05 March 2009 Report: East Essex Hunt - Marks Tey & Granta Harriers - Higham
FORGET THE REF: provided Rupert Stern with the second leg of his winning double at Marks Tey
Rupert Stearn was the main man of a hectic weekend's Point-To-Point Racing in East Anglia, following up his riding double at the East Essex meeting at Marks Tey on Saturday with another winner at the Granta Harriers fixture at Higham on Sunday.
The Wymondham-based jockey got the ball rolling on the promising Olympe de Farges in the Maiden Race at Marks Tey. A first runner of the year for trainer George Cooper, from Raydon, near Hadleigh, Olympe de Farges proved three lengths too strong for Orient Legend.
Stearn was back in the winner's enclosure 35 minutes later after Forget The Ref produced an athletic round of jumping in the Confined Race and had a comfortable three lengths to spare over Sha Bihan at the line.
Trained by Robert Abrey at Wretham, near Thetford, and owned by his near-neighbour, Ian Thurtle, Forget The Ref was running for the first time in almost ten months and should be in line for a rewarding campaign.
The Abrey-Stearn combination was successful again at Higham 24 hours later as Another Dude responded well to an aggressive front-running ride to hold off Northall Lad and Another Dude in the Mens Open.
Stearn nearly made it a four-winner-weekend on a second Cooper-trained youngster in the Higham finale, the second of two Maiden Races there. But Foulstons Ruler was denied by half a length by Royal Tender, who was a first pointing winner for Exning, near Newmarket, trainer Hugh Collingridge, better know for his exploits on the flat.
Kelly Smith and Harry Fowler, who used to both live in Newmarket before Smith moved to Timworth, near Bury St Edmunds, a couple of years ago, fought out a stirring finish to the other Maiden. Their respective mounts, Ten Horse Power and Mountain Emperor, flashed past the winning post locked together but Smith, aboard the Sussex-trained Ten Horse Power, was awarded the verdict by a head.
David Kemp, from Kilverstone, near Thetford, drew a blank from three rides at Marks Tey but kept his recent good run going when forcing Viceroy Close up in the dieing strides to catch Master Rex in the Hunts Club Members Race at Higham.
This was a thrilling contest of fluctuating fortunes as Viceroy Close jumped moderately and looked beaten both when the eventual third, Pouilly, kicked ten lengths clear with four to jump and when Master Rex forged ahead after the final fence.
Caveman briefly became the most prolific East Anglian horse of the season with his third win of the year (a feat matched the following day by Viceroy Close) in the Marks Tey Mens Open.
Apart from a scary moment at the first fence, Caveman, who is trained at Wymondham by Nibby Bloom, gave rider George Greenock an armchair ride on his return to the saddle after breaking his thumb. Caveman will not be allowed to rest on his laurels and is likely to run again at Ampton on Sunday.
The Marks Tey fixture kicked off with an apt winner of the opening Hunt Race in the shape of Royal Atalza. He is trained by Stephen March, who is both secretary of the meeting and has been the driving force behind some well-received recent changes to the course which have seen both the paddock and the changing tent re-sited. Royal Atalza was skilfully ridden by March's 18-year-old son, Tom.
The other East Anglian victory over the two days came in the Higham Ladies' Open when Emma Bell guided Iberus, trained at Biggleswade by Mike Burman, to an eight length defeat of River Pirate, who is trained at Sutton, near Ely, by Martin Ward, and was ridden by his daughter, Becky.
