The traditional Midlands Area meeting on Easter Saturday is at Dingley racecourse (LE16 8PJ), just East of Market Harborough in Leicestershire, and hosted by the Pytchley with Woodland. Dingley is a right-handed track with 18 fences on the three-mile course.
This month has been very hard for all racecourses around the country, with many professional courses having to cancel meetings because they don't have the ability to water the ground. The Dingley team have been very busy this week, compensating for the long spell of dry weather by Agri-vating and watering the track. There is rain forecast between the time of writing and the fixture but the watering will continue as necessary to provide a good racing surface.
They have been rewarded with a good number of entries across the card, but It is difficult to predict the final numbers of runners in each race due to the point-to-point system of declarations on the day, and the number of multiple entries into different meetings over the very busy Easter Holiday weekend.
It is a six-race card which starts with a Hunt Members race for horses registered with the Pytchley with Woodland, as well as their neighbours on both sides, the Fernie and Fitzwilliam Hunts.
This is followed by a Conditions race, Mixed Open, Restricted and finally two maiden races, the first open and run over three miles, the last for mares and fillies and run over the shorter 2m4f distance.
The feature race of the afternoon is the Mixed Open race, at 3.10pm, kindly sponsored by accountancy firm McIntyre Hudson, which has 10 entries. This is where you will see the best horses of the day compete over three miles. Aramax and The Big Lense both represent Suffolk trainer Jennifer Owen. Aramax has had a phenomenal season with four wins and two seconds, with one of those second places being to his stable mate here at Fakenham. Don't be surprised if both of these horses run. Competition will come from local favourite Bothwell Bridge (also entered in the first); Camdonian – two wins this season; Thunderstruck – trained and ridden by Dale Peters, a winner last time in a match race at Garthorpe; Loughan (Gina Andrews), and Go Go Geronimo (Tom Chatfeild-Roberts), a recent entry in the Aintree Foxhunters.
The first race of the day is a Hunt Members race with seven entries, sponsored by local agents King West. This may well end up being a close contest between one of two entries from Dale Peters' yard Largy Pearly or Wallace OIlinger, and previously mentioned Bothwell Bridge (Ellie Callwood), which is owned by a large local syndicate called the Fernie Dingley Syndicate. Another local trainer, Stuart Morris, has Champagne Glory in this one, ridden by Jack Andrews.
Dale Peters has three entries in the second race, the Rathbones-sponsored PPORA Club Members Conditions Race, with other entries in other races on the card. Mountain Assault has won here at Dingley before. Bride Rovers Abu, trained by Kelly Morgan and ridden by Ellie Callwood, doesn't have a great jumping record but is very talented and will be in the hunt if he gets round. First Preference and Young Rich both won on their last outings.
Alex Chadwick has the choice of three decent rides in the Greedy Gordons Restricted race, after the open. Two of these for the Turner family and one for David Kemp. Jack Teal is always one to watch and he trains Callmesusie, placed several times in decent company. Nick Wright's Fame And Concrete might be one to watch here, with second place finishes in Intermediate and Restricted races. Dale Peters trains Line Em Up for Beryl Close and this should feature too, as should Pillar Rock, trained by Gina Andrews and ridden by Jack. An open race with lots of possible winners, dependent on other entries and declarations on the day.
The last two races are maiden races, for horses who are yet to win a race in a point-to-point. Some will be making their racecourse debut, some will have run in maiden races before and others may have tried their luck in professional colours before now joining the point-to-point cohort. These are typically difficult races to predict, especially when we don't know who will declare on the day.
The Open Maiden, the first of the two, will be run over the usual three mile distance and is kindly sponsored by Rural Insight Land & Development. It is worth noting that Myfanwys Lillegend is a four-year-old filly and therefore gets a stone-and-a-half allowance here, but pulled up on her debut. This is a wide-open race.
The final race, the BMTC Law Maiden race for mares and fillies will be run over two and a half miles. The eight entries in this have little form to speak of in points.
This is always a very popular meeting and there is lots going on at Dingley away from the track too. There is a shopping village behind the paddock where you will be able to find a licensed bar, catering units, lots of lifestyle stands and bookmakers.
Tickets for the meeting are still available online on the Midlands Pointing Tickets page, or will be available on the gate on the day. Adult entry is £20 and will include a race card, while children under 16 are admitted free of charge.