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VON ORIGNY: scored another win in the Hunt Members
photo: Sweet Photography

The Wynnstay Point-to-Point meeting at Bangor-on-Dee produced a cracking days racing, with plenty of runners and sunshine attracting a very large crowd.

Christy Beamish maintained his unbeaten record in Point-to-Points after recording win number 11 in the Ladies Open; the now 13-year-old won with plenty in hand under Clare Allen, beating Petit Lord under Angela Rucker by three lengths.

The winner is trained between the flags by Sue Taylor and under rules by Paul Jones and is owned by Mick Mann; Jones said afterwards that his charge would have one more race before going to Liverpool for the Fox Hunters', a race that he won in 2008. The Jolly Jake gelding was the pick of the paddock before the race and is a credit to the connections.

Most people connected to show jumping will be familiar with the name Robert Bevis, who competes at most of the major tournaments. He was competing at an event in Cadiz over the weekend and as a result missed training his first Point-to-Point winner Ballyvoge, who was given a great ride by Harry Challoner to beat the Phil Jones-trained Lord Louis by half a length in a thriller. The winning Trainer, based at Marchwiel, Nr Wrexham, was represented at the course by his father Brian.

Tarporley Owner and Rider David O'Brien has set his sights on winning the Area Veteran Riders Championship; he was in the lead for most of last season, before being pipped by Sue Sharratt.

He is in a strong position again this year after Big John Macarty gave him his first ever winner in the plate, comfortably winning the first division of the Open Maiden by 10 lengths from Over Budget. Longwood Lad was a remote third, a further 25 lengths away. The winner is trained at Tarporley by Katherine Diggle; the gelding was purchased at Ascot two years ago by her father John Swindells. Last season the horse had a virus, but showed signs of coming back to form when second at Eyton last week.

The second division of the Open Maiden went to the Zoe Hammond-trained Jolly Rock, who looked useful in the hands of David Mansell; the combination won readily by six lengths from Brookfield Lad, with The Client a further 15 lengths back in third. The winner was bought in Ireland by Market Drayton-based Owner Don Constable and is ridden every day by the Trainer's 13-year-old son Charlie at her Worcestershire yard.

Billyvoddan under Jack Sherwood ran out a very fortuitous winner of the Mens Open, as Up There, under Liam Payter, fell at the last fence when a length up and full of running. At the end of the day jumping is the name of the game and Billyvoddan put in a faultless display at his fences to win by 30 lengths from Emotional Article.
The winner is trained at Morville, Nr Bridgnorth by Phillip Rowley and is owned by Juliet Minton, whose husband, bloodstock agent David, bought the horse as a 3yr old for Trevor Hemmings, who raced him under Rules with Henry Daly. Hemmings gave the winner to Juliet Minton as a present twelve months ago.

Phillip Rowley completed a training double after Nomadic Dreamer got the better of titanic battle with Echo India under Will Kinsey. The former prevailed by a hard fought half a length under Liam Payter. The Nomadic Way gelding is co-owned by Juliet Minton and Anne Tolhurst.

The opening Members race produced a cracking finish between Will Kinsey aboard Bougoure and Jonathon Jarrett riding the jolly Von Origny; the first two in the betting market had the race between them from four fences from home. Bougoure jumped the last with a slight lead, but was worn down in the shadow of the post by Von Origny, who ultimately won by a neck. Kinsey said afterwards that the runner-up blew up three out, with that in mind the gelding is one to note next time out.

Von Origny was winning the race for the second year running and is trained not far from the course, at Malpas, by Corrine Wynne and owned locally by farmer Geoffrey Probin. Wynne was elated when I spoke to her afterwards, she said, "I ran him at Ludlow, but he just did not get the three miles there. I know the runner-up blew up but my horse stuck his neck out and really battled, he will improve from the race and hopefully we will win a few more Opens with him."

The 2m4f Open Maiden saw Attrapeur win under Jake Greenall, with a bit more in hand than the length-and-a-half margin over the Caroline Robinson trained Shales Ay Jay. The winner is trained in Yorkshire by David Easterby for joint-Owners Ben Hinchliff and Angela Norton, who purchased the horse privately from Nigel Twiston-Davies yard last October.

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