Event reports

Report: Yorkshire Area Point-to-Point Club at Sheriff Hutton - Sunday 16 January

  • Posted: Wednesday, 19th January 2022
  • Author: Will Milburn
  • Photo: Tom Milburn

This weekend saw record crowds flock to Sheriff Hutton with just short of 2000 paying racegoers through the gate; with the bar running dry and the hog roast a sell-out halfway through the card, it’s safe to say everyone was delighted to be back out in the fresh air and all in aid of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Southern raiders dominated the card as they took five of the seven races on the day. It was a double on the day for the southern-based Kelly Morgan, who took both divisions of the opening Conditions race.

Division one of the Conditions race saw without doubt the most impressive performance of the day as Feuille De Lune, partnered by Alice Stevens, led from flag fall and galloped her rivals into the ground, winning by a distance in the fastest time of the day. Show And Go fared best of the rest under Lottie Crane, while Mr Witmore was back in third. The winner was making it three from three in the UK after making a winning return earlier in the season after almost two years off the track. The daughter of Saddle Maker was placed on her on only starts previously in Ireland and looks a useful performer for the rest of the season.

Division two completed a double for the stable as Smoke Man powered away to win under Tom Chatfeild-Roberts and make it two wins from three at the track. Rossderrin was back in second for Rosie Howarth, with Black Valentine and Will Thirlby a further 20 lengths back in third.

The most popular winner of the day came in the Restricted as Lily Frank rode her first winner when piloting Vent D'Automne to victory on her first ever ride for father and trainer Paul Frank. The winner made all, jumped like a stag and never looked like being caught, eventually pulling clear of the well-backed favourite Willewonga and Henry Crow, with Barrack Hill back in third. The winner showed early promise last season until his form tailed off but was formerly a bumper winner for Willie Mullins in Ireland and backed that form up here.

The Mens Open saw a desperately close finish between the locally-trained pair Monbeg Chit Chat and Game As A Pheasant. The race-fit Game As A Pheasant pushed the Christy Furness-ridden Monbeg Chit Chat all the way to the line, with the latter coming out on top by the narrowest of margins. The winner was last seen finishing third in the Horse and Hound Cup and, with given his progressive profile last season, a crack at either the Cheltenham or Aintree Foxhunters is on the agenda this time around. The favourite Kilkishen ran a very lackluster race and was pulled up after just a circuit.

The Ladies Open saw another exciting finish as The Dellercheckout just held on to beat Bocasien Desbois. However, an objection by the clerk of the scales meant the runner up was disqualified, resulting in Global Racing been placed second and Merrion Avenue third.

The Open Maiden saw the largest field of the day and went the way of the most experienced runner in the field in Champion Chase for trainer Fracesca Poste. The 10-year-old was formerly trained under Rules by Martin Bosley when placed numerous times over hurdles and fences, but was breaking his maiden at the 33rd attempt here. James King put his mount’s experience to good use as the pair battled hard to beat The New Kid, trained by Dale Peters, with The Whistle Blower back in third.

The final race of the afternoon was a Goffs UK Four, Five and Six-Year-Old Maiden over 2m4f which proved to be an eventful contest, with three of the six runners having departed by the third fence. This left the highly thought of Pedley Wood to storm clear after the last under Zak Baker and beat Boy De La Vis by six lengths at the line. Trained by Tom Ellis, this winning son of Westerner was bought for €34,000 from the Derby sale in Ireland as a three-year-old and looks to have a bright future ahead of him.