17 March 2009 Report: Holderness - Dalton Park
MAJOR SHARK: produced the most exciting finish of the day
The Holderness Hunt held their annual Point-to-Point at Dalton Park on Sunday in glorious sunshine with all car parks full to capacity, where the large crowd saw several close and exciting finishes.
The most exciting finish of the day came in the opening Members race in which the veteran Chris Cundall urged his own Major Shark to get up on the line to beat Beauchamp Oracle, under Holderness joint master Charles Clark, by a head, with the Guy Brewer ridden favourite Hardybuck a further neck away in third place. This was Cundalls 97th success of his career, which started back in 1972 and there was no more popular winner.
In the Confined race, the locally born Simon Walker was seen at his best when getting Dannymalone home in front, beating Baron Romeo by three lengths. The winner took up the lead with three to jump and despite being challenged at the second last by the runner up, the winner had plenty in hand at the finish.
Henry's Pride, who had been placed in two Ladies Opens this season, won the Mens Open race in the closest finish of the day. Ridden by 16yo Jake Greenall, the pair provided a power packed finish to get up to beat the well backed favourite Noble Persian by a short head, to give Greenall his third winner of the season. This was the first of 3 winners on the afternoon for trainer Cherry Coward, who also had a double the previous day at Brocklesby Park.
Narciso, who was narrowly beaten in last year's Ladies Open race, went one better this year. Ridden by Rose Dobbin, who was deputising for the injured Jaqueline Coward, the pair were never far off the pace. Taking up the running approaching the last, the pair sprinted clear on the flat to beat Wilfie Wild by five lengths.
Toby Greenall rode his third winner of the weekend on Scrappie, an impressive winner of the Restricted. The pair took over from The Tinkerator approaching the final fence to sprint clear and win decisively.
The ride of the day went to Mark Walford on Nectar De Guye. The Sarah Jane Stilgoe 8yo has been placed several times without success when been held up, but this time Walford soon had the winner clear of his field and were never headed, coming home in splendid isolation to win the first maiden division by 15 lengths, with the favourite Eurospoofer in second.
The second division of the Maiden saw Mark Walford achieve his double courtesy of Rich Hill, who was never far off the pace. The pair took up the running approaching the last and stayed on well to withstand the renewed challenge of Tina Jackson and Miss Sunflower by a length. The winner is owned by Thirsk based Estate Agent Adam Dodgson whose first horse this is. He also trains the winner, so this is a day he will never forget.
