Charlie Marshall and Will Biddick missed out on places in Saturday’s $100,000 Maryland Hunt Cup in America.
Marshall, who won the race last year on Blackhall, finished fifth on the same horse, while Biddick’s mount Mr Fine Threads fell at the 16th of the 22 fences, but both he and the horse were quickly on their feet and unscathed.
Despite the fall Biddick said: “It was an incredible trip, but I’m just annoyed I didn’t get to fight out a finish. I feel as though I have unfinished business,” while Marshall summed up his second ride in the race when he said: “The horse in front fell in a hole last year, but this time I had to make up ground and my horse didn’t have the legs to get there.”
Victory went to Road To Oz (grey pictured above) under former Irish point-to-point rider Conor Tierney, who was landing the famous race for a second time having scored in 2023 on Withoutmoreado. The last-named horse finished second on Saturday, beaten three-quarters of a length under ex-British point-to-point rider Freddie Procter who is now based in the USA and who has finished runner-up for the past two years.
Both Marshall and Biddick rode for trainer Joe Davies, whose son Teddy fell on Great Road. Marshall said: “We had extremes of weather, with rain an hour and a half before the race which made the ground slippery, and then the sun came out and it was 22 degrees. The atmosphere was buzzing, the horses were getting revved up and we were sent down to the start and arrived 12 minutes before the off time. It wasn’t as relaxed as last year.
Charlie Marshall (right) on Blackhall is tracked by Will Biddick (red, yellow cap) on Mr Fine Threads (Photo: Maryland Turf & Field)
“At the third fence I was pushed wide by another runner who kept bouncing off me and then my fella started backing off the fences a bit. At the tenth I gave him a bit more daylight and he jumped better, but, as I said, he didn’t have the legs this time.”
Biddick said: “I was told to take my time and come with one run, but sadly I didn’t get that chance. It’s a course that’s a lot easier to ride than to walk, because it’s so different. The ground was rattling [quick] and I was under instructions from Harriet [his wife] to get up quickly if I had a fall. She didn’t want to be watching from the crowd with me lying on the floor.
“It was a really enjoyable trip and the Davies family were unbelievably hospitable, but everyone there was so enthusiastic about their hunting and timber racing.”
Biddick (nearest camera) stands alongside Marshall for a pre-race photo call (Photo: Maryland Turf & Field)
Biddick is now looking forward to Friday’s Cheltenham evening card of hunters’ chases at which he takes over from injured Fly McIntyre on progressive Douglas Longbottom in the intermediate race. He also rides Norton Hill and Knockmoylan for Harry Ryall, plus Macklin, who he trains, in the Jonathan Neesom Memorial race.
Meanwhile, Marshall is about to make another transatlantic trip having been booked for four rides at Willowdale in Pennsylvania on Saturday week. He said: “It’s either four rides over there or one at Kingston Blount, and I’d rather have four rides.”
Andrews does well on Buoy
Biddick and Marshall have not been the only current British point-to-point riders tackling an unusual course in the past few days.
At the Punchestown Festival yesterday (Tuesday) ten-time champion Gina Andrews rode in the opening race, the Kildare Hunt Club Cross Country Chase for the Ladies’ Cup, a race of just over three miles around the banks course.
Riding for the legendary master of cross-country racing, Limerick trainer Enda Bolger, Andrews finished fifth on Well Buoy, who might well have gone one place better but for an unusual incident before the final bend. When a runner clipped the running rail many metres of it ballooned into the air and onto the course, forcing a number of runners, including Well Buoy, wide of the running line. Andrews and her partner were beaten just a length and three-quarters by the fourth horse as victory went to Wexford-trained Transprint.
Andrews also rode So You Know for trainer Kim Bailey in the Goffs Defender Bumper, but the pair were unplaced.