CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY DRAGHOUNDS MEETINGS
Highlights of the last three decades
by Mike Ashby

2010- 2011        6th FEBRUARY 2010
Nine races were completed on a day of poor visibility.

Alex Vaughan-Jones deputising for the injured Rupert Stearn, made the most of his opportunity to win Divison Two of the three mile Maiden on FOULSTONS RULER, for owner George Cooper.

Philip York took the riding honours with a double on POCKET PARK in the youngster’s Maiden and Gloucestershire raider, GOSCAR ROCK in the Restricted. There were two further winners from that county, namely OLIVAL ( Ladies’ Open ) and MIC AUBIN ( Intermediate ).

Andrew Braithwaite and DUKE OF STRADONE had opened the meeting with a nail-biting finish by just pipping Sirius Storm, on the line, in the Members’ race.

2000-2009       11TH FEBRUARY 2008
This was the meeting that saw Georgina Andrews, aged 16 years and one week, make her first ever point-to-point ride a winning one when partnering MOVING EARTH, in the opening Members’ race. Moving Earth had been selected as an ideal schoolmaster for Gina, having competed and completed in the 2007 Foxhunters at Aintree.

There were some other notable and winning performances by young riders on the day. Hannah Grissell took the older horse Maiden on PREY BIRD. Emily Jarvis was seen to good effect on BERING GIFTS in the Ladies’ Open and Clare Hobson won the novice riders event on the much-missed SCARE LOTTE. George Greenock, made sure the girls didn’t have it all their own way, when winning the Means Open on CAVEMAN beating none other than triple champion, Richard Burton, on Go for Bust, by a neck.

It was also a milestone day for David Kemp who rode his first Cottenham winner on TOOK MY EYE, for owner Barry Belchem.

1990-1999      7th FEBRUARY 1999
A double on the day for Simon Andrews, who won the opening Hunt race on JUST ONE QUESTION and the concluding division of the Maiden on JUNGLE FRESH.

LUSTY LIGHT readily won the fifteen runner Means Open with the dependable Alan Coe aboard, whilst Emma Coveney made another successful raid to East Anglia from her Surrey base when NATIVE VENTURE, easily won the Ladies equivalent.

Lisa Rowe and the grey THE AUCTIONEER confirmed their short price (1/2 fav) winning impressively by a clear 30 lengths and leaving their Intermediate rivals toiling.

The biggest field of the day contested the Restricted with 24 facing the starter and the race also provided the day’s closest finish. Henry Bruce ran wide at the last bend, not an unusual occurrence at Cottenham, allowing Pangeran and Neil King to regain the lead but David Mansell, with his unique riding style, conjured a determined finish from HENRY BRUCE to lead near the finish, gaining the verdict by a neck.   

1980-1989          7th MARCH 1987
George Cooper was seen at his best when CARL’S CHOICE stayed on well on the run-in to defeat the favourite Stanwick Lad and John Sharp, in the Mens Open, by a neck.

An even tighter finish came in the opening Members’ race which resulted in a dead-heat. PROMINENT ARTIST ( Ollie Vaughan-Jones ) and LIGHT DEMON ( Brod Munro-Wilson ) couldn’t be separated by the judge and Brod’s 5lb overweight might have been a deciding factor.

Owner Mrs Gaynor, trainer Lucy Wadham and jockey Don Cantillon celebrated a double success with CODGER ( Restricted Division One ) and FORT HALL ( Adjacent Division One ). Division Two of the Adjacent went to RHUSTED and James Fanshawe. This initiated a double for James and trainer Jill Duffield who were back in the winner’s enclosure again after ELUSIVE SPIRIT won Division One of the Maiden.

Nine races and 133 runners on the day.