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hi all
im a regular punter and go to a few local races but ive been invited to a point to point , which i know NOTHING about
is there any tips on anyhting i should look for ? or what sort of information is on hand to help me . seems bloody unpredictable to me help please ! thanks liam
GC (Jezza) is the expert here, but he doesn’t seem to have posted anything for a month. Don’t know why.
Which point are you going to? The entries should be in yesterdays Weekender in the middle section.
The racecards have comments underneath each horse at most meetings. You will need a pen as horses get declared 45 minutes before each race and you will have to mark them off.
The bookies are usually right!
Have a look at the skin condition of each horse in the paddock – if his coat is shiny with nice dapples on the horse’s rear muscles then its pretty likely hes in good form. Also take a look at the horses feet – I am a big believer in small feet = fast ground whereas big feet = soft ground. Its not a hard and fast rule but it can help!
When the jockeys are mounted look to see which look competent and which don’t – some of the decent pilots stand out and equally there are some pretty moderate ones.
Not sure where you’re based but if it’s Guilsborough you’re off to I’ll be there.
http://www.pointtopoint.co.uk is the best site for the runners, though to non-members they’ll only be available on Friday or Saturday evening.
Check out the site aboves "Top Performers" tab – it will list the leading jockeys (currently John Mathias for men who rides in the Wales area normally and Gina Andrews for the women, she rides in East Anglia and the Midlands mostly).
Look up the Hunter Chase form of the entrants if you can – if you know nothing about horses or about the form I’d just go with the guide at the bottom, there’ll be a one or two line piece about the horse, its record, ground preferences and good and bad performances – generally I ignore the rating as it seems to be some kind of random number generator they use to come up with it.
Martin
Let us know where you’ll be and I’m sure the PtP experts on here (GC, IS etc) will come up with a few selections.
I’ll be at Fakenham on Sunday. First timers there may be suprised that they don’t use the established fences there – using smaller portable fences on the hurdle course instead.
As others have said the racecard will give you a heads up. Some areas – like East Anglia (http://www.pointingea.com) – have their own websites and offer free formguides and tips.
By this stage of the season the form is pretty established and the betting will give you a fair idea although there are often bigger priced winners in the maiden.
As a rule of thumb you’ll get 6 or 7 chases all over 3 miles. The first will usually be a club members race – often with good horses but inexperienced riders. You’ll definitely get a Men’s Open and a Ladies Open – with the best horses – and a Maiden (sometimes one for younger horses and one for older horses). A restricted is usually for horses which have won their maidens but haven’t won an Open or rules race.
Can’t speak for other areas but in East Anglia you pay a set amount (10 quid for us) which includes access to all areas. Sometimes you pay a bit extra for car parking. There are no dress restrictions – where what you want but be aware that you may not have access to any shelter other than the beer tent!
hi , yes im going to guilsbrough so any guilsbrough specialists spill the beans
. but thanks for your advice been realy helpful , some realy good tips there defo feel better about what to do now
better get on doing some reserch haha
apreciated liamThe horse I part own runs in the first division of the Maiden, just need to find a jockey as our first two choices have other commitments (one at Barbury and the other is already committed to Anamcqueen in the race). I expect we’ll (Aim For The Stars) will be odds-on after his FTO 2nd to Stress at Cottenham in December in a very very fast time but he’s coming back off an injury to his hoof so just looking forward to seeing him back on the track.
The opening Hunt Members is a good race in which Dermotologiste should go well, though IMO will likely be a short enough price – he’s done really well this season since breaking his Maiden at the start of January though all his form is on soft/heavy ground.
The second race the Confined features a number of highly useful performers including the Waley-Cohens ex-Irish horse Ashtown Boy, he was beaten by a horse I believe will be a 125-130ish rules performer in time in the shape of Over The Phone (dual HC winner since and an Intermediate winner at Whitfield) at Chaddesley Corbett and was then odds-on for a Restricted at Whitfield, it was disappointing to see him lose out that day but on better ground I think he’ll take all the beating if he turns up here. Galway Jack is another highly regarded horse and he’s trained by COC Gerald Bailey (husband of rules trainer Caroline) though also holds an entry in a Hunter Chase at Towcester on Tuesday, my feeling is that he’s a bit of a short runner at 3m so the track should at least suit him being flat enough.
Only other race I’ve looked at thus far is the second division of the Maiden – the final race on the card and Lady Barrack will take some stopping IMO if bouncing back from a poor run LTO IIRC, prior to that she’d been second to the Bealby’s Legendary Hop at Garthorpe and will get a mares allowance, not one to take a short price about though with 7 P2P starts and 3 over hurdles in Ireland to her name with just the one second to show for it.
Took in Marks Tey for the first time last Saturday Adrian – lovely course in the weather and the first time I’ve seen a pony race won by a distance too, Finnish Melody looked good under Gina in the Intermediate, looked like she’d be competitive in EA Ladies Opens against KDB, Champtho etc.
Martin
You’ve chosen a good meeting – I always enjoy Guilsborough.
As you probably know it starts with a hunt members at 1.30, followed by a Confined race (with huge entry of 27). The Ladies Open has some top horses entered including Double Mead (unbeaten in 3 this year) and Kicks For Free (a superbly consistent mount for his owner Angela Rucker). The Men’s Open is a little disappointing but watch out for the talented, if enigmatic, Cedrus Libani. There is a decent field for he restricted before the Maiden races which have already been split – the 2nd division going off at 5pm.
Keep an eye on horses owned by Joan Tice and Judy Wilson – usually competitive there.
You’ve chosen a good meeting – I always enjoy Guilsborough.
You certainly have – a real favourite of mine, with two long straights, a basically flat topography and a couple of left-hand bends which don’t usually ride a sharp as one would think they might.
In essence, it reminds me of Haydock but without the calamitous ground issues. And it’s way prettier.
The Men’s Open is a little disappointing but watch out for the talented, if enigmatic, Cedrus Libani.
…
Keep an eye on horses owned by… Judy Wilson – usually competitive there.
Not half they aren’t. A win for Coolefind, owned by Judy Wilson, in the Mens Open would follow up scores in 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2010. At any level of racing, that’d rate a superb achievement.
Cedrus Libani can’t be trusted at present, so Coolefind’s main rival ought to be Denvale, winner of the race in 2009 and second in 2008 and 2010. However, an interview with owner-rider Richard Hunnisett today suggests Denvale is being kept for the Quorn Gold Cup at Garthorpe instead, so the way may be entirely clear for Coolefind to record another, and very popular, victory.
I’d also suggest keeping an eye on whatever Patrick Hutchinson intends to race during the course of the afternoon, as both he the trainer and daughter Gemma the rider have been in good form so far this term.
Former Noel Chance inmate Mendo, in particular, could run in either the Ladies Open or the Confined Hunts race. He’s an absolute machine in the latter, when he stands up – it’s win or does-not-finish with him, and he dislodged the rider at the first in the corresponding race last year, but when he’s good, he’s very good.
Pennytino won the Hunt Members race last season and enters the same race this term in good form, though as Irish Stamp mentions Dermatologiste warrants a look. A terrible jumper under Rules, he seems to have got the hang of things in Points since, and the basic similarity between Guilsborough and Chaddesley Corbett (the latter only slightly more undulating) rates a plus.
Per the raceday experience, it’s amateur racing in a field miles from anywhere (like most other Pointing venues), so don’t expect a covered stand, seating or deluxe loos. Do, however, expect a friendly, unpretentious atmosphere, some decent home-made catering with any luck (I raided the cake stall a few times when last race-reading there), some charming scenery (boating lake in view, for example), and Iain Mackenzie at his waspish best.
Enjoy. I’m sure you will.
In the meantime I’ll be at Andoversford, the longstanding Pointing venue near Cheltenham where Kim Bailey’s clerk of the course and any Cotswold-based Grand National winner gets paraded part-way through the afternoon (Don’t Push It did last season) – not applicable this year, of course. Very much looking forward to it as always.
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
Enjoy Guilsborough – never made it there yet…. Always seems to clash with something & tomorrow it’s the Ludlow Sunday meeting.
In the same general ares, get to Dingley for the meeting at end of May. Lovely day out.
Andy
Hope you enjoyed the day out Liam – think this thread has done ok on the tipping front, our fella didn’t run due to the ground being too quick for him off an injury but it was it’s usual perfect ground and I reckon there were more runners at Guilsborough today than anywhere else in the country.
We’ve had Pennytino (5/4), Galway Jack (5/4), Limerick Leader (9/4 – Gemma Hutchinson) and Lady Barrack (5/4) so hope it was a profitable days pointing at Guilsborough.
Dingley is another lovely track Grey Dolphin – only been there once but we had the winner of the feature Mens Open so can’t complain too much about it and look forward to attending one of their upcoming meetings.
. but thanks for your advice been realy helpful , some realy good tips there defo feel better about what to do now 
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