With an abundance of point to point meetings on the week
before the Easter, Penhurst offered a seven race card, with fair sized
fields to a well attended audience.
Again the late summer sun covered the left handed track to give
some good pointing horses their chance to take on the second part
of the 2016 season.
The first race was a hunt member’s race. Seven runners going
to post, a few runners already with a trip out locally at Godstone a few weeks
back. Some coming back to the track in the full knowledge that their charges
are able to master this tricky but fair course.
It was thirteen year old, local horse Witches Hat, ridden by Ellie Gillings who took the spoils by eight
lengths from the suitably named on the Sabbath, The Vicar.
A consistent runner in previous
seasons the dark bay gelding by Hubbly Bubbly ran on well on a course and going
that was very apparent early on would take horses that would stay well.
‘We
didn’t really expect that,’ mentioned his jubilant jockey. ‘He had lost a bit
of confidence in is jumping so all we wanted to do is give him a run and gain
that confidence back. We knew he would run well and seemed to enjoy what he
was doing.’
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| Witches Hat
All horses under the charge of Mr Coveney are kept fit by
hunting at least once a week, the owner, trainer and clerk of the course at
Penhurst, producing the horse for the race in the traditional way .’ he is lovely horse to look after,’ mentioned Ellie. ‘I’m not sure if it was
the ground becoming a little dryer, or the same person attending to him day in,
day out. But as soon as he hit the front he wouldn’t let anyone pass him.’
Whatever it was, the win was a popular one for the local
crowd that attended.
Jockey Ellie Gillings
Fourteen went to post for the conditions race. A race that
showed that the horse really needed to stay the trip for the afternoon’s
sports.
Oli Wedmore on Only Time'll Tell
Only time’ll tell, ridden by experienced amateur in points as well
as under rules Oliver Wedmore who had not sat on the horse before today, seemed
to relish the conditions, the pace at the off being strong but towards
the end of the race staying power was needed.
The eight year old by Gamut went
on from second placed horse the Crafty Butcher by a length and a half. ‘His
jumping was good today, I haven’t ridden in the past but everything seemed to
go to plan, It’s a ride a like to keep anyway,’ mentioned Wedmore ‘the ground
didn’t seem to bother him, and as it’s drying out now we will have to try him
on the better ground, but he has plenty more to give and to find out
about.’
The jockey pleased with his own
progression so far this season with a win at Sandown a few weeks back, showed
that this pairing would be serious contenders in their next outing and one to
place in bold in the notebooks.
 
Only Time'll Tell
and
connections
The ladies open was a race that had cut up at the
declaration stage to only six runners, but a quality field none the less.
A
number of horses to post with a good deal of pointing experience was at post in
equine form and in their jockeys. But it was a young sixteen year old, Izzie
Marshall younger sister of the more experienced jockey Charlie, who was also
riding at the course who took the race with the ten year old Conkies Lad.
Conkie Lad, Izzie Marshall
The young jockey showed that she was full of respect to
those who went to post with her.
'Little Legend was the horse I was concerned
with the most, and the fact that the other jockeys have so much more
experience, but it was his day today, so I’m really happy with what we have
done out there.’
Little legend trained and ridden by Cynthia woods finished
behind the winner by three lengths in one of the quickest timed races of the
day at 6 min 55 sec.
The form of the winner certainly showed that the ten year
old family owned and trained gelding jumped and stayed well Izzie mentioned ‘He
seems to be getting better on the drying ground which was good for him today,
but his jumping really gives me confidence and experience.’
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The young jockey who the next day will be back at her
daytime job, school. Mentioned she rides
out as much as she can for local yards around her before going off to study for
her A levels. Her second winner only out of five rides shows that Izzie
Marshall would be a name to watch in future seasons point to pointing.
The
horse know qualified for the AGA ladies open final at Stratford in May were
Izzie is hoping to get time off studies to take the ride will be out in the
South-East area throughout the season, and is a contender that needs respect.Horse and jockey seem to be improving on each run out.
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| Izzie Marshall and connections of Conkie Lad
Five runners for the men’s open, and again the Marshall's were in the thick of it.
This time elder Brother Charlie Marshall, who the young
Izzie mentioned is a great influence on her riding career, riding for Phillip
Hall on board the ten year old Adept
Approach beat the experienced Phillip York on Sebadee by twelve lengths.
The ground was just right for the gelding by the leading point
to point stallion Milan, and was the only horse all afternoon that seem to have
let themselves go in the conditions,
‘ he absolutely love that ground, it could
of been a bit softer in places, but he really enjoyed it out there.’ Mentioned
the jockey.
Charlie Marshall on Adept Approach
The horse that has proved himself throughout his career
seems still to enjoy what he is doing; Charlie mentioned as soon as he hit the
track his ears prick and he gets on with the job. And that he did today, carrying a 4lbs penalty he never seemed to mind that task at hand.
‘ He had so
much more to give today, if a horse had challenged him I think he could of gone
on again, he was so happy to be out there.’
Trainer Phil Hall who usually rides the horse but is
sidelined at present hasn’t got a plan for the horse at present, but may have to
think of what next, and if that plan included him.
Whatever the plan
this horse is a serious contender on a staying track with good ground.
Trainer, jockey and connections of Adept Approach
Charlie Marshall was quick to mention he was well aware he
was filling the boots of the injured Hall, ‘this is a great help to my career
at the moment, it’s lovely to get on horses like this but well aware when Phil
is back they are his rides.’ Charlie who like his sister earlier is a jockey
for the future mentioned he had a nice winner the weekend before and through
Easter has a good chance in the Open at Charing on a horse called Never
Complain. And from that this, the young up and coming can ‘never complain’ in the
way things are progressing.
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The turner family, victorious in the last at last weeks Ampton meeting, made the trip from their hunting grounds of East Anglia south of the
river, to take the Intermediate race with the eight year old Curraghbower.
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| Curraghbower, Rupert Stearn
The bay gelding by Winged Love beat by five lengths
Excitable island ridden by the in form novice jockey Jack Andrews.
Rupert Stearn
mentioned he really liked this horse as he rushed to get on his ride in the
next, again for the Turners, but it was fair to say the family who
are well respected in the point to point fraternity really liked this
impressive winner.
Now qualified for the intermediate championships at
Cheltenham, this could be a horse to follow, knowing it can stay and go in the
good/good to soft ground, I’m sure the Turners know what it takes to win a
final at the home of jump racing.
Whatever it takes the Intermediate final itself looks to be a cracking race in five weeks time and is a suitable event for the
hallowed turf.
 
Curraghbower, ridden by Rupert Stearn
A lot of open maidens this season have been very stung out
affairs, and though this race was a little messy around the edges. The finishing resulted in something spectacular.
Two horses crossed the line Barrafihona ridden by Tabitha Worsley. And Lickety Split ridden by the rider with a double in mind Charlie
Marshall. Both on maidens that have not shown a great deal, both on point to
point ratings of below 30. But both could not be split by the judges and took
the spoils home together.
Barrafohona (farside) Lickety Split (nearside)
Both riders who are good friends were very please for one
another. Tabitha mentioned ‘my fella has come out of the softer ground at the
bottom of the course and flew home, the aim was to keep him out of trouble, and
we are very pleased for him.’
The jockey on a double for the afternoon Charlie Marshall
said,’ mine jumped well, took me into a lead and idled a bit in front, which
allowed Tabitha around the bend to get the run on me, luckily my fella got a
good jump at the last.’
Both horses showed their fitness. Barrafihona coming out of a run seven days ago, looked to be
running on well up the hill to the line.
Both though may have a little time off
from the course to recover and develop, Barrafihona
being a lightly raced eight year old, and Lickety Split a five year old lightly raced Irish pointer,with
that in mind an underline in the form book would be advisable as both these
maidens may come out towards the back end of the season to record hopefully
another win.
 
Owner and sponsor of the Open Maiden congratulates Tabitha Worsley
The last race of the most pleasant afternoons, in beautiful
surroundings was the restricted, over the shorter distance of 2 miles four
furlongs, this was won by the Russell families Daidaidai,
ridden by Wayne Russell.
Daidaidai, Wayne Russell
This six year old by Lando showed that his win in November
over the longer distance was no fluke. A shorter distance and no so much of a
galloping track as it was at the East Anglian course allowed Wayne to take the
race on from about two out, from there he was never challenged. Did you ever
coming in a distance behind.
 
The horse know with two wins under the belt from two starts,
and only a six year old would show that he could be one to watch in the drying
ground.
With time ahead of him also looks a real contender next season for
popular point to point family.
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