The second Vine & Craven point-to-point of the season takes place on Sunday at Barbury and the eight scheduled races, which kick-off at 11.30am, have attracted an excellent entry of 161, writes Jake Exelby. Clerk of the Course John White reported this morning that the snow on the course has almost gone and that the going is now Good to Soft, Soft in places. Meeting Secretary Karen Hobbs told me earlier, “We're looking forward to another great meeting at this very popular venue, which always attracts a good quality entry. As well as the racing, we have a shopping village in which to browse between races, where you’ll find some great gifts and a sophisticated selection of catering options."
Two national sponsors are represented on the day. On paper, the highlight of the card is the Timico Mixed Open, with £1,000 worth of added prize money, for which 25 entries have been received. With 2017/2018 Hunter Chase winner Bally River Boy a potential runner, along with Sonneofpresenting – impressive here in December – it looks like an intriguing contest.
Dual Coronation Cup winner Brackloon High is also entered at Cottenham, but may take his chance here and Joan Johnston explained how she came to be training the gallant 14-year-old this season. “He did some showing in the summer but it wasn’t his cup of tea, so the Barlows kindly let me have the old boy for a season to run with Jennifer Harbison under lighter weights in Ladies and Mixed Opens!” She expects him to come on for his Larkhill pipe opener, while another who ran at Larkhill is James Henderson’s Abricot De L’Oasis, the mount of his son Fred. “He ran well there,” confirmed James, “And I think he jumped better than he did last year. I hope he’ll progress from that and take in Hunter Chases again later in the season.”
The latest in the series of JRL Group Point-to-Point Flat Races has attracted 38 entries and has therefore been divided in advance, making two contests with 19 entries in each. Form in the first division is virtually non-existent, with only the unplaced M’Lady May having run before, so it may pay to back the trainer rather than the horse! Phil Rowley has a good record in this type of race and is represented by I Will Follow Her, while other handlers to note include Mickey Bowen (Apple Bank), Joe O’Shea (Blaster Yeats) and representatives from licensed yards Gogetthat (Tom Weston) and Loco Coco (Tim Vaughan). Ciaran O’Brien may not be as well known yet but he has a 100% record between the flags after Hudson Yard’s success at Chaddesley Corbett, the result – apparently – of some intensive schooling by a certain A P McCoy! So keep an eye on his This Might Work too.
Bunny Boru, a daughter of that admirable mare Home By Midnight, will represent this season’s leading trainer Tom Ellis, whose wife Gina (Andrews) said on Monday, “She’s very small, but does everything well at home. Will Thirlby will ride.” Julie Wadland’s runners are always worth keeping an eye on here and she introduces The Golden Rebel. “He’s taken time to grow but is well-connected,” she told me. “Jack Andrews will be on board – he comes here to ride out, so knows the horse well.”
Division two is slightly less opaque to the form student, with Churchtown Girl and So Socksy both having been runner-up in similar contents here in December, where Broadwater and Just Henny also showed promise, while – based on the logic above – those playing “follow the trainer” here may want to focus on Alpine Rock (Tom Weston), Bird On The Wire and Whenhellbrokeloose (Phil Rowley), Full Of Roque (Tim Vaughan) and Norman Valentine (Mickey Bowen). “I’ve never had a runner in a bumper before,” laughed James Henderson, the owner-trainer of Bespoke Cave. “We bought him as a three-year-old and, while he’s not overly big, he’s a nice horse who we’ve hunted quite a lot.” James’ son George, who is impressing this season on his comeback after a four-year absence through injury, will take the mount.
Lambourn trainer Jamie Snowden sponsors the Novice Riders Race, for which 24 have been entered. Plans for some of the trainers I’ve talked to are fluid, with Joan Johnston hoping to run Flicka’s Witness subject to the ground not being too soft and the right jockey being available, while Alan Hill advised that Back Bar is more likely to wait for Horseheath and that “I need to chat to my son Joe, who owns him, although the ground and the trip should suit,” about Velvet Cognac. Laura Thomas definitely wants to run Earthmoves, saying, “I’m quite hopeful. He’ll come on for his Wadebridge run, where Miles Osborne – who was making his debut – rode him well,” and another intended runner is Tim Underwood’s Tempelpirate, 23 times a winner in points, including last time at Cocklebarrow. “He’s come out of that 100% and Tristan Durrell will ride again,” enthused his irrepressible owner-trainer. “He’s worked well this week and the going will suit – I won't risk him again on fast ground.”
Top-rated Local Show, a winner here in December and at Ampton last month, Chaddesley Corbett second Summer Sounds – the likely mount of promising 16-year-old Luke Scott – and the consistent Victory Mill look to be Tempelpirate’s biggest threats on paper, while Judge John Deed is another interesting contender. Very highly rated by former trainer Jack Barber as a youngster but lightly-raced since, he was running a promising race when unseating here last time.
The Open Maiden for four, five and six-year-olds over about two-and-a-half miles, is supported by Ramsbury Vodka and has 17 entries. Promising Chaddesley Corbett second Terrierman heads the ratings, followed by two locally trained hopes in James Henderson’s Order In Court and Tim Underwood’s Streets Of London. “He was disappointing at Cocklebarrow,” James told me of his six-year-old, who was runner-up in all his three points last season, “But he may have needed it and he ran well here last year.” George this time, not Fred, will ride!
Tim is keen on the chances of Streets Of London. “I like him,” he confirmed. “I hoped he’d win at Cocklebarrow but he’s a bit of a thinker when he hits the front and he probably ran out of petrol. He’ll come on a bundle for that and the softer ground will suit.” Another hopeful based close by is Peter Mason’s Getabuck, whose trainer said, “He was unlucky on his seasonal reappearance at Clifton-on-Dunsmore, as he was going well when he made a bad mistake three out.”
The Jockey Club Estates sponsor the all-aged Open Maiden over three miles and have been rewarded with an entry of 32. Peter Mason relies on the unraced Bonanza Sam here. “His owner bought him as a foal and he’s a bit of an unknown,” Peter confessed with a smile. “But he’s straightforward, he’s schooled well and we think he’ll stay.” Another (even more) local handler, Laura Thomas, has one of the highest rated entries in the field in the shape of Captain Cuckoo, who will bid to atone for a Wadebridge fall in the hands of Sam Lee. “I’m hopeful of a good run,” laughed Laura. “But then I was hopeful when he fell last time and when he was beaten the time before that!”
Highest-rated is yet another locally-trained horse, Dibby Brown’s Mankala, who was clear when unseating at Larkhill last time, while several others have placed form this season, most notably Terrierman and Buckfastleigh third Shometheway, whose stable is in fine fettle, and including Geordie and Schiap Hill who are graduating from bumpers. Jemma’s Gift was second here in November and represents the powerful Ellis yard, but she’ll need to improve on what she has shown to date, while ex-Irish mare Bluebell Sally could be one to watch, representing the up-and-coming Max Young.
21 have been entered for the Magee Equine Restricted Race and the leading contenders are likely to feature a couple with useful form under rules – Everybody’s Talkin and Tossapenny – those with solid form in Restricteds like Inmyday and Pancrace, and the promising Maiden winners Almost There, Black Frost and Steel The China (who are unraced this campaign) and Equus Leader, Hidden Cargo – well-regarded by connections – and Miss Seagreen, all of whom scored last time out.
Leading trainer Alan Hill said of Inmyday, “He’s come out of his Larkhill second well and is ready to run – it depends on the ground and what the race looks like. We’d like to run, but we may wait for Larkhill again.” Tim Underwood refused to rule out improvement from Shallamar, who won here in November, saying, “He’s disappointed twice at Larkhill since his win here, but he’s back to how he was now. He’s not the quickest so hopefully the softer ground will slow the others down!” Peter Mason relies on Wick Green. “He had a nasty fall at Clifton-on-Dunsmore, followed by a clear round at Larkhill, where he jumped carefully, as well as losing a shoe,” his trainer told me. “Hopefully he’ll come on for that and he’s won here last year.” Peter will take the mount on Wick Green along with his other two runners.
The card closes with the Sporting Agenda & Wimbledon Debenture Tickets Vine & Craven Hunt Members Race, which has four entries. Princely Player would be a popular winner for Meeting Secretary Karen Hobbs and she confirmed, “We’d love to run, but the going would have to be better than Soft.” Tim Underwood has entered two – wide-margin Cocklebarrow scorer Timmie Roe and the consistent Golden Crisp, who won twice last season. Tim told me earlier, “I’ll probably run them both, as I’m keen to win the Dubarry Award for the third year in a row. Golden Crisp has missed work due to the bad weather recently and might need the run, but he won this race last year. And Timmie Roe was impressive at Cocklebarrow, but it was only a Restricted – I don’t know if he’s good… or if the others are moderate!”
Latest standings in the Dubarry Leading Trainer Award – halfway through the season – show Ireland’s Shark Hanlon in the lead with 21 points, followed by Sally Alner with 17 and Sarah Rippon with 15. The Trainer with the most points at the end of the season will receive a voucher to exchange against Dubarry products worth £1,000. And Rachel O’Neill currently heads the Moloh leading Lady Owner award with 21 points, For this award, the Lady Owner with the most points receives a voucher for Moloh clothing worth £1,000.
Racegoers are invited to take part in a racecard raffle, with at least a one in five chance of winning. Prizes include a six-month membership of the British Racing Club, mornings on the gallops with Warren Greatrex and Jamie Snowden, car passes to Barbury Racecourse for 2019, lots of prizes from local businesses in Marlborough and plenty of cans of Fuller’s beer! Racecards will be given away to everyone buying a ticket for entry to the races.
Entrance will be £15 per person on the day and tickets can be bought in advance at the “early bird” price of £10 here
The second Vine & Craven point-to-point of the season takes place on Sunday at Barbury and the eight scheduled races, which kick-off at 11.30am, have attracted an excellent entry of 161, writes Jake Exelby. Clerk of the Course John White reported this morning that the snow on the course has almost gone and that the going is now Good to Soft, Soft in places. Meeting Secretary Karen Hobbs told me earlier, “We're looking forward to another great meeting at this very popular venue, which always attracts a good quality entry. As well as the racing, we have a shopping village in which to browse between races, where you’ll find some great gifts and a sophisticated selection of catering options."
Two national sponsors are represented on the day. On paper, the highlight of the card is the Timico Mixed Open, with £1,000 worth of added prize money, for which 25 entries have been received. With 2017/2018 Hunter Chase winner Bally River Boy a potential runner, along with Sonneofpresenting – impressive here in December – it looks like an intriguing contest.
Dual Coronation Cup winner Brackloon High is also entered at Cottenham, but may take his chance here and Joan Johnston explained how she came to be training the gallant 14-year-old this season. “He did some showing in the summer but it wasn’t his cup of tea, so the Barlows kindly let me have the old boy for a season to run with Jennifer Harbison under lighter weights in Ladies and Mixed Opens!” She expects him to come on for his Larkhill pipe opener, while another who ran at Larkhill is James Henderson’s Abricot De L’Oasis, the mount of his son Fred. “He ran well there,” confirmed James, “And I think he jumped better than he did last year. I hope he’ll progress from that and take in Hunter Chases again later in the season.”
The latest in the series of JRL Group Point-to-Point Flat Races has attracted 38 entries and has therefore been divided in advance, making two contests with 19 entries in each. Form in the first division is virtually non-existent, with only the unplaced M’Lady May having run before, so it may pay to back the trainer rather than the horse! Phil Rowley has a good record in this type of race and is represented by I Will Follow Her, while other handlers to note include Mickey Bowen (Apple Bank), Joe O’Shea (Blaster Yeats) and representatives from licensed yards Gogetthat (Tom Weston) and Loco Coco (Tim Vaughan). Ciaran O’Brien may not be as well known yet but he has a 100% record between the flags after Hudson Yard’s success at Chaddesley Corbett, the result – apparently – of some intensive schooling by a certain A P McCoy! So keep an eye on his This Might Work too.
Bunny Boru, a daughter of that admirable mare Home By Midnight, will represent this season’s leading trainer Tom Ellis, whose wife Gina (Andrews) said on Monday, “She’s very small, but does everything well at home. Will Thirlby will ride.” Julie Wadland’s runners are always worth keeping an eye on here and she introduces The Golden Rebel. “He’s taken time to grow but is well-connected,” she told me. “Jack Andrews will be on board – he comes here to ride out, so knows the horse well.”
Division two is slightly less opaque to the form student, with Churchtown Girl and So Socksy both having been runner-up in similar contents here in December, where Broadwater and Just Henny also showed promise, while – based on the logic above – those playing “follow the trainer” here may want to focus on Alpine Rock (Tom Weston), Bird On The Wire and Whenhellbrokeloose (Phil Rowley), Full Of Roque (Tim Vaughan) and Norman Valentine (Mickey Bowen). “I’ve never had a runner in a bumper before,” laughed James Henderson, the owner-trainer of Bespoke Cave. “We bought him as a three-year-old and, while he’s not overly big, he’s a nice horse who we’ve hunted quite a lot.” James’ son George, who is impressing this season on his comeback after a four-year absence through injury, will take the mount.
Lambourn trainer Jamie Snowden sponsors the Novice Riders Race, for which 24 have been entered. Plans for some of the trainers I’ve talked to are fluid, with Joan Johnston hoping to run Flicka’s Witness subject to the ground not being too soft and the right jockey being available, while Alan Hill advised that Back Bar is more likely to wait for Horseheath and that “I need to chat to my son Joe, who owns him, although the ground and the trip should suit,” about Velvet Cognac. Laura Thomas definitely wants to run Earthmoves, saying, “I’m quite hopeful. He’ll come on for his Wadebridge run, where Miles Osborne – who was making his debut – rode him well,” and another intended runner is Tim Underwood’s Tempelpirate, 23 times a winner in points, including last time at Cocklebarrow. “He’s come out of that 100% and Tristan Durrell will ride again,” enthused his irrepressible owner-trainer. “He’s worked well this week and the going will suit – I won't risk him again on fast ground.”
Top-rated Local Show, a winner here in December and at Ampton last month, Chaddesley Corbett second Summer Sounds – the likely mount of promising 16-year-old Luke Scott – and the consistent Victory Mill look to be Tempelpirate’s biggest threats on paper, while Judge John Deed is another interesting contender. Very highly rated by former trainer Jack Barber as a youngster but lightly-raced since, he was running a promising race when unseating here last time.
The Open Maiden for four, five and six-year-olds over about two-and-a-half miles, is supported by Ramsbury Vodka and has 17 entries. Promising Chaddesley Corbett second Terrierman heads the ratings, followed by two locally trained hopes in James Henderson’s Order In Court and Tim Underwood’s Streets Of London. “He was disappointing at Cocklebarrow,” James told me of his six-year-old, who was runner-up in all his three points last season, “But he may have needed it and he ran well here last year.” George this time, not Fred, will ride!
Tim is keen on the chances of Streets Of London. “I like him,” he confirmed. “I hoped he’d win at Cocklebarrow but he’s a bit of a thinker when he hits the front and he probably ran out of petrol. He’ll come on a bundle for that and the softer ground will suit.” Another hopeful based close by is Peter Mason’s Getabuck, whose trainer said, “He was unlucky on his seasonal reappearance at Clifton-on-Dunsmore, as he was going well when he made a bad mistake three out.”
The Jockey Club Estates sponsor the all-aged Open Maiden over three miles and have been rewarded with an entry of 32. Peter Mason relies on the unraced Bonanza Sam here. “His owner bought him as a foal and he’s a bit of an unknown,” Peter confessed with a smile. “But he’s straightforward, he’s schooled well and we think he’ll stay.” Another (even more) local handler, Laura Thomas, has one of the highest rated entries in the field in the shape of Captain Cuckoo, who will bid to atone for a Wadebridge fall in the hands of Sam Lee. “I’m hopeful of a good run,” laughed Laura. “But then I was hopeful when he fell last time and when he was beaten the time before that!”
Highest-rated is yet another locally-trained horse, Dibby Brown’s Mankala, who was clear when unseating at Larkhill last time, while several others have placed form this season, most notably Terrierman and Buckfastleigh third Shometheway, whose stable is in fine fettle, and including Geordie and Schiap Hill who are graduating from bumpers. Jemma’s Gift was second here in November and represents the powerful Ellis yard, but she’ll need to improve on what she has shown to date, while ex-Irish mare Bluebell Sally could be one to watch, representing the up-and-coming Max Young.
21 have been entered for the Magee Equine Restricted Race and the leading contenders are likely to feature a couple with useful form under rules – Everybody’s Talkin and Tossapenny – those with solid form in Restricteds like Inmyday and Pancrace, and the promising Maiden winners Almost There, Black Frost and Steel The China (who are unraced this campaign) and Equus Leader, Hidden Cargo – well-regarded by connections – and Miss Seagreen, all of whom scored last time out.
Leading trainer Alan Hill said of Inmyday, “He’s come out of his Larkhill second well and is ready to run – it depends on the ground and what the race looks like. We’d like to run, but we may wait for Larkhill again.” Tim Underwood refused to rule out improvement from Shallamar, who won here in November, saying, “He’s disappointed twice at Larkhill since his win here, but he’s back to how he was now. He’s not the quickest so hopefully the softer ground will slow the others down!” Peter Mason relies on Wick Green. “He had a nasty fall at Clifton-on-Dunsmore, followed by a clear round at Larkhill, where he jumped carefully, as well as losing a shoe,” his trainer told me. “Hopefully he’ll come on for that and he’s won here last year.” Peter will take the mount on Wick Green along with his other two runners.
The card closes with the Sporting Agenda & Wimbledon Debenture Tickets Vine & Craven Hunt Members Race, which has four entries. Princely Player would be a popular winner for Meeting Secretary Karen Hobbs and she confirmed, “We’d love to run, but the going would have to be better than Soft.” Tim Underwood has entered two – wide-margin Cocklebarrow scorer Timmie Roe and the consistent Golden Crisp, who won twice last season. Tim told me earlier, “I’ll probably run them both, as I’m keen to win the Dubarry Award for the third year in a row. Golden Crisp has missed work due to the bad weather recently and might need the run, but he won this race last year. And Timmie Roe was impressive at Cocklebarrow, but it was only a Restricted – I don’t know if he’s good… or if the others are moderate!”
Latest standings in the Dubarry Leading Trainer Award – halfway through the season – show Ireland’s Shark Hanlon in the lead with 21 points, followed by Sally Alner with 17 and Sarah Rippon with 15. The Trainer with the most points at the end of the season will receive a voucher to exchange against Dubarry products worth £1,000. And Rachel O’Neill currently heads the Moloh leading Lady Owner award with 21 points, For this award, the Lady Owner with the most points receives a voucher for Moloh clothing worth £1,000.
Racegoers are invited to take part in a racecard raffle, with at least a one in five chance of winning. Prizes include a six-month membership of the British Racing Club, mornings on the gallops with Warren Greatrex and Jamie Snowden, car passes to Barbury Racecourse for 2019, lots of prizes from local businesses in Marlborough and plenty of cans of Fuller’s beer! Racecards will be given away to everyone buying a ticket for entry to the races.
Entrance will be £15 per person on the day and tickets can be bought in advance at the “early bird” price of £10 here
Buy your tickets now
