Rickety Bridge and Fascinating Rhythm have been rated Britain’s leading four- and five-year-old point-to-pointers from the 2022/23 season.
Their ratings, assessed by Martin Harris, appear in the next edition of the Yearbook, which will be available from the end of October or early November priced at £30 plus £3.80 postage. Copies can be ordered via the ‘Shop’ section of this website.
French-bred Rickety Bridge (rated 103) was owned, trained and ridden by Will Biddick when winning his sole start comfortably, beating six rivals at Bishops Court in Devon in March. Runner-up Nedzor has not run since, but third-placed Minella Nationwide won a seven-runner maiden race next time out. A son of Kapgarde and the mare Buck’s Babe – a half-sister to the outstanding staying hurdler Big Buck’s – Rickety Bridge has since joined Paul Nicholls and has new owners.
Rickety Bridge (Will Biddick), pictured winning at Bishops Court, is the leading four-year-old (Photo: Tim Holt)
Fascinating Rhythm (113) (pictured top of the page), a son of Bobby’s Kitten, was bred by leading breeder Kirsten Rausing, who also owned and bred last year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Alpinista. Sold as a foal, Fascinating Rhythm raced in points as a four-year-old for Cherry Coward before joining her sister-in-law, Steph Easterby, for the latest season. Carrying the colours of Steph’s mother-in-law Alice Easterby he made a winning debut for her yard in restricted company at Sheriff Hutton, chased home the smart Mount Mews at Duncombe Park – champion pointer Cullin Hills finished third – and then won at Askham Bryan. Moved up to open company at Charm Park – in a race held a few days after his owner had passed away following a long illness – he finished a close second behind Jetaway Joey who, on his previous start at Charing, had beaten the subsequent Stratford winner Kaproyale.
Joint-second to Rickety Bridge in Harris’s list of four-year-old ratings are Ask Brewster, Jo Arengeot Bey and Wicked Thoughts (all on 99), while Nedzor and Rehill Relic are next best (93).
Rated second to Fascinating Rhythm among five-year-olds is Ihandaya (109) ahead of Il Pino (105).
*On Friday a look at Harris’s ratings for six- and seven-year-olds and the top horses of 2023