Sarah Rippon was full of praise for Sonneofpresenting after her new charge upset odds-on favourite Cousin Pete at Barbury's International Racing Club meeting on Sunday, one of 9 races on this most popular card. Rippon, who lives at Islip, near Oxford, acquired the Paul and Clare Rooney-owned eight-year-old on a permanent loan through their racing manager Jason Maguire. And the former Kim Bailey ...

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BIBURY trainer Dibby Brown has issued a clean bill of health for Cousin Pete ahead of the Barbury International Racing Club meeting at Barbury Racecourse on Sunday (11am), writes Russell Smith. The ten-year-old will be having his first start since suffering a series of problems after outrunning odds of 66-1 to dead-heat for third behind Pacha Du Polder in the St James's Foxhunter Challenge Cup at...

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There are less than 10 days till entries close for the most valuable race day in the UK and Ireland Point-to-Point calendar on Sunday December 16th. With prizes worth over £7,000 on offer, entries for each of the seven races close on Monday December 10th at 1230. International challengers for this popular fixture have been invited to stay overnight at Cheltenham Racecourse, which hosts its ...

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Highlight of the day at a chilly Barbury yesterday was the RSM Restructuring Advisory LLP Mixed Open. Six of the twelve entries went to post, including multiple course winner Iberico from Sam Jukes’ yard, useful Hunter Chaser Shotavodka and James Owen’s recruit from Gigginstown Stud, Net D’Ecosse. The three principals were close in the betting, Iberico holding firm at 6/4, Shotav...

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Winners of the two Maiden races at the prestigious Barbury International fixture are set to be rewarded with a voucher worth £1,000 to spend at any Irish sale thanks to a new initiative between Barbury and Irish Thoroughbred Marketing. The two Maiden races – the Albert Bartlett 4 & 5 Year old Maiden and Tattersalls Ireland Open Maiden (6YO+) each carry maximum allowed prize money ...

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With the unfortunate closure of Hackwood Park at the end of last season, organisers of the Vine & Craven Point-to-Point have moved from their traditional Easter Monday slot to a November date at Barbury Castle, hoping to benefit from owners and trainers wanting to run their horses before Christmas, writes Jack Exelby.  The six point-to-point races, which kick-off at 12.00pm, have att...

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Barbury’s four steeplechase fixtures this winter are already well recognized to produce some archly competitive racing between the flags, with a number of last year’s graduates now progressing into the mainstream of professional racing. That trend is set to be re-inforced through two new awards for the 2018-19 season, which starts on Sunday November 25th. The Dubarry Leading Trai...

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Increased support from leading-brand companies is further endorsement of British point-to-pointing ahead of the new season which opens in November.At a sponsors’ gathering and season’s launch at Cheltenham today it was revealed that Skinner’s Pet Foods, which has a network of stockists around the UK, is backing 22 ladies’ open races. That is an increase of two, culmina...

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Fixture secretaries at Barbury have welcomed the appointment of Peter Wright as CEO of the Point-to-Point Authority following the release of the news last week.  Peter, who lives at Highworth near the PPA's offices, has been Secretary to the Combined Services Point-to-Point for many years, and brings a wealth of experience  of the sport over 35 years.  Peter said: “I’v...

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British Point-to-Pointing’s latest fixtures list reveals there will be 173 meetings at 100 locations around the United Kingdom in the coming season – and an increased emphasis on early-season meetings.  The release of the 2018/19 list, which was ratified by the British Horseracing Authority on Friday, confirms the earliest commencement to a British season will take place at the f...

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The Barbury International, British Point-to-Point racing’s most valuable fixture, has been brought forward a month to Sunday December 16th, in an effort to cement its place in the UK calendar. The fixture, which uniquely in the UK, is open to licensed trainers and to Irish entries, will take place the day after Cheltenham’s International fixture, subject to BHA ratification of the fixt...

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Barbury is a centre of excellence, whether it's from horses trained by Alan and Neil King on the Barbury downland, as past results of the Cheltenham Festival show, at the Point-to-Point races, or at the upcoming horse trials. We've often remarked that Barbury attracts good quality horses, and that a winner at Barbury Races is a measure of a good horse, whatever the race. The efforts of o...

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Title to the Dubarry Leading Trainer Award for Barbury was shared as the presentations were made at Sunday's Tedworth Point-to-Point Races. Joint winners Tim Underwood and Phil Rowley enjoyed success at different times of the season, but were able to each pick up a voucher to spend with the sponsor worth £500. Underwood, picking up the prize for the second year in succession, enjoyed a doub...

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LOTUS Pond once more repaid his connections' faith with a convincing victory in the JM Finn & Co Mixed Open for the Tedworth Gold Cup at the Tedworth Hunt meeting at Barbury Racecourse, near Marlborough, writes Russell Smith. The ten-year-old gelding, trained by Mickey Bowen at Haverfordwest, has had tendon trouble in the past. But here he added to a course and distance success and a win at ...

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A COMPETITIVE entry has been received for the JM Finn & Co Mixed Open for the Tedworth Gold Cup at Barbury Racecourse, near Marlborough, on Sunday, writes Russell Smith. Lotus Pond, from Mickey Bowen's Haverfordwest yard, won a veterans' race over this course and distance at the International meeting in January, beating Templebraden by six lengths, and the pair could renew rivalry in the feat...

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 Barbury runners acquitted themselves with great distinction at this year’s Festival, stamping the racecourse as a proving ground for top flight Point-to-Point candidates.  The St James’s Place Foxhunter proved its worth once again as a vintage race for the amateur Corinthians that comprise the grass roots of the sport and a favourite for Pointing fans who make the race thei...

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Mention Barbury, and like as not, your first thought will be that it’s home to leading Jumps trainer Alan King. And you’d be right. Alan’s successful yard nestles behind the Point-to-Point course that recently saw some hopeful Cheltenham calibre contenders of the future at the International Point-to-Point fixture in January. But there’s more than one King of this particula...

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CHARLIE Dando, who almost died following a horrific shooting accident 13 months ago, was thrilled to ride his first winner since returning to the saddle with victory on Kit Barry at the rearranged Vine & Craven Point-to-Point meeting at Barbury Racecourse, near Marlborough on Saturday, writes Russell Smith. The 26-year-old farrier, from Old Sodbury in Gloucestershire, was on a day's pheasant ...

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Tomorrow's Vine & Craven fixture at Barbury is set fair to proceed with a later than advertised start time of 1230. The overnight forecast is for another frost, and the additional hour will give every opportunity for any residual frost to leave the ground. All landings and take-offs are covered, and the ground is raceable today, Friday. Daytime temperatures on Saturday will peak at 6C.  ...

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Bibury trainer Dibby Brown could run Cheltenham Festival hopeful Cousin Pete at the rearranged Vine & Craven meeting at Barbury this Saturday, writes Russell Smith. The lightly raced 10 year old was set to bypass the fixture two weeks ago when it fell prey to the weather, having fininshed a half length second to subsequent winner Sir Jack Yeats in a hunters' chase at Market Rasen five days ea...

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