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BON ACCORD: would have a great chance at Marks Tey on past form
photo: Steve Hunt

Higham and Marks Tey, two courses that are both just off the A12 within little more than ten miles of each other on either side of the town of Colchester, play host to East Anglia's two Easter Point-to-Point fixtures.

On Saturday April 5th 60 horses have been entered for the six-race Essex & Suffolk meeting at Higham. Only two are engaged in the curtain-raising Hunts Club Members race, which gets under way at 2.00pm. But an early arrival is still advisable in order to catch the two children's pony races which take place at 1.00pm.

Pony racing also features at the Essex Farmers & Union fixture at Marks Tey on Easter Monday, again with a 1pm start time. 103 horses have been entered for the six steeplechases here, the largest entry being 29 for the Open Maiden, which gets the jumping action under way at 2.00pm.

At Higham the two horses that stand out are Start Royal and Beet de Bob in the respective Open races. Start Royal is unbeaten in five career starts between the flags and has eight potential rivals in the Mens version while Beet de Bob, who won three times at this venue in 2008 and was a narrow runner-up on his only subsequent visit, is one of nine possibles in the Ladies equivalent.

Bon Accord, a stablemate of Start Royal in the Alan Hill yard, is among 15 entries in the Marks Tey Mens Open and would have no trouble beating a pair of top East Anglians, Caveman and Forget The Ref, if returning to the form that saw him take second in the 2008 Cheltenham Foxhunter.

Thatmakestwoofus, a brilliant winner at the last Marks Tey fixture on March 21st, is engaged in the Mens Open but has a softer option in the 12-entry Intermediate Race.

Higham is just to the west of the A12 between Colchester and Ipswich using the B1068 turn-off towards Stoke-by-Nayland, post code CO7 6LE

Marks Tey is west of the village of the same name and the junction of the A12 and the A120, post code CO5 9EZ. It needs to be approached using the London-bound carriageway of the A12 then taking the left turn signposted for Easthorpe.

Admission will be charged at £10 per head at both venues with under 17s admitted free.

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