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Did START ROYAL run at Barbury Castle over the weekend? I thought he was one of the best of the young horses last season and I know one of the Owners.
I know the horse was going to be entered.
He was 4th in the Mens Open Stodge when a 4/5 fav, Offshore Account won the race.
He seemed to travel well for a long way but IMO he’s better on the speed tracks like Cottenham and Higham – 2m 5f Hunter Chases etc. are likely to be his cup of tea later in the season though you’re right he was one of the better young horses last season.
Alan Hill took a stroll into the ring though don’t think he fancied the 4/5
Thank you, Irish. I must admit when I spoke to one of the Owners at Sandown I thought it was strange they were going to Barbury rather than Cottenham or Higham where he had done so well last year but they were anxious to get him started.
The plan is, as you say, hunter chasing in the New Year. I suggested somewhere like Ludlow or Taunton as a starting point – ground never too bad at either venue. They were also considering Leicester which would be fine in such a dry winter.
START ROYAL fell at Fakenham when tried over regulation fences and I don’t think they want to go back there. I suspect Barbury was a sighter just to see if he really got a stiff three miles.
I don’t know the end-season plan – Folkestone seems the obvious venue as I don’t think Towcester would play to his strengths.
There’s a 2 1/2m Hunter Chase at Cheltenham on HC night if I remember correctly or he might be suited to the Ladies Hunter Chase at Stratford at the end of May – possibly with the ever capable Gina Andrews.
Waiting for the re-appearance of Over The Phone too here which will hopefully be sooner rather than later
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.
Agreed on all counts. It’s nearly two years since my last visit to Whitfield, when the SMAC meeting used to take place in early February (first time I met Irish in the flesh, if memory serves!), but there definitely weren’t any extra-curricular activities for the kiddiewinks back then.
It’s probably a bit of a generalisation, but the early-season fixtures don’t tend to go a bundle on such facilities as the ratio of die-hards to families / fun-seekers / picnickers is very much tilted towards the former. Horseheath’s January meeting always has a small funfair, though, and Charing’s in the same month an inflatable of some description (ooer).
Oh and the added bonus of my self and GC I think.
We’re trying not to put these good people off coming, sir.
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.
There’s a 2 1/2m Hunter Chase at Cheltenham on HC night if I remember correctly
You do – it’s a 2m5f Open even which usually rounds off the meeting.
My first thought on reading this reply was that the Colin Nash Memorial on the same evening would be the race that owner Stewart Nash would most want to win with Start Royal.
However, that event is a Confined hunter chase open only to horses that hunt with a specific list of packs within a certain radius of Cheltenham, and as a gelding qualified via the Kimblewick hunt Start Royal is not eligible to run.
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 suspect Barbury was a sighter just to see if he really got a stiff three miles.
Strictly speaking they know already that he can get a tough three miles, as he did just that when winning the Bicester with Whaddon Chase Mens Open at Whitfield last March.
Although Whitfield is only a seven-fence circuit and has a couple of tight-ish bends, it takes some getting under any conditions (it was good to firm when he won) and there is a pronounced uphill section part-way up the straight which sees plenty of animals capitulate quickly.
I suppose one just has to take a view on what he beat when making all on that occasion. It wasn’t a massively deep field, but the second home, Up There, is a pretty reliable yardstick and has place finishes at "Classic" level to his name. As such, it wasn’t by any means as soppy a race as the two he picked up at Kingston Blount subsequently.
As for Sunday just gone, note that whilst Barbury is definitely a galloping track (think of a slightly smaller Hexham, both in terms of topography and outstanding scenery), it took less getting on day two of this meeting than day one. That was due to further drying conditions overnight and all the fences being moved 1.5 metres in.
Start Royal did weaken out of things before the turn back into the straight, but after that Whitfield victory I’m a little reluctant to attribute that entirely to stamina around a non-speedy, sweeping course.
Instead, the notes I took during the race suggest he was never able to get more than 2.5l clear of Mrs O’Malley over the first circuit, and was indeed joined by her over several fences down the back straight the first time – I think the efforts expended in trying to secure the uncontested lead he prefers played their part later on.
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.
Aw, that’s very kind of you sir, thanks! Two weeks in and loving it – enough to embark on a trip from Yorkshire to the North Cornwall meeting at Wadebridge this weekend, indeed. Whitfield and Cottenham both on the menu before year’s end also!
PS:- Do you recommend any PtP’s within reasonable distance of Watford that would be worth visiting over the season?
Hmmm, let’s see. Watford’s Hertfordshire, isn’t it? The only Pointing venue in that county is Northaw (near Potters Bar), which race once a year on the early May Bank Holiday Monday (so May 7th in 2012);
http://www.pointtopoint.co.uk/go/courses/northaw.html
Along with Fakenham PTP it’s the only East Anglia Area venue I’ve never been to, but I may be putting that right this term given my usual haunt of Hackwood Park isn’t in action on that racedate anymore. Northaw concludes the East Anglia season so usually has plenty of local title issues resting on it, and there is a sizeable and boisterous crowd with many boot picnics and the like.
From where you are, however, you may be as well-placed to pootle up the A41 and turn off to either Kimble or Kingston Blount, which sit either side of the Bucks / Oxon border despite being very close to each other.
Kimble is currently used only once a year as well at present, but is another "holiday" venue, being operative on Easter Saturday. This is one of the oldest venues still in use (2012 marks its centenary), offers superb viewing from a natural grandstand, and is one of only two Pointing courses I know of (along with Tweseldown) still to posses a water jump. As with Northaw, the crowd will be sizeable.
http://www.pointtopoint.co.uk/go/courses/kimble.html
Neighbouring Kingston Blount is tended to by Alan Hill, Pointing trainer and husband of Lawney Hill. No prizes for guessing which yard does well here! This course is used four times during the second half of the season, where the watering system comes into its own to ensure a good, safe racing surface long after many venues are no longer able to.
http://www.pointtopoint.co.uk/go/courses/kingston_blount.html
Viewing again is very acceptable, and the venison burgers are superb! 2012 fixtures are confirmed for Saturday March 10th, Saturday April 21st, Saturday May 12th and Sunday June 3rd.
If you don’t want to wait that long for some Pointing action, and don’t mind a quick spin down the M25, you could always try Godstone.
http://www.pointtopoint.co.uk/go/courses/godstone.html
The course is right up close to junction 6 of the orbital, but still feels surprisingly rural despite that, and along with Charing probably offers the most consistently competitive fare of the South East Area tracks.
You need to pick your spot for viewing, as the course’s trees and pronounced undulations get in the way a bit, but it’s a good place to spend an afternoon. I can already give you 1.01 about TRFfers Irish Stamp and Bbobell being there for the opening meeting on Sunday February 12th! They also race there on Sunday March 11th and Saturday March 31st.
I could go on a bit more and cast the net slightly wider (to bring in Tweseldown, Hackwood Park, Penshurst and the truly barking Peper Harow), but that’ll probably do for now. Happy to answer any further questions!
Cheers,
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, thanks for the update, good to hear Khach didn’t disgrace himself. Hopefully Gidam Gidam will pick up a race or 2.
I can bring you an update on both of these, VtC, as they each contested an Open at the South Midlands Area Club fixture at Whitfield on Sunday just gone.
Khachaturian got into a big fight for the lead in the Mens Open with Tumbling Dice, one which given the tough nature of this outstanding young racetrack (opened in 2009 and with input from Cheltenham in regard of its course husbandry) and the tacky conditions reduced both horses to water with about half a mile to travel. Von Origny and Shouldhavehadthat swept past them with two to jump, and ultimately finished in that order.
There is a point to be won with Khachaturian, unquestionably – the rump of his ability remains intact. He’s just going to need a speedier track than Whitfield if he’s going to get it, and preferably also an uncontested time of it up front. Such tracks thankfully do exist in plentiful enough number – he’d bloody love somewhere like Higham, I reckon.
Gidam Gidam, meanwhile, vied for favouritism in the Ladies Open with Palypso De Creek, but a combination of getting outpaced and rider Heather Kemp’s wellbeing scuppered his chance this time.
For wellbeing, read the following: Mrs Kemp got badly decked at Barbury as mentioned in another post on this thread, and was having her first run back since then at Whitfield. She returned distressed and ill after the ride, and the assumption has to be that this was perhaps just too quick a return to the saddle.
As such, it will either be a good few weeks before Gidam Gidam tries again, or else somebody will deputise once more.
Interestingly, Mrs Kemp’s substitute at Barbury was Claire Hart, who had been given Palypso De Creek for a year by Charlie Longsdon and Alan Halsall to see if she could work on his confidence after two heavy falls last year. An impressive victory under Miss Hart at Whitfield suggests the battle is being well and truly won. The partnership will appear at Cheltenham at some stage this season, be that in the Foxhunter or the AGA Ladies Final.
HTH,
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.
Thanks again GC, good to hear they’re still going strong. Khach sounds as if he was running with my money on him.
Look who’s pointing? Not Richard Burton any longer, it appears! The all-time winningmost British rider announced his retirement just before Christmas:
http://www.pointtopoint.co.uk/go/news/burton_retires.html
The immediate upshot of his decision is that Tom David has got the leg-up on the best of Sheila Crow’s inmates in his stead. My Flora would, of course, be the best of these, and the mare duly made an imperious return under David at Chaddesley Corbett yesterday afternoon.
Major rivals in Rosies Peacock and Over The Phone were well and truly put in their place, and Alastair Crow’s assertion afterwards that "this is the Foxhunter winner you’re looking at" may not be at all far-fetched.
I’d love to see them send her to Horseheath next, as that’s such a credible test of whether a horse can jump big fences uphill and downhill successfully (see Cappa Bleu, Mid Div And Creep, etc.), but I think the Walrus at Haydock may be next on the agenda instead. Either way, she remains a serious racehorse until expressly giving anyone reason to think otherwise.
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.
Wonder if connections have been reading this thread – Gidam Gidam does indeed go for the 3m5f Ladies Open at Dunthrop this coming weekend!
This will be the last meeting at Dunthrop before the land is reclaimed by agricultural and farming mores, thus ending 28 years’ racing at the venue that replaced the much-loved Fox Farm back in 1983. A new line close to Bibury has already been plotted, I believe, though no news yet on whether it will definitely be ready for use by 2013.
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,
I wonder if you Chapoturgeon’s win at Newbury today.
If so and with your insight into pointing do you think he will get the 3m 2f of the Foxhunters (I have started a thread on Cheltenham 2012).
He was very impressive today.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts
I wonder if you Chapoturgeon’s win at Newbury today.
If so and with your insight into pointing do you think he will get the 3m 2f of the Foxhunters (I have started a thread on Cheltenham 2012).
Very much have my doubts, as I can’t imagine it will be anything other than another strongly run renewal. Chances are it’s going to be run to feel like a bit more than the 4.5f longer trip than it actually is.
I was hoping to see evidence of Chapoturgeon’s current effectiveness over a competitive 3m on Saturday, as he was one of 15 initial entries for the Pointing season’s second "classic", the Coronation Cup at Larkhill. Cloudy Lane, Jayne’s Crusader, Ringaroses and Tricky Tangler were among the other acceptors.
However, I’m going to have to wait a bit longer, as Larkhill took the decision this lunchtime to abandon – the venue is already frost-bound and isn’t going to thaw out any time soon.
Further details: http://www.pointtopoint.co.uk/go/news/l … feb02.html
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.
Hi GC
Thanks for your thoughts.
Do you know why there does not seem as many hunter chases at regular race tracks this year than normal.
I always enjoy watching the hunters but there does not seem as many.
Hi No Idea,
Ta for your reply. I’m not sure entirely what you’re basing the impression on of fewer hunters, if I’m honest. The hunter chase season has just had its earliest start ever, including the first January races since 1994, so what you’ve seen since January 17th has actually been the busiest corresponding period for hunters for many a long year.
The total of hunter chases has additionally remained remarkably stable over the last few years (at around 110 give or take a couple), probably helped in no small part – not that it seemed a help at the time – by courses being able to relegate hunters to the seventh race on the card and thereby outside of the jackpot races.
It’s my bounden belief that were an edict passed to limit all fixtures to six races, the number of hunters retained on the calendar would shrink to penny numbers in double-quick time, owing to pressure from bookies firms and the like (the usual hogwash of them being unappealing, impenetrable betting media being the driver behind that trend). As it is, though, even really poorly numerically supported hunters seem to be being left alone in that regard, at least, as they do relatively little "harm" as race seven (or eight, if applicable).
That’s not to say I don’t still rejoice when a hunter appears in the jackpot, as Wincanton’s ill-starred example would have done yesterday.
I didn’t quite get what was meant by "regular" racetracks specifically, but if you mean some of the higher grade venues I can confirm that Newbury, Kempton, Cheltenham, Aintree, Sandown and the like all have as many hunters this year as they have for quite some time. Ascot’s shrunk in number with the cessation of those April and May evening meetings, but there has been no further diminuition of the numbers most recently.
And of course the Folkestone all-hunter evening still survives. It’s not so much inked into my timetable of things to do this year as lazered in.
Cheers for now,
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.
With the falling of the final pocket of resistance, Black Forest Lodge, to a failed 4pm inspection this afternoon, I can confirm that it’s a blank weekend for Pointing now.
If you were thinking of going to BFL, Witton Castle, Horseheath or Tweseldown tomorrow, don’t.
You’ll see nothing.
Nothing horse-shaped, anyway.
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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