Last Updated - 28th November 2007
28th November 2007 Midlands Area Pre-Season Preview 2007/8
The Point to Point season starts on 2nd of December with meetings in Devon and Hampshire. Nearer to the Midlands however, two meetings are scheduled in the month, at Cottenham near Cambridge on the 9th and the 30th. The first local meeting, The Midlands Area Club, takes place at Thorpe Lodge, Nottingham on 27th January.
As expected local stables are primed to introduce some new young horses whilst anticipating success from proven stars.
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28th November 2007 Black Forest Club Preview
More than 130 entries have been received, and racing has been brought forward an hour to 11am, at Black Forest Lodge this Sunday (2nd December) where the first Point-to-Point of the new season takes place.
The Maiden over two and a half miles, which kicks off the card, and the Open Maiden have both been split making an eight race card.
Last year's champion Point-to-Pointer Sea Snipe is set to make her reappearance in the Black Forest Club Members Race for Novice Riders where entries include Mr Evans, Flying Fusilier, Guthrie and Oscar Royal.
The Mixed Open, which is a qualifier for the Volkswagen Touareg Mens Point-to-Point Hunter Chase Final, has attracted a high class field and Fool On The Hill will be bidding to make it a full house having won on the Flat, over hurdles and over fences under Rules. This ten-year-old, who was successfully trained by Gerald Cottrell before joining Philip Hobbs, is now with former lady champion Polly Curling and is being trained for the Hobbs family.
Another entry is Cowboyboots, who is a familiar name to National Hunt devotees having run 36 times under rules recording three wins in chases and one over hurdles, all of which came at Fontwell. He will stay every inch of the trip and he likes plenty of cut in the ground.
Other races on the card include an Intermediate, which is a qualifier for the Connolly's Red Mills Intermediate Point-to-Point Championship at Cheltenham in May, and a Restricted.
The course is situated at Black Forest Lodge, Kenton near Exeter of the A380. Entrance is £20 per car.
27th November 2007 Tweseldown Racing Club Point-to-Point – Sunday, 2nd December 2007
Tweseldown racecourse at Church Crookham, near Aldershot, stages the first of 213 meetings in the new Point-to-Point season starting on Sunday 2nd December.
Eighty two entries have been made for the six races, the first of which is at 12.00 noon.
"There is a really good cover of grass all round," said course manager Brynley Powell, "and I anticipate perfect going on the day. We have rebuilt the water jump and improved the take off and landing area there as well."
Competitive racing is assured. Irilut will be a warm order to repeat last year's success in the Mens Open race, having gone on to win six times more, including at Tweseldown, ridden by top amateur Sam Waley-Cohen. Local trainer Victoria Collins runs Whereareyounow in the same race, for owner-rider John Maxse, and is reported to be fit and seriously ready to run.
The Ladies Open, sponsored by Fontwell Park Racecourse is notable for the first runner trained by Jenny Gordon. A successful rider herself, Jenny is now based near Winchester and has taken over the Point-to-Pointers from her husband Chris who now has a full NH training licence. Jenny will saddle Glacial Evening for owner-rider Caroline Holliday.
Leading local jockey Richard Bandey partners Millview, who will be hard to beat blinkered for the first time, in the Club Members Maiden.
Tweseldown, at Church Crookham, nr Aldershot, hosts two further meetings this season on 6 January and 10 February.
Cars are charged at £10 to include the driver, additional adults at £5. Various catering outlets will operate and bookmakers will provide betting opportunities.
27th November 2007 A Preview of the 2008 Wessex area Point to Point season
The 2007/08 POINT-TO-POINT SEASON is rapidly approaching with two meetings taking place – at Black Forest Lodge near Exeter and Tweseldown (Aldershot) – on Sunday 2nd December. Five further meetings are programmed in December – two in the Devon & Cornwall Area, two at Cottenham (Cambridgeshire), and one at Dunthrop, near Chipping Norton on 16th December.
The Wessex Area season gets underway on Saturday 5th January 2008 with the Army meeting at Larkhill. Twenty-four meetings are scheduled in the Wessex Area, which is traditionally among the strongest in the country. Southwestern flew the Area’s flag – and the multicoloured one of his enthusiastic owners – when winning the prestigious Weatherbys Chase John Corbet Cup at Stratford in May. With the new season upon us, this article pinpoints horses to look out for in Wessex in 2008.
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21st November 2007 Point-to-Pointing gears up for 2007/2008 season
The 2007/2008 Point-to-Point season kicks off at both Tweseldown and Black Forest Lodge on Sunday, 2nd December in what promises to be another exciting season between the flags.
As per 2006 / 2007, 213 Point-to-Point fixtures will be staged this season on 117 courses. However, this year 2 additional fixtures have moved into December, bringing that month's tally to 7. These are:
- Cambridge University Draghounds on Sunday, 9th December at Cottenham
- The Farmers Bloodhounds on Sunday 16th December at Dunthrop
Fixtures returning for 2007 / 2008, after missing a year are the Mid-Surrey Farmers Draghounds at Godstone on 10th February and the Carmarthenshire at Erw Lon on 1st March. Mollington is now out of action due to development but Guilsborough and Dunthrop will be accommodating its fixtures.
New venues for this season include Sheriff Hutton, a left-handed track, located off the A665 about 10 miles north / north east of York, which hosts the Yorkshire Area Point-to-Point Club meeting and Treborough Hill, which stages the Dulverton Farmers meeting and can be found on the B3224 on the Wheddon Cross to Raleighs Cross Road. This too is a left-handed track.
Pointing welcomes Connolly's Red Mills this season as a new National Sponsor of an Intermediate series which will culminate in a final at Cheltenham on 7th May. Volkswagen is also continuing with its national sponsorship of the Men's Open Series, whilst Dodson & Horrell are back for their 21st year. This season they will be sponsoring a brand new Novice Riders Series, which will end with a final at the North West Point-to-Point Club meeting at Tabley on 18th May. Finally, The Thoroughbred Breeders Association and the North West Point-to-Point Club will again be jointly sponsoring the Mares Maiden Series, which has its final at the Atherstone meeting on 20th April.
Four year old horses will again be able to compete and progress through the ranks upon winning their maiden race. In 2006 15 Hunter Certificates were registered for 4 yr olds, with 10 running a total of 15 times producing one winner which then went into training. In 2007, 35 Hunter Certificates for 4 year olds were registered with 25 of those running a total of 42 times. 5 won their Maiden races thus becoming eligible to progress to Restricted races etc.
19th November 2007 AVAILABLE NOW – Annual 2008 & Planner 2007/8
Weatherbys Chase are pleased to announce that the eagerly awaited Hunter Chasers & Point-to-Pointers 2008 has been published and is available to Order. Priced at £40 + p&p, the book is a 'must-have' publication and invaluable source of reference for anyone interested in, or involved with, the sport of Point-to-Pointing.
The Point-to-Point & Hunter Chase Race Planner 2007/8 is also available, priced at £20 + p&p.
For further information on both publications, plus a myriad of other racing titles, please visit weatherbys-bookshop.com.
Alternatively you can place your order by phone, with a debit or credit card, by calling Weatherbys Chase on 01933 304792 or email orders@weatherbys.co.uk.
2nd November 2007 Hackwood Park Gets "Make-Over"
Hackwood Park has been the subject of a serious make-over during the summer months thanks to Clerk of the Course Bill Welling.
Welling was in charge for the two meetings last Spring - one was abandoned because of dangerously hard ground - and following that experience has made several changes.
Two of the seven fences were new for last season, another new one has been built, two of the original fences have been rebuilt, and the second fence has been moved twenty metres down the course towards the first bend as it had been causing problems situated, as it was, on the narrowest part of the course. Now it has been widened and is much more inviting.
Both bends have been repaired with groundbreakers to remove compaction and eight tons of topsoil were applied early in the summer. "We cut hay on the course in August and now there's an excellent growth of grass which we will mow and top dress as necessary." said Welling.
"There will be no stock on the racecourse at any time - not least because I do not want to risk being unable to move them off if there should be another foot and mouth outbreak."
Plans for the longer term include the provision of mains water in the horse box park and possibly in the paddock area.
Owners, trainers and riders can be confident that Hackwood Park will be in the best condition it has ever been for the three scheduled meeting starting on 24 March 2008. Further meetings follow on 6 April and 5 May.
8th August 2007 Eligibility of Horses for the 2007/2008 Point-to-Point Season
No Horse shall be eligible to be entered or run in a Point-to-Point Steeple Chase in the current Point-to-Point Season which:-
• Is less than 4 years old.
• On or since 3 rd June 2007 has won any race under the Rules of any Recognised Turf Authority other than:-
• A Steeple Chase run between March 1 st 2008 and May 24 th 2008 which is confined to Amateur Riders, or
• A Hunters Steeple Chase.
• On or since 1 st November 2007 has run in any race under the Rules of any Recognised Turf Authority other than:-
• A Steeple Chase run between March 1 st 2008 and May 24 th 2008 which is confined to Amateur Riders, or
• A Hunters Steeple Chase.
N.B. Four year old horses are only eligible to run in Maiden Races for four, five, six and seven year olds until they have won such a race.
• On or since November 1st 2007 :
• has been in the care of a trainer licensed under the Rules of any Turf Authority unless the horse is, or was at the time the property of himself, his spouse or a co-habitant by reason of a personal relationship, parents, grandparents, sons, daughters, grandchildren, brothers, sisters (or the Executors of such persons), free of all lease or other joint arrangement, except partnerships between such persons.
• has been in the care of a person holding a permit to train under the Rules of any Turf Authority whilst the horse was so stabled or trained, unless the horse was at the time the property of himself, his spouse or a co-habitant by reason of a personal relationship, parents, grandparents, sons, daughters, grandchildren, brothers, sisters (or the Executors of such persons), free of all lease or other joint arrangement, except partnerships between such persons.
• has won a Steeple Chase, other than one confined to amateur riders, run under the Orders and Rules of any Recognised Turf Authority on or since 31 st May 2005 and which has a penalty value of £20,000 or more . For the purpose of calculating the value of races run outside of Great Britain and the Channel Islands the rates of exchange to the £ (Sterling) shown in Appendix C to the Rules of Racing will be used for the relevant year in which the race was run.
