Point-to-Point racing returned to the South East on Sunday with a thrilling six race card enjoyed by the public, many of whom were attending for the first time.
The opening Maiden race over 2 miles 4 furlongs saw nine of the fifteen entries declared to run. Hannah Clarke trained Right Hand of God made the early running with David Phelan trained Panorama Ridge and Fiona Dennington trained Ker Melba, also handy in the early stages of the race. The bookies favourite Purple Empora was close behind the leaders when falling at the seventh fence and the remaining eight runners were all in contention until fence eleven where the pace of the race increased. Right Hand of God remained prominent however Jasmin des Bordes, Bank On Frank and Penniless all started to move from the held up position to start a challenge to the leader. At the penultimate fence all four runners were still in contention but with the final fence being bypassed Nigel Padfield’s Penniless was the one who managed to gain an advantage and ran home a two length victor over Tom Ellis trained Bank On Frank. Jasmin des Bordes finished a neck further behind in third whilst Right Hand of God took fourth half a length ahead of Panorama Ridge. Ker Melba was the only other finisher with Gold Bandit and Westtara both pulling up.
The RoR & Jockey Club Veteran Horse race followed with six runners declared and was the second race to see the favourite beaten as 2022 area leading trainer Rob Varnham’s Trappist Monk made all to secure the victory by seven lengths over Jenny Gordon trained Commanche Red. Gina Andrews ridden Poli Roi finished two lengths back in third clear of both Myplaceatmidnight and Buffalo Sabre. Scooby who was trained by Rob Varnham in 2022 was unfortunate to unseat jockey/trainer Ryan Botley at the tenth fence when hampered.
The Men’s open was a select affair with three declared runners and was the second victory for Zak Baker who rode Penniless in the opening maiden race and was the first of four victories for trainer Tom Ellis as Jetaway Joey was victorious by one and a half lengths over Fran Poste’s Kaproyale who was sent off the 4/5 favourite. The pair battled in out from the fifteenth fence with the lead changing after they had seen off their only other rival Ballintara. Kaproyale had regained the lead at the final fence but a strong finish from Jetaway Joey provided him with the prime spot in the winner’s enclosure.
Ellis’s second victory was in the Ladies open as 4/9 favourite Latenightfumble ridden by Gina Andrews held on by a head to deny previous course winner Highway One O One trained by Jenny Gordon. Alan Hill’s Back Bar was also in contention at the final fence and finish a length back in third but these three finished clear of Fox Valley who lost touch with his rivals over the final circuit. Imperial Acolyte ran out at the eighth fence ending any hope he had of being involved at the finish. This was the first part of a treble for Gina on the day.
Ellis and Andrew’s second joint success came in the level three Conditions race and much like the Ladies’ open produced a thrilling finish for the watching crowd. Fiver runners were declared and the race was run at a decent pace from the fall of the starter’s flag. Sarah Ashby’s Whatsinthecorner ridden by Charlie Marshall pulled up at the top of the hill on the final circuit leaving the other four runners racing in a line over the final four fences. David Phelan trained Buachail Dana who won three of five starts in 2022 and was sent off the 6/4 favourite made the first move to gain the advantage three fences from home and did look as if he was going to provide the second victory for the area trainers on the day until he blundered at the final fence losing all momentum. This allowed Rob Varnham’s Count Simon and Tom Ellis’s Master Templar to battle it out on the run in with Count Simon having the advantage until the final few strides where Master Templar managed to get his head in front. Thegallantway took third one and a half lengths further back whilst Buachail Dana took fourth.
The final race of the day was the second to be won by the bookmaker’s favourite as Ellis trained Fairly Famous sent off at 1/2 favourite in the betting of the four runners, followed up on his maiden victory at Horseheath in December with success in the Restricted race. He was prominent throughout the race leading for much of the time before briefly being headed in the middle of the race by Andrew Coveney’s Wireless Operator. But coming down the Charing hill for the final time Fairly Famous regained the advantage and was a comfortable five length winner over Hannah Clarke’s Monmouth Hill who finished strongly to beat Wireless Operator. Alan Hill trained Goleirihem finished in fourth a length further back.