A bumper entry plus a dry day ensured that the decent sized crowd that attended the Seavington Point to Point on Sunday had an enjoyable day out with some excellent racing on offer. The organisers would like to thank all participants for their help in keeping the meeting on time during the day. Highlights from the afternoon’s nine race card were a first winner for jockey Conal Kavanagh, training doubles for Luke Price and Josh Newman who also rode his pair plus another win for the high class Macklin, trained and ridden by Will Biddick.
Conal Kavanagh had to wait until the last race to record his first ever winner when he took the Novice Riders race on Moodofthemoment for his boss David Pipe. Hitting the front coming down the final hill, Conal held off a challenge from Rupert Wilks on Beyond Redemption to record a 5 length victory. Although David is officially the trainer, his representative Gerry Supple explained that Conal and Luke Morris (who had earlier been second on their other horse, Castle Daragh) shared the work between them and stressed how much support David gave to the two young jockeys by providing two horses for them to get their riding careers going.
The riding career of Will Biddick needs no introduction and his training career is fast catching up as he showed when he steered the classy Macklin to a cosy half-length success over a persistent Ninth Wave in the shortened Men’s Open. Shouldering a 5lb penalty Macklin was always travelling better than the runner-up and the pair finished over twenty lengths clear of the useful Dr Rhythm in third. Will explained afterwards, “He isn’t the biggest horse so it’s as much as he realistically should carry.” He added that he would discuss plans with owner John Studd who was here to greet his winner, and there was a possibility that Macklin would now go to Cheltenham for the Hunter Chase evening in early May.
Another who was eyeing the May meeting as a target was Tom Ellis, fresh from saddling stable star, Latenightpass who ran with huge credit in the Grand National. Wife Gina who has now taken charge of the pointing side of the operation, comfortably took the Ladies Open on Master Templar. Back in the winner’s enclosure, Gina said to owners Jenny and Richard Hayward afterwards, “He was really enthusiastic the whole way and jumped brilliantly.” Originally bought privately out of Olly Murphy’s yard, this was his tenth win for them and he would now be aimed at the four miler hunter chase at Cheltenham as staying was his forte.
The Welsh trainers in particular, Luke Price, often target this course and with the wet weather decimating their meetings, Luke notched a double courtesy of Mr Bezi in the Maiden Conditions and Joyzain in the first division of the Restricted with James King on board both. James brought Mr Bezi home an easy 12 length winner after putting in a copy-book round of jumping although he did admit that he thought a flatter track would suit him better still. James had actually sourced the horse for the Prices having spotted him in Ireland and bought him privately from Phil Donovan. Still a bit immature physically, he could run up a sequence. Luke’s second winner, Joyzain was given a similarly confident ride by James when he cruised to a 7 length victory over Castle Daragh. Bought very cheaply from Doncaster Sales, he too should be kept on the right side of.
Another Welsh trainer to enjoy success was Arron Jones whose Myfanwy took the second division of the Maiden. A daughter of the hugely prolific Lady Myfanwy herself a winner of 30 points and 5 hunter chases, Myfanwy showed she has inherited her mother’s tenacity when holding off City Silk and Ahanaglogh to record her first win. Arron trains alongside his brother in Rhonda as well as working as a farrier and said “if she’s as half as good as her mother, we will have some fun!” The earlier division of the maiden showed why the downhill fences at Cotley deserve respect when they claimed several fancied horses on the final circuit with Bruce Grobbler falling three out, bringing down Pyleigh Lord while strong favourite Crackerjack Queen who had jumped herself into the lead only to fall at the next leaving Southfield Scope clear. He however propped at the last unseating his rider and it was left to Heidi Stevens to capitalise on her good fortune to forge clear on Navegaon Gate who she also trains for the Mccreesh Racing Club. Surely the best bred horse on the pointing circuit, his breeders probably didn’t envisage his first win being in a point to point being a son of Frankel, out of a half-sister to St Nicholas Abbey but this big 6 year old gelding made his jumping count when it mattered and this success was well-deserved.
Josh Newman has his horses in great form and his consistent Sixteen Letters also proved that a good round of jumping is needed on this course after his nearest pursuer, Scoresby came down when trying to mount a challenge at the last. The John Symes owned Sixteen Letters in now unbeaten in four visits here and clearly relishes the place which enables his breathing abnormality to hinder him less. Josh explained “I knew I had the other horse covered even before he came down, as he was going so well,” while partner Kayley said “he’s just a remarkable horse considering he has this condition but then again he’s never known any different. He could have been some horse if he’d had normal breathing system.” Josh and Kayley’s second winner came when Irlandais built on a promising win at Cothelstone to take the second division of the Restricted from Spear Dancer who also ran with promise. A disappointing spell under Rules had prompted them to try and rejuvenate Irlandais with some easier contests pointing and this was a nice performance.