06 May 2008 Pendle Forest & Craven - Heslaker
General Grey: took the Members race under Joanne Mason
Persistent rain before and during racing made conditions very testing at the Pendle Forest Point-to-Point at Heslaker on Sunday, with the concluding Maiden race taking in excess of eight and a half minutes.
Clerk of the Course Tom Bannister had a double on the day. The first leg came courtesy of his Grimthorpe fourth, General Grey, who started odds on favourite to win the Members under Joanne Mason. The pair duly obliged, taking up the running at the 15th fence, winning eased down by an easy 5 lengths.
Bannister's double came courtesy of Sonevafushi who never came out of second gear to win the Men's Open. Quickening clear of Ask Bobby approaching the final fence, Oliver Greenall only had to push out the short priced favourite to win by 6 lengths.
Greenall went on to complete a double when the well backed favourite The Fairhill Boy, who had not run since winning at Alnwick in January, was the easiest winner of the day in the Restricted beating Tony's Pride by 15 lengths.
Both Sonevafushi and The Fairhill Boy are trained by Cherry Coward, who went on to a score a training treble at the meeting when her own Narciso, ridden by her daughter Jacqueline, just prevailed in a driving finish to win the Ladies' Open by half a length.
The concluding Maiden was just as close with the first three home jumping the last fence in a line. Mark Walford though forced Be Realistic up to win by half a length. Artic Omen, who had made all the running, took second place, the same position he had filled under Guy Brewer last year to another Walford trained runner, Gypsy George, who won a handicap chase at Uttoxeter the previous day.