GO TO SEASON 2007 NEWS ITEMS

South-East pair dominate Gerrard final at Huntingdon

Often berated, by so-called experts of the sport, as a 'below average' part of the country for P-t-p racing it was two South-East Ladies/horses that fought out the finish in the Huntingdon final of the Gerrard Ladies series. Victory, by the proverbial nose, went to Carryonharry ridden confidently by Cynthia Haydon, who was participating in her first Hunter Chase after an 'extensive' career of around 30 p-t-p races - and coming just a year and a month after her first ever winner. Ironically it was only after the post that she realised the battle had been fought against the same rider whose aspirations on the South-East's area Ladies title she had dashed when claiming the title for herself in the very last race of the South-East season last Saturday. Hannah Grissell, deputising on Millenium Way for injured owner/trainer Caroline Taylor, admitted that she thought she was going to catch Carryonharry halfway up the run-in, but Heather Silk's grey had found a little bit more when he realised that a serious challenge was being made.

Picture copyright of Racetech - printed without permission (hopefully with permission as soon as the site editor can get hold of someone at Racetech)

Camilla's got A Few Bob Back

Another victory for a South-East horse in East Anglia at Mark's Tey on Saturday Feb. 18th. Camilla Ewart (possible better known to many South-East spectators as Camilla Andrews of 'Naughty Dandy' fame) won the Ladies Open with her 'new for 2006' horse A Few Bob Back. A winner several times under rules - it might be worth noting that four of his six previous victories came within three weeks of each other. Another South-East pointer chased him home thus extending Storm Castle's record to six consecutive seasons of being placed in PtP racing.  

Swincombe makes his case for being the 2006 best pointer in the South-East

Which is something of an irony as he is yet to race in a South-East race. A winner in East Anglia last season he was one of three South-East horses to be given a rating of 100 or more by the Racing Post in a point-to-point race in 2005 (Satchmo when winning in East Anglia and Struggles Glory at Charing & Penshurst being the others) (Parham Open winner Cape Stormer also scored a 101 in a  Hunter Chase). Having only just been touched off in the last few strides of the prestigious 4 mile Lord Ashton Cup at the Heythrop in January, rider Andrew Hickman used similar tactics again - hitting the front three from home but this time establishing too big a lead to be caught when winning Folkestone's February Hunter Chase.

South-East Horses take treble at High Easter

A squad of fourteen horses traveled under the Thames to contest the races at High Easter on Sunday Feb. 12th. Luckily some rain had eventually arrived on the Saturday night and continued throughout the best of the Sunday - resulting in many mud-splattered riders. The first runners were in the babies maiden where Buster Mai (Philip Hall) was beaten by half a length (by the way Philip - you were right - the video does show that you were 'chopped' turning into the last bend - since you were only half a length down at the time and had to take a pull to go the other side of the eventual winner you did have a very good case (Right click here to download the video)). Alex Merriam finished third on Munsters Best for the yard of Sarah & Andrew Hickman..

Little Herman (Chris Gordon) took the Mens Open. Although twice a winner when trained by Jim Old the horse (pulled up in four of his last five races under rules) was only rated in the low 80's by the BHB/Racing Post - which is effectively the rating needed to win a good Restricted or moderate Conditions race. Taking his steed to the front halfway through the first circuit Chris slowly wound the pace up and the opposition slowly dropped off the pace one by one and the only two that managed to stay the pace had nothing more to give once they hit the home straight.

Millenium Way has already suffered two defeats in 2006 - albeit once by less than a length at Ampton and then by less than a nostril last week at Charing. This weekend Caroline Taylor took her other horse Minino back to East Anglia. After a very ragged start the pair jumped the first fence twelve lengths behind the lead horse. By the time she jumped the same fence again, which would be the last next time round, she was more than twenty lengths behind the leader with only two others behind her. At the sixth from home the gap was still twenty lengths. Anna Sansom on Exodous had slipped away from the others in the leading group and had opened up a five length lead at the fifth from home - Minino now up to fourth but still 16 lengths adrift and the gap was still the same over the third last. Exodous was now tiring as was everything behind him bar Minino who swept by approaching the last obstacle.

In the concluding Club Moderate the South East contingent led for nearly all of the race. Initially it was Kevin Tork's Altereek (Gordon Gallagher) who led over the first three fences. He handed over the baton to Noel Wilson on Garrison Friendly who then led for the next circuit. Gordon then resumed the lead after the sixth from home. He had opened up a ten length lead by the third last and was still going away. Having only his second outing over the bigger obstacles but still going away the leader got his legs all wrong at the penultimate and crumpled on landing. Gordon had held onto his horse and was quickly in a position to consider attempting a remount. Unfortunately his mount was less than cooperative and Gordon is one of the more 'height challenged' riders of the area. The pair now using six legs instead of four, were halfway to the final jump by the time they were relegated to second place. A few strides more and then Indoux (Peter Bull) had inherited second place and Gordon gave up the attempt. The new leader was tiring and the South-East pair went past approaching the final jump with Noel and Garrison grimly running on again to take third.

DVD of this meeting available

The site editor took his camcorder with him.and DVDs of the whole meeting (7 races) are ready to be shipped to those that wish to purchase. Click to go to the site page about purchase of meeting DVDs.

Weeks 1, 2 & 3

No wins - just three second places to show for the first three weeks of 2006 racing. After a quiet week 1 there was a couple of second places recorded at Higham - Andrew Hickman ridden Heaven Is Above, formerly with Didy Rowell, started favourite but could only manage second in a Club race. Previously Newick Park, downgrading from running under rules could only manage second of a three horse Mans Open. The race went to Star Glow (with a Sandhurst area ticket) owned/trained by regulars in the south-east Ray York and ridden by son Phil. The same combination had clocked up one of their normal early season maiden successes in week 1 with Benny.

Two of the Tindall/Gordon horses visited Tweseldown  in week 2 but without bothering the judge. The Torks ran Kirov King (4th) and Cedar Chief (3rd in the Ladies Open). A week later the same yards were represented at Barbury Castle with Magniolia and Cedar Chied respectively - and faired no better.

Millenium Way (Caroline Taylor) came close to opening the South-East's account. Unbeaten since returning to his previous owners course this time last year (perhaps he is trying to tell you something Caroline) went down by a length to the favourite Little Brown Bear (thus confirming the winners rating of 98 and the 95 of Millenium Way).  Dick McCarthy (Sarah Ashby) finished fourth of the five runners.