14 April 2010 Preview: Essex - High Easter
by James Crispe
The £500 Warwick Vase and East Anglia's only long distance race between the flags are the two highlights of the Essex Point-to-Point at High Easter on Saturday April 17.
A total of 88 horses have been entered for this six-race fixture, which gets under way at 1.30pm - when there are eight possibles for the Hunt Race - and runs through until the Open Maiden, which has 21 engaged and comes under orders at 4.25pm.
The Warwick Vase is the trophy on offer for the Ladies Open, which is the East Anglian feature race for the 2009-10 season. Mid Div And Creep won this last year and having landed four of her five starts this term, will be difficult to deny a follow-up success.
However, her 13 potential rivals include the course winner, Inaro, who was only half a length behind Mid Div And Creep when they met at Marks Tey last month and scored again at Guilsborough last Sunday. Other notable contenders are King du Berlais, who bolted up at Horseheath and one of two entries from the in-form Joe Turner string last Saturday, as well as Big Moment, who notched an early season hat-trick.
The Countryside Alliance Club Members Race has 16 potential runners and will be contested over three and three-quarter miles. Again the defending champion is among them, in this case Teeton Bollinger, along with the useful Nigel Bloom stablemates, Caveman and The Painkiller, not to mention Inishturk, who is unbeaten in two Pointing starts.
Foulstons Ruler stands out from the 14 entries in the Intermediate Race as he collected here on March 27th and the second, third and fourth from that race have all franked the form with a victory.
The course is just south of the village of High Easter, eight miles north west of Chelmsford. From M11 Junction 8 take A120 east towards Colchester for roughly eight miles until the Dunmow South exit. Take A130 (direction Chelmsford). As you arrive in Barnston turn right at a mini roundabout signposted 'The Easters'.
Follow this road all the way to High Easter where you turn right at a T junction. Stay on this road through the village and the course is about half a mile out the other side.
Admission will be charged at £10 per head with under 17s admitted free. The course will be watered if necessary.
