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ELIZA DOALOTT: will be hard to beat if contesting the Ladies
photo: Jon Hodd

Some exciting Point-to-Point racing looks to be on the cards when the Grove and Rufford Hunt hold their annual meeting this coming weekend.

Ground conditions are reported as near perfect and a good entry of 98 horses has been received to contest the six races scheduled. The racecourse itself is renowned as one of the prettiest parkland courses in the country with views of outstanding beauty.

Admission prices for the meeting are £10 per car with driver. £5 each additional passenger. Pedestrians £5. Children under 15 free.

The opening race, due off at 12.00noon, is the Confined, which has attracted 11; this race has been kindly sponsored by Avocet Hardware. Pass The Parsel, from the Gerald Bailey stable, won on his debut here and has already won at Higham and North Carlton this season; however, the form horse looks to be Super Lord, the probable mount of Stuart Morris, a winner at Thorpe Lodge and going well until falling in a Hunter Chase at Doncaster.

The second race is the Dodson & Horrell Club Members Race for Novice Riders. A field of 17 have been entered here. This race looks a little tricky to forecast; Well Presented was the winner by a head in a Ladies race but has registered two moderate runs since, whilst Lord Adonis was prominent until unseating rider in a Restricted at Brocklesby Park. Teeton Dazzler, who won here last year, just gets the vote.

The Olde Bell, the popular Hotel and Restaurant in Barnby Moor are sponsors yet again for the third race, the Mens Open which has an entry of eight, headed by My Old Piano; this Tom Bannister owned eight-year-old won a good Hunter Chase at Leicester recently but is unlikely to turn out having fallen at Stratford on Monday.

Shires Development, specialists in Mineral and Estate Development, have kindly sponsored race four, the Ladies Open; here we have an entry of 14. Free, from the Hutchinson stable, is a consistent sort but is now 15. Mike and Jill Dawson have Vingis Park entered and this gelding has some excellent form over the last two seasons. Nevertheless the selection here has to be Eliza Doalott who won on this course last year and has already won this season at Charm Park.

Fifth race of the afternoon is the Open Maiden for eight year olds and over and the race has been sponsored by Freshtrans, Specialist Produce Hauliers. This race has attracted an entry of 21; Adieu Mari was a decent third at Charm Park last month. One More Gypsy was a good neck second in a Maiden Race at Witten Castle in February. Top rider Richard Burton was similarly placed on his mount, Front Street, at Chaddesley Corbett. Monkerty Tunkerty, also engaged in the final race here, has been runner up in his last four races. He may go one better here.

Final race of the day is an Open Maiden to be run over 2m5f. The race is open to four, five, six and seven year olds and we have an entry of 26. T. Frost of Bawtry, a long time supporter of the sport, has kindly sponsored this race. If the probable mount of Miles Seston, MonkertyTunkerty, runs here instead of the previous race, he would be hard to beat. However the winner may be the seven-year-old Kandelin, another from the Gerald Bailey team. He has been placed on his last two runs and looks the form horse here.

The Racecourse at Welbeck is situated 4 miles South/West of Worksop on the Ollerton road. (Use exit 30 of the M1) Please respect racecourse directions: There is strictly no access through the Garden Centre.

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