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SACRED MOUNTAIN: Course and distance winner could make seasonal debut in the Club Members
photo: Grace Beresford

The Northern Area Point-to-Point season kicks off on Sunday with the inaugural Ratcheugh Racing Club meeting at the Ratcheugh Farm course near Alnwick, where a six race card with 105 entries starts at 12 noon.

The opening NPPA Club Members Race has 14 entries and looks a competitive affair on paper. Farriers Flight and Sacred Mountain scored over course and distance on their previous seasonal reappearances at the West Percy fixture in January and should go well here. A couple of others for the short list are Harmony Brig and Monogram. The former chased home Jaunty Flight at Sheriff Hutton in January and this looks an easier task, while Tristan Davidson's mount, Monogram, landed a bumper and maiden hurdle when trained by Howard Johnson.

The 2m4f Open Maiden Race has 31 entries and will be divided on the day if declarations exceed the safety factor of 16. Georges Street showed promise when twice finishing 4th in bumpers from Tom Taaffe's yard and this 5-year-old son of King's Theatre has recently joined Lucinda Russell. Mister Splodge made virtually all the running until being headed and falling at the last in a West Percy Maiden in January, while ex-hurdler Some Lad is better than his form figures under Rules might suggest and comes from a yard that sent out two winners on the corresponding card in December 2009.

The feature event is the AGA Ladies Open and may chiefly concern Sea Scout and Sorcier. The former won first time out in 2007 and 2008 before ending a 12-race losing run with a pillar to post success at Whittington in April, while Sorcier, a small half-brother to former top chaser Natal, looked an exciting prospect when scoring with plenty in hand on his debut at Corbridge in March. Paddock appearance is also worth noting for New Alco, who has been lightly raced in recent years by Ferdy Murphy but did finish runner-up to An Accordion at the 2008 Cheltenham Festival.

The 3m Open Maiden Race has 19 entries and my trio to follow are Amulree, The Fabricator and Threadneedle Gun. The former chased home subsequent Cartmel Hunter Chase winner Dystonia's Revenge at Alnwick in January and must go close with a repeat of that effort. The Fabricator found only Next Girl too good at Duncombe Park in February, while Threadneedle Gun was only beaten a neck by Paint Me Silver on his reappearance at Hutton Rudby in March.

Victory Surge would be a popular local winner of the Men's Open Race for trainer, Mark Thompson. The 7-year-old landed 3m handicap chases at Bangor and Kempton Park last year from Jonjo O'Neill's yard and is an exciting recruit to the Pointing ranks. The other 12 entries include the ex-Tim Vaughan gelding Winterwood, successful over fences at Ffos Las in February, as well as hurdles winners Whereveryougoigo and Bewery Man.

The concluding Restricted Race has 16 entries and can go to the lightly raced Whittington scorer Rapidolyte De Ladalka from Philippa Shirley-Beavan's Bonchester Bridge yard, which has a record second to none when it comes to producing a horse fit enough to win first time out. Jasper Massini also merits respect after landing an Irish Maiden in March, while Barachois Silver proved her stamina when getting off the mark at Hexham at the end of last season.

The course is located 3 miles NE of Alnwick, easily accessible from the A1 and signposted from there. For those using Sat Nav, the post code is NE66 3AE. Admission is £10 per person including a racecard, with U12s free.

The track has missed the heavy rain and snow affecting parts of the North and the going on Monday was Good, Good to Soft in places with an excellent covering of grass.

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