter but it’s normally a well supported meeting with plenty of good competitive races.
Oh and the added bonus of my self and GC I think.
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