PUCKERIDGE, HORSEHEATH, SATURDAY APRIL 1

Pictures courtesy of Richard Weller-Poley - phone 01787 281683 for quality prints

 

The powerful string of Joe Turner, from Ampton near Bury St Edmunds, is hitting its usual late season burst of form judged by the performance of its representatives at the Puckeridge Point-To-Point at Horseheath on Saturday.

 

Militaire ran out the easy winner of the Ladies= Race, while Lanicene took the Open Maiden, meaning that Turner=s familiar dark blue and white colours have been carried to victory five times in the last nine days.

 

Militaire was much the more impressive of the pair, responding to positive riding tactics from Turner=s granddaughter, Zoe, who kicked on five fences from the finish and cruised home to beat Sure Future by ten lengths.

 

Lanicene, by contrast, was probably lucky to collect as Scare Lotte, given a patient ride by Sylvain Salmon, was five lengths clear when crashing out at the penultimate fence.

 

This left Lanicene, partnered by Newmarket=s James Owen, locked together with the favourite, True Legend, and a terrific leap at the last secured the spoils for the Ampton runner.

 

ALanicene is only a baby - he had just three runs under rules,@ said Owen. AHe likes this ground and is a great jumper.@

 

The tables were turned, and the Turner team denied a treble, when My Best Buddy, ridden by True Legend=s pilot, Rowan Cope, edged out Owen, aboard Black Frost, in the Men=s Open.

 

Just three runners lined up here, but it produced a tremendous spectacle, as the first two were neck and neck on the uphill home straight, only for My Best Buddy to find a little extra in the closing stages.

 

Trained in Northamptonshire by Caroline Bailey, My Best Buddy is part-owned by Cindy Aldridge, from Cottenham, near Cambridge.

 

The classiest performance of the afternoon came in the Intermediate Race as Cosmic Sky clocked the joint fastest time of the day, equal with Militaire who carried a stone less in weight.

 

Owned and bred by Major Richard Wilson, from Great Hockham, Thetford, and trained by Robert and Jane Abrey at nearby Wretham, Cosmic Sky was notching his third success of the campaign and was ridden for the first time by Jane=s goddaughter, Amy Stennett, from Thelnetham.

 

ACosmic Sky is a very, very difficult horse and Robert has done a marvellous job with him,@ announced a delighted Wilson. Abrey revealed that he keeps Cosmic Sky sweet by turning him out during daylight hours in a field shared with a pony, who he enjoys bossing around.

 

David Kemp was presented with the East Anglian Jockey Of The Month Award for March during the afternoon and continued his fine recent run when guiding Crystal Dance to victory in the Restricted Race. Crystal Dance is trained  by Kemp at Kilverstone, near Thetford, and is owned by Tim and Sue Wood, from Shipdham, near Dereham.

 

It was also a day to remember for Christy Rogers, who rode her first ever winner when Good Vintage proved too strong for Rob Mine in the Club Members= Race. Rogers, 30, has been trying to break her duck for two years and is an intellectual property barrister in London.

 

Finally, a pair of children=s pony races produced plenty of excitement after the steeplechasing and were won by Georgina Andrews, daughter of Good Vintage=s trainer, Simon, and Harvey Roberts, an 11-year-old from Caxton near Cambridge.

 

 

The Puckeridge Hunt point-to-point results at Horseheath, going good (good to firm in places).

Race One (Horseheath Members' Race): 1 Mrs C Rogers' Good Vintage (Cambs with Enfield Chace) (Miss C Rogers), 2 C Sporborg's Rob Mine (Puckeridge) (A Braithwaite), 3 R Andrews and Miss G Andrews' General Confusion (Cambs with Enfield) (N Bloom). Also: Parsonhumfrywebber (4), Filou Du Bois (5), Pharbeitfrome (6), Castle Road (pu). Five lengths, three-quarters of a length. 6.28. W £3.30. DF £5.10. SP 6-1 (Rob Mine 6-4 fav).

Race Two (Open Maiden Race): 1 J M Turner's Lanicene (Suffolk) (J Owen), 2 Mrs C R Saunder's True Legend (Pytchley) (R Cope), 3 Mr and Mrs J Dillion's Teeton Cavalier (Cottesmore) (J Burley). Also: Rorystown Boy (4), Baltic Lake (5), Beechbrook Gale (6), Lyric Maestro (7), Atlantic Drift (pu), Dromin (pu), Fast Lane (f), Scare Lotte (ur), Tartar Rose (ur). Three lengths, two lengths. 6.39. W £8.70. DF £10.30. SP 7-1 (True Legend evens fav).

Race Three (Ladies Open Race): 1 J M Turner's Militaire (Suffolk) (Miss Z Turner), 2 G Frank's Sure Future (Cambs University) (Miss L Franks), 3 Ms A-M Hays' Bush Hill Bandit (Thurlow) (Miss L Allan). Also: Gatchou Mans (4), Lisnagar Hide (5), Runningwiththemoon (6), Doe Nal Rua (7), Damp Course (pu). Ten lengths, five lengths. 6.19. W £3.90. DF £8.10. 2-1 fav.

Race Four (Men's Open Race): 1 Mrs C Aldridge and R Juleff's My Best Buddy (Pytchley) (R Cope), 2 J M Turner's Black Frost (Suffolk) (J Owen), 3 Mr and Mrs J Ridge's Bard of Drumcoo (Suffolk) (D Kemp). Five lengths, a distance. 6.23. W £2.50. DF £1.50. SP 11-10 fav.

Race Five (Intermediate Race): 1 R Abrey, Major and Mrs R Wilson's Cosmic Sky (Suffolk) (Miss A Stennett), 2 J Stainer's Palmers Peak (North Cotswold) (R Cope), 3 B Kennedy's Tupgill Turbo (Essex Farmers and Union) (M Mackley). Also: Young Lord (4), Magic Lodge (5), Punta Cana (6), Self-Certified (7), Colonel Conca (8), Mon Esprit (pu). Ten lengths, 10 lengths. 6.19. W £6. DF £18.60. SP 9-2 (Palmers Peak 2-1 fav).

Race Six (Restricted Race): 1 Mr and Mrs T Wood's Crystal Dance (Suffolk) (D Kemp), 2 Mrs J Tice's Teeton Diamond (Pytchley) (R Barrett), 3 J M Turner's Saffronto (Suffolk) (J Owen). Also: Lightningconductor (4), On The Day (5), C L B Jemilla (6), Joves Shadow (pu), Twist Of Faith (pu). Fifteen lengths, one and a half lengths. 6.28. W £3.30. DF £14.50. SP 7-4 fav.

Pony Race One (Children's Pony Flat Race - Ponies 13.2hh and under): 1 Mrs J Andrew's Pepsi (Cambs with Enfield Chace) (Georgina Andrews), 2 M Slender's Sparkling Destany (Fitzwilliam) (Shannon Slender), 3 Mr and Mrs Braham's Hero (Suffolk) (Amy Braham). Also: Nacona Shafali (4), Amazing Alfie, Bonnie Safira.

Pony Race Two (Children's Pony Flat Race - Ponies 14.2hh and under): 1 P Robert's The Road Runner (Cambs with Enfield Chace) (Harvey Roberts), 2 Mrs J Litton's Firfield Starlight Lady (Waveney) (Sophie Whyte), 3 M Downer's Cobweb (Puckeridge) (Tabitha Downer). Also: Miss Dynamite (4), Everkerry Good Fortune, Gold Dawn Chorus, Merrylegs, Sir Walter, Sophie.