27 January 2009 Preview: Burton - North Carlton
The Burton Point-to-Point takes place on Sunday 1st February at a new course at North Carlton on the Lincolnshire Showground.
The course is situated one mile north of Lincoln and the entrance is off Tillbridge Lane (A1500). This is the first of two meetings at the new course with the Blankney following on Sunday 1st March. The first race is at 12 noon and entrance is £5 for the car park and then £5 per person. 137 entries have been received and there will be eight races; the maiden having been divided three ways. There will be a big screen in the middle of the course to show racing and also smaller screens in the weighing room. This is the first Point-to-Point in the country to have this facility.
The first race on the card is the Lincolnshire United Hunts Club Members race and has attracted 7 entries. Lord Yarborough has two horses entered; Essenbee and B Keen. Essenbee has been lighly raced but back in 2006 he was a good second to Ask Bobby who has since gone on to win Mens Open races. Caramia won two hurdle races in Ireland and shaped well to finish second in the Novice riders race at Sheriff Hutton on 18th January for Samantha Klug. Caramia also holds an entry in the Ladies Open but this race would be the easier option. Distant Memory was second on several occasions last season and looks a bit of a character. However, he carries the lucky pink and black colours of Victoria Branson whose late father Kit Cottingham was very successful with his horses at the local Point-to-Points. Silver Streak represents the Robinson family from Linwood and will be ridden by Tommy Parr. Lodestar would be a popular winner for Lawrence Kirkby and his daughter Chloe. This partnership were second in a Ladies Open race at the Bedale last year and also hold an entry in the Ladies Open race at this meeting.
The Mumby Hepinstall Accountants Confined Hunts race has 23 entries, many of whom have also entered in the Open races. Le Passing could well be the pick here for Lord Daresbury. In his day Le Passing amassed over £100 000 in prize money when racing under National Hunt rules and last season won a hunter chase. Holy Joe was placed third in the Aintree Fox Hunters but was pulled up on his seasonal debut at Sheriff Hutton on 18th January. Darn Good has some form in Ladies Opens and Gun Smith won the Intermediate at Thorpe on 25th January for the Nick Kent stable.
FP Watson Chemists have sponsored the Ladies Open race and there are 24 horses entered. Angela Rucker may ride Blue Business who is a smart performer and a half brother to the top chaser See More Business. She also has Honest Endeavour to choose from. Robber's Glen is a top class horse, he won five races for Val Jackson last season including the pointtopoint.co.uk Champion Novice Hunter Chase at Stratford. Narciso won four times in 2008 for Cherry and Jackie Coward and has already been second recently at Sheriff Hutton. The pick of the local horses are the Dawson pair; Vingis Park and Pass It On. Vingis Park won two races last season and Pass It On is out to qualify for the Christies Foxhunter Chase at the Cheltenham festival. To do this he needs to win two open races before 23rd February.
There are 15 entries in the Mercedes Benz of Lincoln Mens Open race. Le Passing and Holy Joe may run here instead of in the Confined race. Others to note are Kjetil for the in form Gerald Bailey stable and Network Oscar who won five races for the David Easterby / Greenall team last season. Local interest centres around Menchikov who was recently purchased by the Robinson family. Menchikov is a fairly lightly raced nine year old who has won two chases under rules, the second of which was Mick Fitzgerald's penultimate winner before he retired from the saddle.
The White Heather Restricted race has attracted 16 entries. Eliza Doalott was second at Sheriff Hutton on 18th January and Farmer Frank, from the Nick Kent stable, was going well when brought down at Thorpe recently. Lord Of The Knar won a maiden at Brocklesby Park last year and the runner up Special Order franked the form by winning a Restricted race. Another that cannot be ruled out is Pass The Parsel who holds some form in Restricted races and is trained by Gerald Bailey.
The three divisions of the Maiden race are sponsored by Hodgson Elkington Estate Agents, Blue Sky Mortgages of Scunthorpe and Argrain Ltd of York. In division 1 Nick Kent and Victoria Branson team up with Lord Adonis. This gelding has yet to run over fences but got within sixteen lengths of Champion Hurdler Katchit when racing over hurdles and comes from a stable that could well have him ready to win first time out. Hendaway is another young horse making his debut over fences for Antonia Bealby and Matt Briggs. A horse with some proven form is Toe To Hand who was third in a maiden last season.
In division 2 Wantage Road has some recent form; he was second at the Albrighton Point-to-Point at Bangor last Sunday. Mardonicdeclare was second at Welbeck last season for Hannah Phizacklea and Latenightdip was third on her only start as a five year old last year and should have improved.
Father Owen could be the pick in division 3 for the Mary Sowersby/ Guy Brewer team. He was third at Sheriff Hutton recently and the experience should stand him in good stead here. Another horse to note here is Tiger Tim who was third at Guilsborough for Tim Tarratt and Richard Armson in 2008. Nectar De Guye was second at Sheriff Hutton and may run into a place again but looks reluctant and is proving difficult to win with.
