SEVEN RACES TO SEE THE POINTING YEAR OUT AT COTTENHAM

On ground that would not turn a hair in the late spring, or early summer. Cottenham staged seven races for the Cambridgeshire Harriers Hunt club meet with only a few hours left of 2016.

Ground stated as good to firm, most riders saying it was good jumping ground though gave some quality racing, with quality horses and speedy times.

The first race the supporting hunts members race a good sized field of ten went to post, a number of horses already making trips to the winners enclosure this season. Treacyswestcounty a winner at the opener at Barbury and Porlock Bay, with a win and a second already this season under the guidance of Luke Harvey and ridden by Darren Edwards.

Porlock Bay, 

The nine-year-old took the race from the fore mentioned by a good seven lengths giving his owner great joy, not only winning on the last day of the year, but also a year his horse won at Lockinge on his 50^th birthday.

‘This horse owes me nothing and has been a joy to look after,’ mentioned the one time national hunt jockey, who indecently managed to gain the services of another one time flat jockey Jason Weaver to lead the horse up.

The 5/2 favourite now on ten pointing runs, four wins and five seconds may need to see if he can step up, but is defiantly loving his zest for running at the moment, and is as joy to watch, just like his owner..

‘This horse owes me nothing and has been a joy to look after,’

The Morgan family who love their pointing and certainly love the East Anglian track took on the final day of 2016 to deliver a double for the enthusiastic pointing crowd.

Extreme Appeal a horse winning on the first day of the season at Cottenham went up through his gears with great surety to take the Restricted race by four lengths from Andrew Pennock’s Scorpion Star.

‘He is bred for the flat and certainly shows great ability,’ mentioned the trainer. ‘He now qualifies for the Subaru restricted final at Strafford on 9^th June and I’d would say that would suit him ideally.’ 

Jockey Sam Davies Thomas with one ride at the track before making the long haul to Warwick races agreed mentioning the horse is very economical over his obstacles and for a five-year-old has to be put right for very few.

Extreme Appeal and Scorpian star over the last together

This young horse can only improve and on current form would look like one to watch pointing or hunter chasing.

Davies Thomas on the first day of the season had success on another Morgan horse Lough Inch, this time in a novice rider race and under the steerage of ex rugby player turned jockey Rory Bevin took the race in fine style by fifteen lengths from Victoria Pendleton on her horse Vesperal Dream.(left)

Note should be made for Pendleton on Vesperal Dream who had a crashing tumble or ‘whoopsie’ as trainer Alan Hill puts it at Larkhill who gave great courage and determination to improve heself and her steed.

‘She is one of the nicest, hardworking people your find,’ mentioned Hill, ‘and was determined to improve and get this right. She hates letting people down, that’s why she is a gold winning Olympic medallist.’

The ex-David Nicholls  horse looks the type that will grace a winners podium soon and I must have to say all hats off to Victoria when she gets there.

Lough Inch took the Countryside alliance club members race for novice riders, Rory Bevin on board the nine year old.

Trainer Tommy Morgan mentioned,’ this horse is fantastic to have in the yard, he has won six times around here know and is a great horse to teach a young jockey his craft, Jack Andrews has won on him so I was happy to put Rory up who is a fantastically hard working jockey and it would be hoped we can help him onto the top novice riders spot.’

The jockey not so forward thinking mentioning,’ It’s great to ride horse like this one, Tom probably talks about being top novice rider more than me, so we’ll see how it goes, when we have had more of the runners out we can see where we stand before we go looking to far forward.’
The jockey the size (well height wise) of a scrum half is looking positively onto the forthcoming 2017 sighting the new year resolution as ‘giving up fudge’ as a mark to novice championship stardom.

The jockey not so forward thinking mentioning,’ It’s great to ride horse like this one.'

Extreme Appeal (rail side) and Scorpian star (No9)

Lough Inch

The men’s and Ladies open gave the Oxfordshire trainer Alan Hill great joy as two of his stable stars took the races in blistering form.

Broken Eagle who last year set the East Anglian area alight with his dominate front running and superb jumping took the men’s open by a commanding twenty-five lengths from Archie Wright on, It was me.

The nine-year-old looked the winner soon after jumping the fourth as he commanded the field with a a dazzling display of front running and jumping.

Broken Eagle

‘All credit has to go to dad really, ‘mentioned jockey Joe Hill.’ He has produced him just right today and he looks so well, he is such a good horse to ride, we will now have to go back and plan his season, a hunter chase will be on the cards to see how right he would be for the Foxhunters at Aintree but he is an exciting prospect for sure.

The trainer also paid tribute to the owners Caroline and Jake Exelby mentioning,’ they both put so much into the game over the season, their first horse with me had a bad injury the first time it ran so it’s great to give them something back.

This horse with his jumping would relish the Aintree obstacles, and if the ground was to his liking could give the Irish that usually love to take the foxhunter prize back across to the Emerald isle a run for their money.

The ladies open again was taken by a short-priced Hill favourite. 4/11 shot Sharp Suit ridden by Gina Andrews who rode her 150^th winner in the week at Chaddersley Corbett in the ladies’ open took the race in fine style, Gina mentioning that it was one of the best feels she has had from the nine-year-old by Milan for a long time.

Beating Husband Tom Ellis’s horse Roberto Pegasus by eight lengths the horse who Gina rode a superb race to finish second to Bound for Glory on the opening day meet seems the type that all has to go right for him to perform his task well.’ He is no way a ingenuine horse,’ mentioned trained Alan Hill.’ But he is the type that it must be right for him all the way, but he is the type that gives his owners Mr Mann great joy to watch.’

Sharp Suit

A horse with quality and intelligence can be too much of a good thing sometimes, but if all is well in the land of Sharp Suit he is a hard act to beat, that also combined with the dominant force of Gina Andrews you could only marvel at what a team.
One to watch over the next few months in the East Anglian area, back against the pair at your peril.

‘All credit has to go to dad really, ‘mentioned jockey Joe Hill.’ He has produced him just right today

’ He is no way a ingenuine horse,’ mentioned trained Alan Hill.’ But he is the type that it must be right for him all the way.'

Both novice races gave good accounts of themselves, something for followers of the sport to note for future gains.

Mr Maclennane ridden by Archie Wright took the open maiden by five lengths form Phil York’s Miss North Light.
The ex-Irish Pointer showing very little from whence he came showed to the Cottenham faithful a good turn of foot coming to the last easily sprinting past the York’s seven-year-old mare.

‘We knew he was well in himself and we knew what sort of horse he was,’ mentioned jockey Archie Wright whose new year resolution was to be nicer to people..’ What we didn’t know was how quick of a turn of foot he had.’ 

Mr Maclennane ridden by Archie Wright

The Jockey delighted by the efforts of the five year old is certainly looking forward to the new year mentioning that he has some nice horses from the yard to come, It was me finishing second to the in formidable Broken Eagle and  le Fou Royal who the jockey mentioned would have been very close to winning the last race of the afternoon if he hadn’t made a small mistake at the last.

That race was the Open maiden for  four, five and six year olds, that went to Andrew Pennock’s Somme Boy ridden by Evan David.

Somme Boy

The five-year-old, fourth on the opening day to Extreme Appeal must of relished the form improvement of the Morgan horse who was twenty five lengths his better on that day.
‘He’s a nice horse with a positive future, I’ll have to chat to Andrew on what next for him but he is a nice horse to get on.’

The jockey from Tim Vaughan’s yard in Aberthin Cowbridge, making a trip across country for his ride said,’ I have a ride at Fakenham tomorrow so  I’ll stay over here to go onto the races tomorrow.’ No new year celebrations for this young jockey who closed the winners curtain for the 2016 point to point season.

‘He’s a nice horse with a positive future,

2017 here we come, the next meeting for me will be the Larkhill Racing Club meet at Larkhill. If 2016 is to go by then we are in for one hell of a ride.

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