2010- 2011        2nd January 2011
A very facile success for CORK ALL STAR and Jack Quinlan got the meeting off to great start ,in the Club Members’ race. The partnership enjoyed continued success, over the ensuing weeks, with their season’s campaign geared to a Punchestown Festival meeting outing.

KICKS FOR FREE ( ex-Paul Nicholls ) won the Ladies’Open for Angela Rucker whilst the Men’s Open saw POSH DUDE and Jack Sherwood turn over the odds-on favourite and course specialist Start Royal. Jack is the son of Simon Sherwood who trained the winner and  started his riding career in East Anglia.

James Tudor, although beaten in the Mens Open maintained his excellent Cottenham course record when VIEL GLUCK was awarded the Open Maiden race in the steward’s room for deemed interference on the run-in. James had been Cottenham’s leading rider in 2008 and 2010.


2000-2009           4th January 2004
A massive crowd, estimated to be in the region of 5000, for the opening fixture nationwide, of the 2004 season. The Mens Open race, which carried a £500 winner’s prize, went to the North Yorkshire trained GUILSBOROUGH GORSE and ridden by Mark Walford. The Ladies’ Open saw DUSK DUEL and Jane Williams, give trainer Juliet Minton her first winner with her first runner. Juliet is the wife of David Minton, a regular in the Cottenham commentary box, until moving to Shropshire.

FERTILE VALLEY and Polly Gundry landed the Restricted race, in the fastest time of the day whilst David Pipe ( now a leading professional trainer ) brought TICTAC from Somerset to win the Novice Riders race, in the hands of Tim Eades.


1990- 1999           11th January 1998
 Another huge crowd turned up at Cottenham for the start of the 1998 season with a card that extended to nine races. There were competitors from all over the country amongst the 136 runners, on the day, but it was the 1997 East Anglian champion jockey, Simon Sporborg, who claimed the spoils.

Simon, rode a treble with BALLYDESMOND (Club Members’), SCARLETT O’HARA and ROB MINE ( both divisions of the 2 ½ mile Maiden ). Tim Lane, from Northamptonshire rode a double on FRESH ICE and STARLIGHT FOOL while there was success for the Welsh contingent with Pip Jones and GUNNER BOON, taking the Ladies’ Open

 
1980-1989            14th February 1987
George Cooper landed a double on NOAN WOOD and CARL’S CHOICE and it proved to be a very successful day for East Anglian riders, generally.  There was a total turnout of 124 runners and apart from ‘Cooperman’ there were winners for Simon Andrews ( Cawkwell Prince ), Lucy Gibbon ( Rockfall ), Nigel Bloom ( Demonic ) and Don Cantillon ( Codger ). The outstanding performance of the day came from Drake’s Pinnacle and Roy Barber. The partnership had won four hunter ‘chases in 1984 but the horse went lame in 1985 and was not seen in 1986, due to a cold. Roy, although putting up 7lb overweight, had the confidence to take on his rivals from the start and although hard-pressed up the Cottenham run-in, still had a length and a half to spare at the finish.