Having been frustrated by the arctic weather two weeks ago and then the subsequent challenges to find a suitable new date, the Yorkshire Area Point To Point Club finally managed to hold their hugely popular fixture at Sheriff Hutton on Saturday 25th January which was once again being held in aid of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. With over £200,000 having already raised and donated to the cause, organisers were hoping to top the quarter of a million pound mark this year. Blessed with bright sunshine on a glorious midwinter day, racegoers were entertained by a good day's sport.
The meeting is hosted by kind permission of Mick Easterby who was no doubt delighted to witness a family success in the first race of the day, the Racing TV Five Years Old And Over Conditions Race (Level 2). This came via daughter Susan Mason and her husband Ian's homebred Red Opium who was steered home by Rosie Howarth, one length ahead of Conqueredalofeurope and Felix Foster. Trained by Susan's sister Cherry Coward, the mare's delighted owners reported that she just seemed to be in better order than she ever was last season and had benefitted from a run at Friars Haugh last weekend. A return visit to Sheriff Hutton on Sunday 6th April is now on the cards for the classic Grimthorpe Gold Cup where Red Opium will bid to emulate her mother Poppy Day who triumphed in the race for the Masons in 2010.
Following her success in the opener, Rosie Howarth took the day's riding honours by completing a double when guiding another Cherry Coward inmate, the admirably consistent Ballydonagh Boy to victory in the Labiana Life Sciences Ladies Open, the gelding's tenth win between the flags. “He's a superstar and as good as ever” said Rosie who has recently returned from a trip to New Zealand. Cherry's daughter Jacqueline was keen to highlight the work put in by Isla John to get him fit and ready in Rosie's absence. The plan is to stick to point to points now. “We've tried him in hunter chases and he just isn't good enough” said Jacqueline.
The highest rated winner of the day was the progressive Camdonian who came home a ready winner of the Labiana Life Sciences Mens Open for Jack Teal's Malton stable. “It's nice to have him back” said his delighted jockey Christy Furness who, when asked about any plans for the horse going forward said “just stay fit and healthy and have some fun”. Christy said his mother, Camdonian's owner Grania Furness, must take a great deal of the credit as she had done a lot of work with him at home before his transfer to Jack's yard two weeks ago.
The Andrew Jackson Solicitors Restricted developed into a battle between stablemates Lou Marvelous and Sponthus ridden by brothers Will and Thomas Easterby. The former had only just been touched off at Alnwick in December and drew away late on to go one better here for jockey and trainer Will who commented that the winner had done well to defy the five pound penalty. The next target for Lou Marvelous will now be the Sinnington Hunt race on February 16th. “ The original plan was to run here and then go to Askham Bryan” said Will “ but the two week postponement here has messed the plans up as the one week gap between the two meetings is too short for him”.
The day concluded with two maiden races and the first of these, the Resdev Maiden (No Weight For Age Allowances) saw the most impressive winner of the meeting when Shropshire based Laura Richardson's Ideal Du Tabert clocked the fastest time of the day over the full three mile trip. Jockey Huw Edwards took the race by the scruff of the neck from the outset and built up a long lead which was never seriously threatened before he coasted home to a very easy success The winner had the benefit of a previous outing having run a good second at Chaddesley Corbett over the Christmas period and Huw said of him afterwards “He's been working well at home and he looks like a good one to go pointing with as he jumps, travels well and stays”.
The KCM Waste Management Ltd Four, Five And Six Year Old Maiden over the shorter two miles four furlongs trip saw Edith Pelham put up a professional performance to win nicely on her racecourse debut. Brought up from the Warwickshire stable of Gina Andrews and ridden to victory by her brother Jack, the former national champion point to point jockey, the mare, a daughter of top stallion Blue Bresil was bought as a three year old for £40,000. “She was a bit big and weak last season” said Jack, speaking after the trophy presentation “so we gave her a bit of time. She was bought with the intention of hopefully selling on, so the plan is now to get her entered with The Cheltenham February sale being a possibility”
The next meeting in the Yorkshire Area season is the York and Ainsty With West Of Yore fixture at Askham Bryan College near York next Sunday 2nd February with the first race due off at 1pm.