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LEM PUTT: Appointment in the Members Conditions could lead to a winning seasonal debut
photo: Jon Hodd

After a two week delay, the Yorkshire Area season makes its 2012 debut on Sunday 29th January at Sheriff Hutton. 130 entries have been received for the 7 race card and the Maiden has been split at entry stage leading to two divisions.

The first race is the Yorkshire Area Point-to-Point Club Members Conditions race and the off time is 12noon. This is specifically for horses which have not won a race under the Rules of any recognised Racing Authority, with the exception of Hunter Chases and Point-to-Points. There are 16 entries for this race including some very useful sorts and Bitter Blue, Chancery Lad, Lem Putt and Keeverfield are very worthy contenders for the winner's slot.

There are a number of newcomers to the Yorkshire area for the Restricted race and this has attracted 24 entries. Margaret Cooper's Bright Cloud regained her confidence over fences when winning at Whittington at the end of last season and has been schooling encouragingly at home. She looked like winning the Maiden here last year until falling at the last and hopefully she can put things right this year. Adin Abroad could be a danger, as well as Dougall who showed plenty of promise in Restricteds last season but couldn't quite get his head in front.

The Coniston Hotel Mens Open race has attracted a classy field and some very familiar names to Yorkshire racegoers. Ask Bobby usually runs very well here as does My Old Piano, but the winner could be the aptly named Sheriff Hutton, formerly trained in the village by Tim Walford before going through the Doncaster May sales and being bought by Ollie Greenall.

The Yorkshire Area Point-to-Point Club Members Race for Novice Riders is the first opportunity of the season to see the young talent and the potential riding stars of the future. One jockey who has been counting down the days to the start of the Pointing season is Shane Marriott, who will be making his race riding debut on Sesame Rambler. Shane has been working for Tim Walford full time since October but has been attached to the yard for a couple of years. Tim said "Shane has been working very hard with the Yorkshire Area Point-to-Point as his target. He has been riding and schooling Sesame Rambler daily and although there has been the occasional hiccup, things are being to click and we are hopeful of a clear round." No doubt Shane will be able to pick up some useful tips from his cousin, Miles Seston.

The Ladies Open Race is a late addition to the AGA sponsored series and there are 11 entries. Following a hugely successful 2010/11 season, AGA is not only sponsoring the Ladies Open Point-to-Point Race Series Championship but have extended this to cover the AGA Total Control Lady Riders' Championship, where the rider with the most points at the end of the season will win an AGA Total Control cooker worth nearly £10,000! All participants in the 28 AGA sponsored Ladies Open Races are eligible for the £7,500 AGA Ladies' Open Point-to-Point Championship Hunter Chase Final at Cheltenham on Wednesday 2nd May 2012. The Yorkshire Area Point-to-Point is delighted to welcome AGA to Sheriff Hutton and racegoers are encouraged to visit their trade stand. There will be more information about the AGA range in the racecard. Sea Scout has already won an AGA-sponsored Ladies race this season at Alnwick (11th December) and is likely to be hot favourite for this renewal.

There are two Maiden races to round up the day. David Easterby, trainer of Classinaglass, is certainly looking forward to his racecourse reappearance. David said "I am excited about how he has matured from a four-year-old into a five-year-old." His two third places last year certainly showed promise. With the Point-to-Point taking place on home turf, Easterby also reported "racing is likely to take place on the firmest ground that has been seen at Sheriff Hutton since racing started and the course is currently walking good." When asked about his prospects for the season, Easterby's attention was firmly focused on one of his jockeys, Jack Greenall, and he hopes that the progress he has made when riding and schooling at home will be transferred to the racecourse.

The second division could stay in the Easterby family as Jacqueline Coward (David's niece) has high expectations of James Wyatt. Jackie reported, "He is well bred and I am very excited about him." Bought by Coward's grandfather, Mick Easterby, (having gone through the sales ring for £150,000 as a yearling), he was sent to the Coward's to summer. When Jacqueline got him going she really liked him so kept quiet about him! Out hunting one day her grandfather asked her what she was riding she told him - and in no uncertain terms said that he would not be getting him back! He has run once at Alnwick and will surely come on for that experience.

The postcode required for satellite navigation is YO60 7TN. Admission is £10 per person with under 14's free and racecards are £3. The Highwayman in Sheriff Hutton can be recommended as somewhere to continue the party after racing has finished, and will also be serving a full English breakfast buffet from 10am, with food served from 12noon - 7pm.

Please note this preview was written prior to the postponement; horses may have run since.

For going updates and meeting information, call Talking Point on 09068 44 60 61. For a list of entries via fax, call 09068 44 99 88. All calls cost 61p/min plus network extras.

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