As January comes to an end. And most of the country is in the grips of one storm after the other, Milbourne St Andrews made sure good racing conditions were available for a bumper eighth race card.
Nothing but divine intervention though could prevent the ground riding as good to soft. Soft in places, Providing a testing task for the runners now well in the grasp of their Point to point season.
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| Bill and Barn |
To kick off proceedings, a two division maiden over the
shortened point to point distance of two and a half miles.
Seventeen runners
were split over two races, ten going to post for division one. Trainers Jack
Barber and Sara Lacey sending two maidens to post in Bill and barn and Bells on Sunday respectively. David Maxwell’s Big
Bang De Loire, racing off a mark of 76 looking to better his Larkhill fourth
earlier in the season.The testing ground soon had horses struggling but Champion Jockey Will Biddick with eight winners under his belt before the day started, encouraged a smart turn of foot coming down the Dorset courses hill before the last. Despite a blunder at the last for the maiden Biddick soon had his horse moving forward to take the inclined finish beating Woodfleet, already with a run under his belt at Larkhill, with the fastest time of both races at 6m 0 sec dead.
Seven runners to post for division two, Will Biddick
replacing Darren Andrews on Macginge looking for a quick double. But it was retired royal jockey Bill
Smith’s trained Tommo who stole the
show, by giving an impressive front running demonstration, ridden by Oz
Wedmore, with his tenth win of his career.
Wedmore soon had the six year old well out in front, coming past the well attended stands at least a distance in front, asked if this was planned, the jockey said ‘ I was a bit surprised how far i was out in front, but i could give my fella a bit of a breather, and then let him go on again. He seemed to go through the ground well though.’
Clare Harts’ ride The Oppidan also gained late momentum, which gave the judge work to do as she rallied her mount to take on the winner towards the line
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| Tommo
The third race a hunt members race saw five to post, Tin Pot Man ridden by Dorset Hunts
joint master George Hiscock bringing his ten year old home in front of second
placed Seenigora the mare giving the winner 7 lbs in weight allowance.
Only
three finished of the five, Turtle Boys, last year’s winner in third, matching
his third at Larkhill a few weeks ago in an eventful restricted race.
Tin Pot man, a
winner of four races under rules when trained by Evan Williams, made history in
the race by bringing home a master or joint master of the hunt in front for the
first time in the races history.
 
Tin Pot Man
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The open maiden race saw again the champion jockey Will
Biddick on a fancied runner. In the tub an Irish point to pointer placed over
six times in Ireland looked well beaten from four out as Miss Jo Buck took her
seven year old charge Master Baker
to the front and was never troubled from thereon. Fifteen runners went to post,
only three finishing the course, which was testing the horses throughout the
afternoon.
Miss Buck though must have been a little concerned as
a mistake at the last saw the jockey hanging on for a stride. Regaining her
composure and momentum to bring the gelding up the inclined finish.
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| Master Baker |
The
restricted race had thirteen to the start, one of them being the impressive winner
at Cottenham in December Sea Current, the mount of top lady jockey Gina
Andrews.
Again Will Biddick on a very nice horse of Jack Barbers Innocent
girl, who ran and jumped impressively at Barbury in the same month.
But it was
Josh Newman on board the Ed Walker trained Kernel
Victor who won the race from the Barber/Biddick charge in second, Sea
Current back in fourth. All horses looked well stung out and found the course
and going a struggle. But the winner had done its job well off a mark of 81, to
see off the horses behind.
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| Kernal Victor
Again out of the thirteen to post only a few finished, which
seemed to be consistent form throughout the days racing.
The sixth race, the ladies open, saw Victoria Pedleton ride
for the first time in a race her intended Cheltenham Foxhunter mount Pacha Du
Polder. Media interest was rife for a fairy tale victory as the horse was at
least 27lbs above her only rivals. Twelve runners went to post for the event.
Watching on was David Nicholson, and the Hill family, both instrumental in the task handed down to the Olympian. 
Jumping off, the field held well together but soon the
experience and class of the Pendleton mount made headway to the front, and by
four out was well clear.
The Jack Barber trained Queens Bay soon had the leader in sight coming down hill, Bryony Frost on board. And with a well timed run up the inside joined the leader rounding the home turn.
Over the last both horses battled, the ten year old mare
carrying 7 lbs less that the nine year old class horse Pacha Du Polder. This
told up the incline of the course, the race going to the judge on the line.
‘That was awesome,’ mentioned the young jockey Bryony Frost after getting the
nod for the race. ‘You can’t really describe it; but that felt so amazing, I
was so pleased I could give her a breather coming to the last, we got over it
and i said to her it’s now or never, and she responded so well. I’m so lucky to
have the people behind me i have. The team back at the yard are just formidable, it’s
started slow for me so far this season so I’m very happy with this.’ With a brace of winners so far in the bag, and
a placed horse trainer Jack Barber was very happy for the horse ‘ I’m so please
with the run, especially beating a class act as Pacha Du Polder,
this race was the aim for this mare, so we’ll have to see what comes next for her.’
Queens Bay
With regards to the second placed horse Pacha Du Polder.
Though expectations were high Pendleton looked very happy with her highest place
in a race to date, both will learn lot from each other. And can only benefit
her goal, only about five weeks away. Victoria looked comfortable on the horse and looks tidy in plate, I’m sure with her sport training she will
analyse her performance and come out the better for it.
 
Chapoturgeon
After the Hurley Burly of the race before, the men’s open
was a little disappointing. Two runners declared, Jack Barber’s Chapotugeon, with Will Biddick looking
to take his winning tally to double figures for the season. And Will Hickman
riding Latalanta.
Biddick took the twelve year old grey out in front from the
start, immediately showing its class off a mark of 124 over his opponent, who
failed to finish the race.
The slowest time of the day 7min 28sec saw the grey hunt round the Dorset Course, giving the trainer a treble for the day, and the jockey a brace of winners, and giving them a little breathing space at the top of their respective season tables over their opponents. 
The last race of the day. Eleven runners went to post for the
novice riders event. Again horses well strung out with a circuit to go.
Jakros and Imperial Circus, were all
out at the finish, the last fence being omitted due to an earlier faller. James
Jackson-Stops, still classed at a novice with around seventy rides under his belt
rallied his eleven year old up to beat Nick Lawton on Imperial Circus on the
extended run in, the horse finishing a good second at Black forest lodge a few
weeks previous.
‘We took the race steady to start as it was his first trip
out for over a year, and we thought he would need the run, we made a bit of a
mistake out the back, but once we were going we flew. He’s an enjoyable to
ride that one.’ Mentioned the London Property developer. ‘He’s dug deep for me;
I knew he wouldn’t mind the ground, and I love riding in these types of races,
there very good for riders of the same ability.’
Some jockeys get champagne or a trophy after a win.
But or James, well he went home with a bag of
carrots..... True point to pointing.
Imperial Circus (nearside) Jakros (farside)
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