The curtain came down for the season on the Wessex Point to Point Area on Wednesday evening when the Weston & Banwell and West Somerset Vale held their meeting having survived a biblical style deluge the day before. However the ground held up remarkably well and racegoers were treated to some good racing with a Welsh training double for David Brace and a riding double for champion elect Will Biddick.
The first of the Brace winners went to Looksnowtlikebrian who repeated his win back here in March when taking the Novice Riders race under Callum Pritchard coming home in his own time after sole rival Commanche Red cried enough before the last. With the winner surviving a mid-race blunder in front of the crowd due to “a miss-communication problem” according to the jockey, Looksnowtlikebrian was always just doing enough in front and when he extended his lead and kicked for home, Molly Landau wisely called it a day on Commanche Red. Fellow Welshman, Callum, has known the Brace family for many years and started his career in hunt service with the Ystrad in Wales before eventually quitting and moving to Philip Hobbs’ yard. Trainer David Brace was absent due to flying out on holiday to Spain but always enjoys his forays to the Quantock course.
Classic Concorde duly completed a double for the Welsh yard in the Men’s Open when outstaying his 3 rivals including the useful Sixteen Letters who was sent off favourite following a good win at Vauterhill. The winner had been beaten here in March by Dr Rhythm but with Will Biddick now on board, he employed the same tactics used by Bradley Gibbs successfully on the horse at Bonvilston by making all and using the horse’s abundant stamina. Unsaddling the diminutive gelding Will remarked, “he’s just so game. The more I stoked him up, the more he gave.” This was the first of two wins on the night for Will which took him to 46 winners for the season making him 9 clear of rival Jack Andrews in the Men’s Title.
Will’s second winner of the evening was in the last on his own Uncle Frankel, a nephew of the great Frankel, and while his breeders may not have had a Somerset point to point in mind for his first win, the tall 4 year old travelled well throughout the race before drawing 5 lengths clear of the gallant Millstone who had made much of the running and will surely find a race soon. The winner won with the minimum of fuss and Will who also trains the winner, explained that he would now be for sale. He had purchased him through Cormac Doyle following three runs in Ireland and this attractive son of Bullet Train looks a decent prospect.
The opening Conditions race produced the best finish of the day as Montanna and Ihandaya matched strides for most of the race landing over the last together. For a second it looked like Ihandaya and Natalie Parker would prevail but Chloe Emsley found a drier strip of ground along the rail which allowed Montanna to pick up when needed and nose a head in front on the line. A delighted owner Reg Hopkins explained they thought he had won last time at Woodford only to be denied so it was a relief the verdict had gone their way this time. He had purchased the 9 year old at Ascot sales from the Peter Bowen yard a year ago having noticed he was only being sold as his previous owner had passed away. The plan had then been to run him before Christmas but he had thrown a splint and they had been surprised when he won at Larkhill in February that he was quite ready.
Seven horses went to post for the Ladies Open with Fern O’Brien looking determined to make use of Not A Role Model’s stamina, she set off in front and never got headed to win by 3 lengths from Back Bar who tried hard to rally, with Starsky back a further length away in third. Fern’s mother Jelly Nolan trains the horse and remembers winning a PPORA race here as a jockey some 24 years ago. Owner Caroline Mackness is godmother to Fern and she and Jelly bought the horse from the Sam Thomas yard so that Fern could have a nice horse to ride pointing. This was a second success for the combination following a win at Eyton at the beginning of the month.
The Sumba Island was a popular winner of the Restricted race for trainer/rider/owner Lucy Mager and she put her knowledge of the course to settle the formerly keen mare in behind her two rivals before looming upsides going into the open ditch on the last circuit. Her class proved too much and she won nicely by 5 lengths. Lucy owns the mare in partnership with Kim Tripp and Edward Kenny-Herbert. Kim explained that Edward was absent due to his job with Tesla which meant he is now based in California but he used to ride for her when she was training including winning twice on Duxy Hill Lady. Lucy had now taken over training the horses and combines it with her day job as a newly qualified Chimney Sweep!
The first maiden on the card was won by Amenon ridden by Olive Nicholls for her father Paul. Surprisingly despite connections he was not sent off favourite but he was still too classy for the remainder and won readily by 15 lengths. A smiling Paul remarked afterwards “Well it’s only taken me until he’s 8 to break his maiden!” He added that he was in two minds whether to send him to Doncaster Sales as he was an ideal horse for a novice rider to continue pointing with or he may retain him for Olive to ride next season, but it would probably be the former.
Paul was also there in his capacity of joint Wessex Area Pony Racing Association Sponsor with the Pony Racing Finals which were individually sponsored by Brean Country Club. The first pony race was won by Finn Murphy riding The Jobs Not Straight in a close finish from Louis Burke on Little Replacement and Myla Coppins on Maesteg Ruth. The second race went to a strong finishing Hold Me Back ridden by Nicole Connors from Tom Hutsby on O’Flynn’s Daughter with Zendaya back in third under Lowan Mills. Paul kindly sponsors the Area Pony Racing with Richard Prince and the Area are particularly grateful for their support of the riders of the future.