The Pointing Thread

Irish Stamp said:
Update's from today at Larkhill - great racing but sadly marred by a couple of fatalities and injuries to a few jockeys, Tom Bellamny is ok but being kept in hospital overnight though still waiting for news on Jamie Jenkinson and Suzy Berry with the latter airlifted to hospital after a fall at the last (which continues to cause major problems) in the Ladies.

Ex-rules horses running today included Knowhere who unseated Rowley Bowen-Jones 4 out in the Mens Open on his first ride, the horse wasn't making any impression on the leaders at the time but had given his pilot a cracking spin.

The disappointment from last months Barbury meeting Description has moved from Jenny Gordon to the Hill's and though still in the same ownership the exceptional Gina Andrews took over from the owner and they duly obliged beating the Richard Barber trained Gwanako (who was IMO the pick of the paddock, ridden by Gina's sister Bridget).

Kicks For Free ran but didn't appear to see out the trip today whilst it's unlikely that the ground was soft enough for Palypso De Creek to repeat his soft ground demolition of a stronger field than he took on at Whitfield last month. Turko ran very well for a long way fading late on whilst Naunton Brook appears to need softer ground and a genuine stamina test, surely a possible for the 3m 5f race at Dunthrop in a couple of weeks time which IIRC he won last year.

According To John took the Mens Open and was a cut above a very decent field and he looks more than capable of taking a Hunter Chase and contesting the Cheltenham Foxhunters too though whether he'd be good enough to cope with the likes of Zemsky is another matter entirely.

As for Big Bucks' nephew Bucks Bond was having just his third start in as many seasons and though he looked fit and well in the paddock and was well supported in the ring (eventually going off 4/6ish) he failed to complete the course - exiting the race roughly a mile from the finish somewhere in the dip as they go out of sight for 200 yards or so, not sure how exactly Will Biddick came off but he was on board when they went into it and off when they came out but I wouldn't give up on him just yet.

There was a large Barber youngster presence at the track today with a runner or two in each of the Maiden's with Spider Monkey (owned by Jared Sullivan) running out an impressive enough winner of the first division under Will Biddick whilst I'm The Decider (Jack Barber) made it a double for the yard in the second division.

One for the future could be the 5yo who won the Restricted (winners of one) today in the shape of Hincheslea Moor who had been led out unsold at Brightwells Cheltenham last year for £8,000 and had attracted interest from Donald McCain amongst others and won this with a fair bit in hand despite appearing to carry plenty of condition in the paddock - he looks more than capable of going on to take a bumper uner rules and carve out a successful career in that sphere given this kept in tact his 100% record when completing the course (he'd fallen on debut on his only other start).

Great days racing and hopefully more of the same at Wadebridge tomorrow :)

Martin
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Suzy Berry is OK apparently after looking not good after her fall. Shes had a CT scan at Southamton where they took her and it is clear so its just a matter of recovering now. That last fence is a real problem and they need to sort it out promptly.

Bucks Bond was unlucky (according to my pilot who was in behind) - a horse fell in front and Biddick had no choice but to unseat.

Some very very good racing with huge fields. I think the ground was suprisingly quick hence the fallers (only 2 finished in the second div of the conditions race) and those pulling up sore (which mine miraculously wasn't!) - 3 of the first 4 in Div 1 of the maiden were dismounted including the very taking Spider Monkey. Sadly the organisation was not the best and I'd imagine Mr Barber was more than a little vocal about it!

I had a pretty profitable day backing Spider Monkey, I'm The Decider & Hinchelsea Moor and 2 seconds (but backed to win) from only 6 bets - fortunately I didn't splash out on a new hat as my horse at home had ripped his outdoor rug to shreds in my absence:mad:
 
Irish Stamp said:
Naunton Brook appears to need softer ground and a genuine stamina test, surely a possible for the 3m 5f race at Dunthrop in a couple of weeks time which IIRC he won last year.
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Nearly - he won the Lord Ashton Of Hyde (4m, and the season's first "Classic") at Dunthrop last year.

The race over 3m5f on the same card is the ladies open, which I'm insistent should be the next port of call for Gidam Gidam - few other ladies opens on the calendar are going to represent enough of a stamina test for him. If Heather Kemp is not well enough to owner-ride him on the day, I'd not be surprised if Claire Hart deputised again.

Jeremy
(graysonscolumn)
 
Irish Stamp said:
According To John took the Mens Open and was a cut above a very decent field and he looks more than capable of taking a Hunter Chase and contesting the Cheltenham Foxhunters too
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This will be the target for him, I'm advised by my correspondent on the track yesterday, assuming they can secure another win with him in time. Do note, however, that he won this in receipt of 7lb from the apparently more exposed (in this sphere) Mustangsallyrally, so the hope has to be the latter has improved appreciably for the handling of the useful-looking Martin Cooney - not impossible.

Jeremy
(graysonscolumn)
 
Irish Stamp said:
One for the future could be the 5yo who won the Restricted (winners of one) today in the shape of Hincheslea Moor who had been led out unsold at Brightwells Cheltenham last year for £8,000 and had attracted interest from Donald McCain amongst others and won this with a fair bit in hand despite appearing to carry plenty of condition in the paddock - he looks more than capable of going on to take a bumper uner rules and carve out a successful career in that sphere given this kept in tact his 100% record when completing the course (he'd fallen on debut on his only other start).
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Bet that'll up his asking price now if James Young is tempted to try selling him once again - dispatching the biggest field to line up in a single Pointing race since day one of the PPORC fixture at Barbury exactly three years earlier!

That win was good reward for Young and his staff, who have done basically everything to prepare the gelding for racing - when sold to Young out of Jo Mann's operation at Brightwells in June 2010, he was apparently a still-unbroken 5yo.

Jeremy
(graysonscolumn)
 
Irish Stamp said:
can say you can get a chunk on in East Anglia as we went for a touch with our fella at the opening EA meet of the 2010/11 meeting though it did force the price from 7/2 down to 4/5.
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You do have to pick and choose your way through the courses in East Anglia, Martin. Cottenham is, as you rightly say, a good place to get a stack on - especially those early, pre-Christmas meetings where touches are attempted by connections of horses believed race-fit despite the lack (in many cases) of recent match practice.

Conversely the aptitude / stinginess of the Marks Tey bookies has long been deemed worthy of comment in Mackenzie and Harris (and antecedents). The comment about them in the course's write-up read "bad bookies" for about 20 years until the mid-2000s, when it was changed - to "bookies (hopeless)"!

I don't know what your experiences of Larkhill were from a shovelling-on perspective yesterday, Martin, but I've mostly found the Wessex bookies to be pretty competitive on my (up to now) infrequent forays into that Area. Sometimes it just requires one pitch in the line to serve it up to the remainder and almost goad them into following suit - a gent calling himself "Wessex Bookie" did that for every race when I went to Ston Easton four years ago, to the credit of both him and those peers of his who took up the challenge.

Jeremy
(graysonscolumn)
 
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jinnyj said:
Bucks Bond was unlucky (according to my pilot who was in behind) - a horse fell in front and Biddick had no choice but to unseat.
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Correct - Cossack Dancer fell at the 12th and wiped him out, so Bucks Bond absolutely cannot be blamed for his exit yesterday. He remains a really taking prospect if none the worse for the experience.

Jeremy
(graysonscolumn)
 
Arkwright said:
According to the RP database he had one 3rd placing from 17 PTP's so can't imagine any comments are going to be too complimentary!
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From the 2010 Annual, the last in which he appeared:

"Can show speed, but has a habit of ignoring the fences, and does not look willing when push comes to shove".

That could have been a whole lot more barbed, especially considering he had a Mackenzie and Harris long handicap rating of 8-0 (very low indeed) and a squiggle.

HTH,

Jeremy
(graysonscolumn)
 
Wasn't having much on yesterday Jeremy but the bookmaker cut the price immediately as soon as I'd backed the horse in question.

Marks Tey normally gets some decent fields to be fair - disappointing the only time I've been but I'd imagine they'd already done their cash putting up evs about Doppio Movimento in the 148cm Pony Race before watching her stroll home a distance clear having had Alex Embiricos down at the start to help her jump off (had been slowly away at Horseheath). If they do this in points then it's no surprise they won't lay a bet ;)

Was chatting to a friend who did a lot of work with Hincheslea Moor last year and was due to ride against him yesterday and he was full of praise for the horse, as I said there'll certainly be a lot more to come from him judged on his physical appearance yesterday and I'm excited for his next start though that's not likely to be until mid/end of Feb apparently.

In Ireland today Footy Facts maintained his unbeaten record this season when taking the Open at Aghballogue beating amongst others a 15yo Whyso Mayo and impressive Dromahane scorer from last November Rotorua.

Martin
 
Irish Stamp said:
Marks Tey normally gets some decent fields to be fair - disappointing the only time I've been
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Gulp - hope that wasn't last season's 11-runner meeting you went to, was it? The field sizes can be a bit on the thin side (even if there's quality among them) as the toughness and length of the course puts off many, but that Easter fixture was absolutely without precedent in that neck of the woods!

Still not the season's lowest, though, as we both know...

Jeremy
(graysonscolumn)
 
No thankfully it was the one before which had around 35 runners I think (Essex National meeting).

That meeting at Easter was a con rather than a P2P meeting IMO. Though I did note the race reader that day did ok out of it :lol:

Would like to go back to MT tbh but maybe when we've had a bit of rain - I know parts of the track get particularly boggy but it looks a decent course to me and I think when the rain gets into it it could be a genuine stayers track.

Pleased to read at JFF that The Slug was "only" injured yesterday at Larkhill and also great to see that the Viewpoint site seems to be getting updated with far more regularity than it was last season - top marks to those at The Point To Point Company for that :)

Martin
 
There will be the weight of Great Expectations upon your youthful shoulders, young Stamp - as you know, a good pal wants to come pointing with us, although I think there might only be one she can now get to. I've bigged you up so much that she now wants you to think about finding her an 'orse! Your reputation goes before you, sir...
 
I really appreiciate thread like this but I must be honest and say I can't get my head round pointing at all. I've never been to a meeting and could't tell you where one course is I do know Larkhill is no where near Larkhall in Scotland and that's about it.

However am a bit of a leecher and hang on to every word you guys write.

Keep up the good work!

Oh and Jeremy if that horse you tipped for the Foxhunters a few weeks back when you were the guest on TR doesn't win, I will send the :ninja: boys round :lol:
 
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Tanlic, why don't you join Martin and me on one or two of our planned outings - I've only been to one point (South Godstone), but IS covers pretty much half of the country, such is his enthusiasm. If you are anywhere nearish to the South-East of England, we could all meet up, and IS could give us both a tutorial!
 
I've been to over 50 Pointing events, they're good yes, but you don't arf find some wierd people there for example; I was walking around with my Girlfriend when some lady come up to us offering a flower in tin foil - we knew! instantly said no thank you. We later find this women talking to someone on the course and lookin at us, it was about 30 minutes after being offered this flower than my girlfriend had 4 or 5 local horsey women come up to her and escort her of the course, one of them threw a punch at her and these were pretty butch women aswell.

Last time I'm ever going pointing, their not in touch with reality them people out there.
 
Terrific thread. I used to follow the East Anglian pointing circuit quite closely (I had a few rides and we used to run a few too, plus my parents were secretaries at a meeting too) but latterly have slightly let it slip away. It's so hard to keep on top of the form unless you really put the hours in and you need to be going to the tracks every week too. My focus has switched entirely to the professionals which is much easier to follow.

With that in mind would one of you (or more) be prepared to offer a brief (or long if you so desire) overview of the current look of the Foxhunters? It's always a race I like (I saw Bon Accord and Cappa Bleu in the flesh before their fine efforts) but no idea of the form this year. No bother if you'd rather not! ;)
 
Sheila Crowe (Cappa Bleu's trainer) will win it again with My Flora IMO - will go into more detail later when I have more time.
 
Tanlic said:
Oh and Jeremy if that horse you tipped for the Foxhunters a few weeks back when you were the guest on TR doesn't win, I will send the :ninja: boys round :lol:
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Oh bugger - no pressure, then! :eek: :D

Martin - it's not the same as yours, for all that I will be having an investment in My Flora as well in the hope she can jump up and down hills as well as Cappa Bleu. That's proven in Pointing, but only really at Maiden level a couple of years ago now - Cappa Bleu had answered that question at Open level before Cheltenham (at Horseheath), of course.

Jeremy
(graysonscolumn)
 
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Day one of the Yorkshire Area season for me this coming Sunday, with the YAPPC holding their annual meeting at the Sheriff Hutton course owned and run by the Easterbys.

Every chance, as is often the case, that the David Easterby- and Cherry Coward-trained animals will dominate under whichever Greenalls, Cowards and Bannisters have been jocked on, but Leac An Scail's Cottenham win on New Year's Eve should be taken to serve notice that Samantha Drake's got her string hard fit early on again.

The genie's out of the bottle a bit now so I'm unsure there'll be any 3-1 for me to thieve about Optimistic Harry in the Ladies Open this time (eventually won cosily at 11-4), but no harm in looking for it. Her Keeverfield did me a ton of favours last season as well and is set to reappear in the Conditions event at Sheriff, though Heart Of All England hero Bitter Blue (a half-brother to Mossley) isn't likely to make things easy if taking in this race instead of the Mens Open.

Quite a number of other familiar names feature elsewhere in the card, including Borero, Harmony Brig, Just Smudge, My Old Piano (winner of 15 of his 17 completed Points), Wild Is The Wind (4-4 in Points last year for the now-retired Gemma Hutchinson), Moustique De L'Isle, Pristine Condition, Sonevafushi and Amicelli.

They also race on Sunday at Ampton (Suffolk) and Black Forest Lodge (Exeter), with decent-sized initial entries taken at both. I need to have a deeper look at the contents of those yet, though.

Jeremy
(grayonscolumn)
 
Bitter Blue and co will surely just make the market for the Drake horses Jeremy :)

Won't be at any meetings this weekend but the standout entry at Ampton for me is the highly progressive What A Laugh who's 2/2 this season having taken his Maiden at Barbury in the final race of the two day meeting and then followed up in easy fashion at Chaddesley Corbett just after Christmas. Amtpon will be a different test in as much as it's more undulating than the two tracks he's run at previously but he garnered plenty of experience under rules in Ireland and he has the potential to progress into a useful Novice Hunter Chaser this season.
 
What A Laugh is a credit to all concerned with him - Richard Davies-Cooke for keeping the faith in owning Pointers after previous attempts to didn't even get as far as the racetrack; and Gary Hanmer for continuing to grasp the nettle in finding opportunities for his early-season horses with two months still to go before his native North West Area even hosts its first fixture.

Hope you're right about the "home" horses making the market for Drake's on Sunday, Martin! Having checked I've been reminded that Keeverfield did go off as high as 8-1 for the same Conditions contest last season, but My Old Piano was a barely odds-against favourite that pushed everything else out that day and Keeverfield's performance still predated even the first part of his 2011 win spree.

Suspect I'll be on e/w rather than win regardless, as I just have Keeverfield down as being a touch more vulnerable left-handed.

Jeremy
(graysonscolumn)
 
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What does the knowledge make of the Hunters Chase in Newbury tomorrow? My Flora is running and would appear to have a decent chance...hot race for this time of year though. All opinions most welcome, not too knowledgeable on the English P2P form.
 
trefflich said:
What does the knowledge make of the Hunters Chase in Newbury tomorrow? My Flora is running and would appear to have a decent chance...hot race for this time of year though. All opinions most welcome, not too knowledgeable on the English P2P form.
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My flora is in terrific form but as you say this is a hot hunters chase..... on form it looks like she has to find 25lbs with Alvarado but the latter his having it's first run for a new yard so hard to know!
 
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