Dunsmore Racing Club opened the new point to point season in the Devon & Cornwall area before a good sized crowd in pleasant autumn weather.
31 of the 49 entries faced the starter in six races, giving competitive racing with just three favourites obliging.
Josh Newman’s Woolminstone, Somerset, yard took the honours, scooping the last three races, each ridden by Josh himself.
Tip Top Mountain showed a nice turn of foot to take the Mixed Open under a wily Newman ride. The nine-year-old was returning to pointing after seven successes under rules, and was always holding the challenge of Duc De Bourbon (Charlie Sprake) in the home straight. The gelding was well bought at Doncaster in the summer for Tilly Garton who works in the yard and plans to take the mount when her licence comes through. Josh reported, “He really enjoyed it. Loved it and dug in well. He will be a fun ride for Tilly.”
Dairy farmer John Gardener has been a grand supporter of point-to-pointing and said that his racing colours are 57 years old this year. The colours were carried to victory in both the Restricted and the Maiden thanks to the five-year-old grey Holiday Fund and Clondaw Drake respectively.
“Holiday Fund prefers firmer going and that’s why he didn’t get on in Ireland”, said the owner, whilst Josh reported, “He’s good, never picked up the bridle for the first two and a half miles. I had to get after him after the back straight and he ran on well.”
Five-year-old Clondaw Drake put the icing on the cake to seal a memorable hat trick for the yard with a four lengths success in the ten-runner Maiden. Josh Newman was content to sit in the chasing pack until joining runner up Hardy Buck (Fly McIntyre) at the last, quickly asserting on the sprint to the judge. The winner was purchased at Goffs Doncaster sales in May with the rider saying, “We didn’t know what he was going to be like, he is so strong. I had to creep up and he travelled and jumped well”.
Goffs sponsored the four-year-olds only Maiden which saw Will Biddick off the mark on his first ride of the season on Vol Royale. All five runners held a chance four out, but Biddick circled his rivals on the last bend and had joined Codetalker (Charlie Case) for the lead when making a mistake at the penultimate fence. The pair took off together at the last, but Biddick’s mount found a nice turn of foot up the run in to win going away.
The winner is one of many potential stars stabled with his rider near Sparkford and jointly owned by him and Jeffery Brown, a beef cattle farmer and tractor dealer based at Molland. The rider remarked, “He has grown up physically and mentally. It was a really professional run. Fred Philipson-Stow rides Vol Royale every day and has done a great job on him,” Vol Royale is likely to be seen next in the sales ring at Goffs Cheltenham sales later this week.
The Grass Roots Conditions race run in memory of Keagan Kirkby and sponsored by Paul Nicholls Racing Ltd went to the North Cotswold gelding Kayf Hernando. The eight-year-old, partnered by 17-year old Tom Hutsby, was left clear when Checkitout slipped up at half way, with the favourite Longshanks never looking likely to get on terms.
The winner is based at the successful breaking and pre-training yard of Justin Brotherton at Stow-on-the-Wold, who said ,”I didn’t know Keagan personally, but would like to say we have heard that he was lovely and our thoughts go out to his family and friends.”
Paper Mill was an impressive winner of the Exeter Racecourse Intermediate. Mike Kehoe’s likeable eight-year-old was well in command under Charlie Case from the last ditch and was eased after jumping the last. A prolific winning pointer, he ran well on his hunter chase debut at Cheltenham in May and can build on that effort this season.
Mention should be made of Norman Chanin, celebrating 40 years as clerk of the course with the Silverton, who produced an excellent racing surface on Sunday.