11 May 2009 Preview: North West Point-to-Point Club - Tabley
by Arthur Shone
GRENFELL: a leading contender for the Dodson & Horrell Novices' Final
photo: David Dew
The North West Point-to-Point Club stage a good competitive days racing at Tabley, nr Knutsford this Sunday May 17th 2009.
Their fixture has a attracted a bumper entry of 145, which is an increase of 2% on the corresponding meeting last season.
Clerk of the course Rob Hankey listed the going as Good on Sunday May 10th 2009. Hankey said, "The going today is genuine good ground, the course is looking really well, there is a good covering of grass on the course. More rain is forecast during the week, and we will water if necessary to ensure decent going on the day of our meeting."
Admission to this popular Cheshire course, is £30 per car for reserved car parking if applied for in advance on 01625 584543 before the meeting or £40 on the day of the race meeting, £20 per car for normal car parking regardless of the number of passengers, with single occupancy charged at £10.
Racing comes under starters orders at 2.00pm and is set to conclude at 5.40pm.
The feature race on the card is the Dodson & Horrell PPORA Club Members Race For Novice Riders Championship Final. The sponsors have put £1,000 in prize money into this race, with the first past the judge collecting £650, the runner up £200, the third and fourth past the post receiving £100 and £50 in that order. This is quality line up of both horse and rider, Grenfell (Sam Twiston-Davies) was just touched off in the Connolly's Red Mills Final at Cheltenham last Wednesday. Tribal Venture (Oliver Murphy) won on Sunday at Garthorpe. Gunship (Robbie Henderson), from the Blackmoor & Sparkford Vale and Boher Storm (Charlie Johnston) are entered, while Jake and Toby Greenall will have a choice of horses to ride in the race that are owned by their father Lord Daresbury.
It is fitting that the North West Point-to-Point Club should stage memorial races to commemorate two very popular stalwarts of Point-to-Pointing in the North Western Area, namely Jeremy Beasley and Edward Crow, both of whom passed away last year . The Club have named the Ladies Open after Jeremy Beasley and the Mens Open is named in memory of Edward Crow. Our area chairman George Barlow summed up the feeling of everyone that knew the two men, when he said in his annual pre season address to the media that both men would be sadly missed, which is very true. It is worth reflecting that Jeremy Beasley's daughter Caroline Robinson has the useful Whistling Staits entered for the Ladies Open and the late Edward Crow's wife Sheila Crow has entered her decent Open horse Gunner be Quick in the Mens Open.
