ALDENHAM HARRIERS,
COTTENHAM, SATURDAY APRIL 8
Pictures courtesy of
Richard Weller-Poley - phone 01787 281683 for quality prints
Rupert Stearn and
Nibby Bloom, two Wymondham-based jockeys at opposite ends of the age and
experience range, played leading roles at the Aldenham Harriers Point-To-Point
at Cottenham on Saturday.
Stearn, East Anglia=s Champion Novice Rider of
2005, had a serious attack of seconditis during the afternoon, having to settle
for the runner-up=s spot on all three of his mounts.
But he is still
enjoying a superb season, in second place, just three wins behind David Kemp in
the senior jockeys= title race, and this trio of placings clinched him the Perpetual
Challenge Trophy, awarded each year to the jockey who is most successful at
Cottenham=s four meetings.
Bloom lost his novice
status many years ago, but he proved that he is still at the top of his game
when taking his career tally to a magnificent 182 when steering Alfie Moon to
victory with a brilliant ride in the Restricted Race.
Making stealthy
ground on the leaders throughout the final mile, Bloom brought the grey up the
inside to challenge at the final fence and they had a length and a half to
spare over Stearn=s mount, Epop, at the line.
Trained near Luton by
Simon Andrews, Alfie Moon has been transformed by a tubing operation that has
improved his breathing. AHe gets home now,@ Andrews insisted. ABefore, he used to travel well, but when the others turned on the tap he
had nothing left.@
Leatherback continued
the recent renaissance of the Joe Turner yard, which is at Ampton, near Bury St
Edmunds, when taking the notable scalp of Find Me Another in the Ladies= Open.
Well ridden by Turner=s granddaughter, Zoe,
Leatherback snuck up Find Me Another=s inside approaching the second last and, although the odds-on favourite
refused to submit without a fight, Leatherback stayed on stoutly to score by
two lengths.
AThe run-in seemed to last forever,@ Zoe exclaimed. AI thought the winning post would never come.@
There was another
good finish in the Men=s Open but Silver Streak, trained in Lincolnshire and ridden by Midlands
champion Richard Armson, edged past Rocja (Stearn), who ran much better for the
application of a visor. The winner now heads for a hunter chase at Fakenham on
Easter Monday.
The other Stearn
narrow miss came aboard the fast-improving Iceni Ruler in the Mares= Maiden. But, in truth, the
winner, Scare Lotte, had much more in hand than the winning margin of two
lengths suggests.
A first home-bred
winner for trainer Harry Hobson, from Reed, near Royston, Scare Lotte was a
well-deserved first triumph of the season for Frenchman Sylvain Salmon, who
works as assistant head lad to Newmarket trainer James Fanshawe.
Worcestershire-based
Julian Pritchard, who, as the winningmost jockey in the history of the sport,
puts even Bloom=s achievements in the shade, clocked up the 363rd (and surely
one of the easiest) win of his career when Krac d=Argos took the Maiden Race.
And Wincy Spider,
trained near Towcester by owner Anna Brooks, took the Novice Riders= Race under one of the
country=s best young pilots, Henry
Kinchin.
Talking of young
riders, nine-year-old Daisy Taylor, from near Wells-next-the-Sea in Norfolk,
and Tom Darlow, 12, from near Biggleswade, enjoyed moments they will never
forget when notching their first victories in the two pony races. Darlow=s success was particularly
hard-earned, as he suffered a nasty fall before a similar event at Ampton
earlier in the year.
Aldenham Harriers' point-to-point results at Cottenham, going good
to firm (firm in places).
Race One (PPORA Members Race - Novice Riders): 1 T L Brooks'
Wincy Spider (Farmers Bloodhounds Drag) (H Kinchen), 2 G Hutsby's Aircon (Warwickshire)
(S Moreton), 3 P S Johnson's Demasta (Cambs University) (owner). Also:
Nokimover (4), Bold Hunter (5), Mr Naborro (6), Highlands II (7), Currow Kate (ur),
Energy Man (pu), Tupgill Turbo (ur).
Half a length, two lengths. 5.57. W £8.10. DF £4.60 (winner with any other
horse). SP 8-1 (Nokimover evens fav).
Race Two (Open Maiden Race - Mares Only): 1 Mrs R E Hobson's Scare
Lotte (Puckeridge) (S Salmon), 2 Mrs F A Cooper's Iceni Ruler (Essex Farmers
and Union) (R Stearn), 3 Mrs W Ward's Memsahib
Ki Behan (Granta Harriers) (J Owen). Also: Holle Berry
(4), Hilly Be (5), Island Fortress (6), Suntos (7), May Zee Wong (pu), Royal
Pretence (pu). Two lengths, five lengths. 6.07. W £2.90. DF £16. SP 4-5 fav.
Race Three (Men's Open Race): 1 M Robinson's Silver Streak (Burton)
(R Armson), 2 Mr and Mrs S Stearn's Rocja (Suffolk)
(R Stearn), 3 Mrs K Baimbridge's Gay Baratineur (Ledbury) (J Pritchard). Also:
Manodee (pu). One length, a distance. 6.06. W £1.70. DF £4.60. SP 4-5 fav.
Race Four (Ladies' Open Race): 1 J M Turner's Leatherback
(Suffolk) (Miss Z Turner), 2 Mrs C Stennett, Mrs C Aldreidge and Mrs E King's
Find Me Another (Pytchley) (Miss A Stennett), 3 J M Turner's Ojays Alibi
(Suffolk) (Miss K Smith). Also: Village Copper (4), Bede (pu), Tartar Sabre (pu).
Two lengths, 15 lengths. 5.53. W £2.80. DF £2.80. SP 5-2 (Find Me Another 4-6
fav).
Race Five (Restricted Race): 1 Mr and Mrs M McCaffrey's Alfie Moon
(Cambs with Enfield Chace) (N Bloom), 2 R Abrey's Epop (Suffolk)
(R Stearn), 3 Allied P and L Partnership's Ballykilthy (Cambs
University) (A Merriam).
Also: Alias (4), Joves Shadow (5), Asabache (pu), Berewolf (pu), Chesnut House
(pu), Northern Breeze (pu), Pirate King (pu). One and a half lengths, three
lengths. 6.02. W £2.60. DF £15. SP 5-2 (Pirate King 9-4 fav).
Race Six (Open Maiden Race): 1 D Parker's Krac D'Argos (North
Cotswold) (J Pritchard), 2 Mr and Mrs W Brown's Padamul (Cambs with Enfield
Chace) (A Braithwaite), 3 D Wilsher's Atlantic Drift (Cambs
University) (A Pennock).
Also: Bold Jogger (4), Coverdale (pu), Euro Craft (ur),
Mulsanne (pu), Rockley
Beach (pu), Stirrup Cup
(pu). A distance, a distance. 5.59. W £2.20. DF £15.50. SP evens fav.
Pony Race One (Children's Pony Flat Race, Ponies 13.2hh and under -Novice
Riders): 1 Mrs K Taylor's Gold Dawn Chorus
(North Norfolk) (Daisy Taylor), 2 C Clover's Ernford William Lobb (Essex and Suffolk)
(Charles Clover), 3 A Mews' Miss Dynamite (Fitzwilliam) (Christy Mews). Also:
Cobweb (4), Poppy (5), Sophie (6), Merrylegs (7), Everkerry Good Fortune (8),
Dusty (9), Hobbits Hywell (10). One length, eight lengths.
Pony Race Two (Children's Pony Flat Race, Ponies 14.2hh and under
- Novice Riders): 1 Mrs L Squirrell's Little Irish Diamond (Suffolk) (Thomas
Darlow), 2 D Peter's Jackabad Of Glaven (Fitzwilliam) (Dale Peters), 3 M
McCaffrey's Oddbod (Aldenham) (Freddie Eccles-Williams). Also: Chaplin (4).
Three lengths, 12 lengths.