Pointing South East - OLD SURREY BURSTOW & WEST KENT 2003

OLD SURREY BURSTOW & WEST KENT

Penshurst - Saturday 26th April 2003

Going: Good to Firm, Good in places, firm in places
Weather - a nice late April afternoon

Click on the to get the Racing Post's full run down of the result

Hunt	1 - Esprit De Cotte (Phil York) 1/3 fav. 2 - Caddy Man (Andrew Coveney) 6/1 Only 2 finished 5 ran	An easy win for Esprit
Restricted	1 - Persian Hero (James Owen) 9/4 2 - Rush N Tear (Nigel Benstead) 2/1 jt. fav 3 - Ravens Point (M Caldell) 20/1 6 ran	Enigmatic Ishma tries to organise a sit-down protest
Confined	1 - Cedar Chief (Gordon Gallagher) 3/1 2 - White Smoke (Russell Ross) 3/1 3 - Shamron (Peter Bull) 5/4 fav. 5 ran	Cedar Chief - another easy winner on the day
Ladies Open	1 - Polden Pride (Lucia Borradaile) Evens 2 - Bruan (Jenny Gordon) 4/5 fav. Only 2 ran	The old stager shows the way home
Mens Open	1 - Seod Rioga (Chris Gordon) 2/7 fav. 2 - Drumlin (James Owen) 4/1 Only 2 finished 3 ran	Another grand old local regular!
Maiden	1 - The Glen Road (Andrew Sansome) 5/4 fav. 2 - Forest Fortress (David Turner) 3/1 3 - Vertical Air (Steve Spice) 33./1 7 ran	The Glen Road leads over the last

Race reviews

Hunt
All five entries were declared to run. Esprit De Cotte's recent completion over the Grand National fences in the Aintree Foxhunters seems to have rekindled his interest in racing and he was made the 1/3 favourite under Phil York. Next in the betting was Caddy Man (Andrew Coveney) at 6's. The favourite set the early running and with the better jumping over each fence just slowly drew away from the others. Caddy Man was the only other to complete.

Restricted
The betting was very close between three horses in the six runner Restricted. Both Charlie's Angel (Phil York) and Rush N Tear (Nigel Benstead) could be had at 2's whilst the sharp punter could have got 9/4 about Persian Hero (James Owen) - down from Suffolk. Rush N Tear made the early pace. Going out on the second circuit the leading three in the betting had slipped clear of the others. Philips Angel sent him flying at the fifth last and then Persian Hero slowly drew away from Rush N Tear. Ravens Point (M Caldell 20/1) finished third.

Confined
There were five declared. Shamron (Peter Bull), runner-up here a fortnight ago, was made 5/4 fav.Cedar Chief (Gordon Gallagher) and White Smoke (Russell Ross) were at 3's. Like Esprit De Cotte earlier Gordon decided to do it all from the front. And just as before with the same result - he just went further and further away from the rest of the runners. White Smoke beat Shamron in their private race for second.

Ladies Open
There were only 2 declared from the Ladies - Bruan all the way down from Suffolk ridden by Jenny Gordon and made favourite at 4/5. The other was 15 year old Polden Pride (Lucia Borradaile), up from the West Country, at evens. The veteran did it from the front. Jenny tucked in at three or four lengths behind. She made her move three from home and the two rose at the second last together. The old campaigner made the better jump and the race was never really in doubt from then.

Mens Open
Three were declared for the Mens Open. This time the veteran Seod Rioga (Chris Gordon) was favourite - at 2/7. Suffolk invader Drumlin (James Owen) was at 4's. The outsider lost his rider when belting the seventh from home. Once again the tactic of doing it from the front worked again as Drumlin, not helped by a bad mistake at the second last, was unable to close the gap. The favourite being the fourth horse today to do it all from flag to post.

Maiden
As per normal the Maiden was the biggest field of the day - 7 declared. Three horses that were placed last time out were the market leaders - The Glen Road (Andrew Sansome) was the 5/4 favourite, at 11/4 was Fables Green (Dan Dennis) and at 3's Forest Fortress (David Turner). Most of the early running was made by Vertical Air (Steve Spice 33/1). He eventually gave up the lead to the favourite going to the fourth from home. Forest Fortress then jumped past the early leader at the third last and closed within a length of the leader going to the second last. The favourite maintained this lead to the last and then to the line. The early leader finished another eight lengths down.

Year 2003
Fixture List

Hunt	All five entries were declared to run. Esprit De Cotte's recent completion over the Grand National fences in the Aintree Foxhunters seems to have rekindled his interest in racing and he was made the 1/3 favourite under Phil York. Next in the betting was Caddy Man (Andrew Coveney) at 6's. The favourite set the early running and with the better jumping over each fence just slowly drew away from the others. Caddy Man was the only other to complete.
Restricted	The betting was very close between three horses in the six runner Restricted. Both Charlie's Angel (Phil York) and Rush N Tear (Nigel Benstead) could be had at 2's whilst the sharp punter could have got 9/4 about Persian Hero (James Owen) - down from Suffolk. Rush N Tear made the early pace. Going out on the second circuit the leading three in the betting had slipped clear of the others. Philips Angel sent him flying at the fifth last and then Persian Hero slowly drew away from Rush N Tear. Ravens Point (M Caldell 20/1) finished third.
Confined	There were five declared. Shamron (Peter Bull), runner-up here a fortnight ago, was made 5/4 fav.Cedar Chief (Gordon Gallagher) and White Smoke (Russell Ross) were at 3's. Like Esprit De Cotte earlier Gordon decided to do it all from the front. And just as before with the same result - he just went further and further away from the rest of the runners. White Smoke beat Shamron in their private race for second.
Ladies Open	There were only 2 declared from the Ladies - Bruan all the way down from Suffolk ridden by Jenny Gordon and made favourite at 4/5. The other was 15 year old Polden Pride (Lucia Borradaile), up from the West Country, at evens. The veteran did it from the front. Jenny tucked in at three or four lengths behind. She made her move three from home and the two rose at the second last together. The old campaigner made the better jump and the race was never really in doubt from then.
Mens Open	Three were declared for the Mens Open. This time the veteran Seod Rioga (Chris Gordon) was favourite - at 2/7. Suffolk invader Drumlin (James Owen) was at 4's. The outsider lost his rider when belting the seventh from home. Once again the tactic of doing it from the front worked again as Drumlin, not helped by a bad mistake at the second last, was unable to close the gap. The favourite being the fourth horse today to do it all from flag to post.
Maiden	As per normal the Maiden was the biggest field of the day - 7 declared. Three horses that were placed last time out were the market leaders - The Glen Road (Andrew Sansome) was the 5/4 favourite, at 11/4 was Fables Green (Dan Dennis) and at 3's Forest Fortress (David Turner). Most of the early running was made by Vertical Air (Steve Spice 33/1). He eventually gave up the lead to the favourite going to the fourth from home. Forest Fortress then jumped past the early leader at the third last and closed within a length of the leader going to the second last. The favourite maintained this lead to the last and then to the line. The early leader finished another eight lengths down.