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| Rainbows end but no gold at Kingston Blount |
The first of five meetings at the Oxfordshire point to point course Kingston Blount, The Kingston Blount Racing Club (well worth the money if you wanted to join at £20) hosted the first meeting in 2017 at the left handed undulating track.
some well attended maidens, restricted and conditions races. Not so many in both the Ladies and men's opens, but what lacked quantity the races gained massively in Quality.
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| Seamusjay |
Seamusjay took the first race, the 4,5,6 year old open maiden race over 2m 4 f by four lengths from Alan Hills Big Time Frank.
Trained by Gerald Bailey and ridden by Tom McClorey, listen to what the jockey has to say about the five year old Gelding
https://soundcloud.com/mark-pugh-850602593/tom-mcclorey-on-board-seamusjay-winner-of-the-456-year-olds-open-maiden-kingston-blount-4-3-17
For the older maidens over the full three miles Thomas Gallagher saddled Top Man Tim to win the maiden race for the ten year old gelding.
The trainer talks to me about his winning maiden.
https://soundcloud.com/mark-pugh-850602593/thomas-gallagher-after-top-man-tim-wins-6-year-olds-and-up-open-maiden-kingston-blount-4-3-17
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| Top Man Tim |
https://soundcloud.com/mark-pugh-850602593/shane-roche-riding-top-man-tim-to-win-the-6-year-olds-and-up-open-maiden-kingston-blount-4-3-17
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| Jockey Shane Roche, who is now a regular on the point to point podcasts |
Done with the maidens, the meeting progressed onto the Conditions race, where a duo that has given many years service to the Point to Point industry took the race with Ten Year old Templepirate.
Trainer Tim Underwood chats about his winner.
https://soundcloud.com/mark-pugh-850602593/tim-underwood-templepirate-wins-part-one-of-a-double-conditions-race-at-kingston-blount-4-3-17
Jockey Phil York who at this racecourse last year notched up a memorable milestone in winners ridden, took over the ride on a horse were novice riders early on in the season have had success.
https://soundcloud.com/mark-pugh-850602593/phil-york-after-riding-templepiratepart-one-of-a-double-conditions-race-kingston-blount-4-3-17
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| Templepirate. |
The duo struck again later in the afternoon in the Lawney Hill Racing Restricted,.
The sponsor wife of at present leading point to point trainer Alan Hill, and herself a well respected under rules trainer gave the prize to the double winning Tim Underwood and Phil York, who she has know for many years.
Listen to both trainer and jockey chat about Cheltenham Mati a five year old grey mare who battled her way to the line to take the race by a couple of lengths
Trainer
https://soundcloud.com/mark-pugh-850602593/tim-underwood-cheltenham-mati-wins-part-two-of-a-double-in-the-restricted-kingston-blount-4-3-17
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| Cheltenham Mati |
Jockey
https://soundcloud.com/mark-pugh-850602593/phil-york-after-riding-cheltenham-matipart-two-of-a-doublerestricted-race-at-kingston-blount-4-3-17
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| The duo struck again later in the afternoon in the Lawney Hill Racing Restricted |
Both Opens lacked quantity, but what they lacked in that quarter the made up plenty in quality.
The Skinners pet foods ladies open four went to post
Lynn Redmans Goodnight Vienna ridden by Tabatha Worsley 91
Alan Hills Vesperal Dream Ridden by Izzie Marshall 102
West Cork Flash ridden and trained by Lucinda Ticehurts 76
Vedettariat from the Tom Ellis yard, ridden by Gina Andrews.104
The latter showed class and staying power, with a touch of speed to beat Vesperal Dream by twelve lengths.
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| Vedettariat |
https://soundcloud.com/mark-pugh-850602593/tom-ellis-after-vedettariat-takes-the-skinners-pet-foods-ladies-open-kingston-blount-4-3-17
Also I chat to leading and retaining lady rider Gina Andrews on what she thought of the horse rated 104 in the pointing ratings
https://soundcloud.com/mark-pugh-850602593/gina-andrews-after-riding-vedettariat-the-skinners-pet-foods-ladies-open-kingston-blount-4-3-17
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| leading and retaining lady rider Gina Andrews |
The men's open, the same amount of runners
Alan Hills Consigliere Joe Hill 108
Laura Thomas Full Throttle ridden by Johnny Bailey 110
Tim Underwood's Golden Crisp ridden by Phil York 83
David Kemp's Master Workman ridden by Sam Davies Thomas 99
Full Throttle took the honours by eight lengths from Master Workman again in impressive style
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| Full Throttle |
Listen to Laura Thomas
https://soundcloud.com/mark-pugh-850602593/laura-thomas-trainer-of-full-throttle-winner-of-the-volvo-xc90mens-open-kingston-blount-4-3-17
And Johnny Bailey
https://soundcloud.com/mark-pugh-850602593/johnny-bailey-jockey-of-full-throttle-winner-of-the-volvo-xc90mens-open-kingston-blount-4-3-17
Chat about this horse that now has been successful from the beginning of the season.
The intermediate, again a good contest for a last race of the afternoon was played out to a crowd that were seeking shelter from the forthcoming rain showers.
Peeping Thom from the yard of Craig Pilgrim and ridden by Paige Fuller for her first win under pointing flags this season. Her under rules campaign going slightly better.
We caught up with Paige to chat about the horse and her season.
https://soundcloud.com/mark-pugh-850602593/paige-fuller-peeping-thom-to-win-the-connollys-red-mills-intermediate-at-kingston-blount-4-3-17
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| Peeping Thom |
Don't forget to listen to other podcasts from throughout the season, and look at images taken
