Storm Ciaran did its best to spoil the opening day of the British point-to-point season, where the fields adjoining the Devon course at Dunsmore near Tiverton were still flooded from Thursday’s deluge.
The Dunsmore organisers, led by clerk of the course Norman Chanin, deserve much credit for defeating the elements and ensuring that racing went ahead on soft ground with heavier patches round the bottom bend.
They got their reward as the new season was sent off with a bang on Guy Fawkes day, attracting travellers from as far afield as Cheshire and Staffordshire, with six competitive races before a decent crowd.
The away teams took four of the six prizes, but the local Silverton qualified gelding From The Heart battled on gamely to hold the well backed Oistrakh Le Noir to win the Heltor sponsored Mixed Open.
The winner is one of the best pointers in the area, owned by Sarah Spottiswoode and trained by Laura Jones near Minehead, giving the trainer further cause for celebration following the birth of a baby daughter five months ago. Laura’s sister Natalie Parker, whose day job is pupil assistant to Paul Nicholls, had her mount prominent throughout saying, “He stays all day and kept finding for me”
From The Heart ran in the familiar scarlet and black Unity Farm Holiday Centre colours of Sarah’s late grandfather Bert House. Bert’s son Richard carried on the family story when his nine-year-old ex-chaser Longshanks stayed on strongly to take the Grassroots Conditions race sponsored by S Luxton and SFJ Yeandle under reigning Highflyer Bloodstock novice champion jockey Callum Pritchard. The winner is trained by Josh Newman who reported, “A change of scenery has helped Longshanks who lost his way under rules. The young girls ride him at home and he leads the babies. He will probably have one or two more point to point runs as he gains confidence.” The Luke Harvey owned and trained Notre Pari started favourite for this race and was going strongly four out when his saddle slipped, giving rider Toby McCain-Mitchell no option but to pull him up.
Seven-year-old Learntalot looked the paddock pick in the Gingerland Livery Ltd Maiden and duly delivered under Izzie Marshall. The Oxfordshire based winner provided a landmark 400th point to point winner to be saddled by his trainer Alan Hill (who rode the winners of both the Cheltenham and Aintree Foxhunters’ back in the day). “I am just the box driver now,” joked Alan, with wife Lawney and son and assistant trainer Joe on hand.
24-year-old jockey Izzie Marshall, also Joe’s partner, had the gelding prominent throughout before holding the late challenge of runner up I Like Oats.” I have ridden about 90 winners and my ambition is to get to 100 this year,” said Izzie. Joe added, “He is a lovely horse and is for sale to stay in the yard. He had missed a week’s work with pus in his foot and we only decided to run last night.”
Nantwich, Cheshire based Hannah Roach is just starting her training career and saddled her first ever winner as The Creadan Rogue landed the Exeter Racecourse Intermediate qualifier under Huw Edwards. In a sustained neck and neck battle from two out, the Cheshire gelding just overhauled Will Biddick’s mount Minella Jab (also running for a rookie trainer Megan Lawrence) to score by half a length. “I have ten in training and use the all grass gallops at Broxton. It would be nice for this horse to go hunter chasing and try for one of the Intermediate finals,” said the winning trainer.
Hannah’s first runner of the day, pointing debutant Maltese Joe (Tom Greenwood), had proved a disappointing favourite in the opening Tattersalls UK Four and Five-year-olds Maiden won by Disco Davis sent out from Charlie and Fran Poste’s Ettington, Warwickshire yard. Successful jockey Zac Baker said, “We hacked around and I waited until the last,” His mount just got up in the last few strides to beat front running Noble Don (James King) by half a length.
“Disco Davis had run well at Kimble on his only start last season. We have 25 or 30 for pointing this year,” said Charlie who was also recently appointed as the new chairman of the PPORA.
No Dice, who runs in the colours of Jim Squires, came from Herefordshire to defy a 5lbs penalty in the Friends of Silverton Hunt Restricted. Nicky Sheppard trains the consistent six-year-old at Ledbury, and a storming late run saw the winner overhaul young Ed Vaughan’s mount Myunclecharlie going to the last. 22-year-old Reading University student Milo Herbert was partnering his 20th point to point winner and commented, “He was off the bit for a long time but I knew he would always find.”