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THURLOW, HORSEHEATH, SATURDAY FEBRUARY 26
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Report
Never has the link between hunting and Point-To-Pointing been more starkly demonstrated than through Baron Bernard's victory at the Thurlow Point-To-Point at Horseheath on Saturday.
Just a week after the foxhunting ban came into force, Baron Bernard, a horse who has done little to prepare for racing save hunt for over 20 days with the East Essex Foxhounds, proved what a fantastic grounding that can be by winning the Restricted Race.
Ridden and trained by Great Yeldham's Paul Chinery, Baron Bernard jumped his way to the front with almost a circuit to run and, showing a tremendous attitude, the 14-1 shot battled on gamely to beat Pampered Lad by four lengths.
45-year-old Chinery, who was getting off the mark for the season, explained: "Baron Bernard is my father's hunter, and when he hunts him he goes all day and covers more ground than anyone else - I almost feel sorry for the horse! Before he raced at Marks Tey last week [finishing second] we had only galloped him once and my daughter had popped him over a couple of fences."
Trainer-rider David Kemp, from Kilverstone, near Thetford, is mounting a vigorous defence of his East Anglian Jockeys' Title and brought his 2005 total to six with a double aboard Madmidge and Fiftiesonfire.
Madmidge is also heading the race for the Paul Rackham Ltd East Anglian Champion Open Race Horse after his triumph in the Men's Open. This was Kemp at his cool best as Madmidge was in last place, some eight lengths adrift of the remainder, for much of the final lap.
However, he made rapid headway from the fourth last to hit the front crossing the penultimate obstacle and was not fully extended to beat Minino by three lengths.
Fiftiesonfire is by the same sire (Alderbrook) and one week older than Kemp's stable star, the Cheltenham-bound, Cantarinho. But he was kept off the course throughout last year by sore shins and was having only his third career start when shrugging off both driving rain and the persistent challenge of Cashari to lift the Open Maiden.
Owned by John Ridge, from near Royston, this was a particularly important win for Kemp as Fiftiesonfire is the regular morning ride of his girlfriend, Imogen Godden.
Owner-trainer Christopher Sporborg, from Bishop's Stortford, made a winning return after his string missed the early part of the campaign through illness when Mister Ringa got up in the last stride to deny Master Club Royal by a head in the Hunt Club Members race.
It was tough luck on Master Club Royal and especially his jockey, 43-year-old Essex bookmaker Martin Bailey, who had also just missed out on his inaugural success at the previous Horseheath meeting, on that occasion by a neck.
And the day went sour for Sporborg and his jockey, Andrew Braithwaite, when Will Hill suffered a fatal injury in a later race.
Killard Point, trained in Northamptonshire by Caroline Bailey, is a bright young prospect. But his confidence appears to have been affected by a recent fall and he was far from impressive in beating Borrow Mine in the Intermediate Race at the prohibitive odds of 2-7.
The Gerrard Ladies' Open attracted a disappointing field of three and another red hot favourite, Shropshire raider Step And Run, shrugged off a first-fence blunder to beat Spring Gale with embarrassing ease.
Just a week after the foxhunting ban came into force, Baron Bernard, a horse who has done little to prepare for racing save hunt for over 20 days with the East Essex Foxhounds, proved what a fantastic grounding that can be by winning the Restricted Race.
Ridden and trained by Great Yeldham's Paul Chinery, Baron Bernard jumped his way to the front with almost a circuit to run and, showing a tremendous attitude, the 14-1 shot battled on gamely to beat Pampered Lad by four lengths.
45-year-old Chinery, who was getting off the mark for the season, explained: "Baron Bernard is my father's hunter, and when he hunts him he goes all day and covers more ground than anyone else - I almost feel sorry for the horse! Before he raced at Marks Tey last week [finishing second] we had only galloped him once and my daughter had popped him over a couple of fences."
Trainer-rider David Kemp, from Kilverstone, near Thetford, is mounting a vigorous defence of his East Anglian Jockeys' Title and brought his 2005 total to six with a double aboard Madmidge and Fiftiesonfire.
Madmidge is also heading the race for the Paul Rackham Ltd East Anglian Champion Open Race Horse after his triumph in the Men's Open. This was Kemp at his cool best as Madmidge was in last place, some eight lengths adrift of the remainder, for much of the final lap.
However, he made rapid headway from the fourth last to hit the front crossing the penultimate obstacle and was not fully extended to beat Minino by three lengths.
Fiftiesonfire is by the same sire (Alderbrook) and one week older than Kemp's stable star, the Cheltenham-bound, Cantarinho. But he was kept off the course throughout last year by sore shins and was having only his third career start when shrugging off both driving rain and the persistent challenge of Cashari to lift the Open Maiden.
Owned by John Ridge, from near Royston, this was a particularly important win for Kemp as Fiftiesonfire is the regular morning ride of his girlfriend, Imogen Godden.
Owner-trainer Christopher Sporborg, from Bishop's Stortford, made a winning return after his string missed the early part of the campaign through illness when Mister Ringa got up in the last stride to deny Master Club Royal by a head in the Hunt Club Members race.
It was tough luck on Master Club Royal and especially his jockey, 43-year-old Essex bookmaker Martin Bailey, who had also just missed out on his inaugural success at the previous Horseheath meeting, on that occasion by a neck.
And the day went sour for Sporborg and his jockey, Andrew Braithwaite, when Will Hill suffered a fatal injury in a later race.
Killard Point, trained in Northamptonshire by Caroline Bailey, is a bright young prospect. But his confidence appears to have been affected by a recent fall and he was far from impressive in beating Borrow Mine in the Intermediate Race at the prohibitive odds of 2-7.
The Gerrard Ladies' Open attracted a disappointing field of three and another red hot favourite, Shropshire raider Step And Run, shrugged off a first-fence blunder to beat Spring Gale with embarrassing ease.
Results
Race One (Horseheath Club Members Race):
1 Mrs C Sporborg's Mister Ringa (Puckeridge) (A Braithwaite),
2 M Bailey's Master Club Royal (Thurlow) (owner),
3 Miss B Czepulkowski's General Confusion (Cambridgeshire with Enfield Chace) (N King). Also: Runningwiththemoon (4), Parsonhumfrywebber (5), Another Sunday (pu), Good Vintage (ur), Redouble (pu), Waterliner (pu).
Head, 30 lengths. 6.44. W £2.90. DF £ 21. SP 2-1 (Runningwiththemoon 11-8 fav).
Race Two (Intermediate Race):
1 Mrs S Carsberg's Killard Point (Pytchley) (R Cope),
2 The Chequers Club's Borrow Mine (Cambridge University Drag Hounds) (Lisa Marriott),
3 Mrs D M Hall's Mackoy (Cambridge University Drag Hounds) (Lucy Franks). Also: Newmarket Magic (4), Lisnagar Hide (5).
Four lengths, a distance. 6.51. W £1.10. DF £ 2.30. SP 2-7 fav.
Race Three (Ladies Open Race):
1 Mrs D Williams' Step And Run (Albrighton Woodland) (Miss J Williams),
2 J M Turner's Spring Gale (Suffolk) (Miss Z Turner),
3 Cutterworth Syndicate's Dook's Delight (Fernie) (Miss G Harriss).
Fifteen lengths, 12 lengths. 6.50. W £1.10. DF £ 1.30. SP 1-3 fav.
Race Four (Men's Open Race):
1 The Next Stop Cheltenham Partnership's Madmidge (Suffolk) (D Kemp),
2 B Kennedy's Minino (Essex Farmers and Union) (A Merriam),
3 Mrs P King's Dunmanus Bay (Suffolk) (S Morris). Also: Gatchou Mans (4), Leatherback (5), Emperor Roscoe (6), Hum 'n' Haw (pu), Peacemaker (pu).
Three lengths, 11 lengths. 6.47. W £1.60. DF £ 1.90. SP 4-5 fav.
Race Five (Restricted Race):
1 A G Chinery's Baron Bernard (East Essex) (P Chinery),
2 A Pennock's Pampered Lad (Cambridge University Drag Hounds) (owner),
3 A Byrne's Baron Halebop (Suffolk) (D Kemp). Also: Hougham George (4), Stick Or Bust (5), Present Moment (6), Holy Moses (ur), Hurricane Storm (ur), Major Reno (pu), No Nay Never (ur), On The Day (pu), River Paradise (pu), Will Hill (pu), Persian Silk (withdrawn).
Four lengths, two lengths. 6.56. W £11.80. DF £ 9.80. SP 14-1 (Hougham George 3-1 fav). Rule 4 applies (Persian Silk 8-1 at time of withdrawal).
Race Six (Open Maiden Race):
1 J Ridge's Fiftiesonfire (Suffolk) (D Kemp),
2 Mrs J Wilson's Cashari (Pytchley) (S Morris),
3 Mrs A Vaughan-Jones and Mrs G Luck's Willow Ryde (Pytchley) (A Vaughan-Jones). Also: Shambob (4), All Alight (pu), Egberts Army (pu), Lightningconductor (pu), Lismore Legend (pu), She's A Terror (pu), Warrier Dan (f).
Eight lengths, 20 lengths. 6.58. W£8.80. DF £2.30. SP 2-1 (Cashari 6-4 fav).
1 Mrs C Sporborg's Mister Ringa (Puckeridge) (A Braithwaite),
2 M Bailey's Master Club Royal (Thurlow) (owner),
3 Miss B Czepulkowski's General Confusion (Cambridgeshire with Enfield Chace) (N King). Also: Runningwiththemoon (4), Parsonhumfrywebber (5), Another Sunday (pu), Good Vintage (ur), Redouble (pu), Waterliner (pu).
Head, 30 lengths. 6.44. W £2.90. DF £ 21. SP 2-1 (Runningwiththemoon 11-8 fav).
Race Two (Intermediate Race):
1 Mrs S Carsberg's Killard Point (Pytchley) (R Cope),
2 The Chequers Club's Borrow Mine (Cambridge University Drag Hounds) (Lisa Marriott),
3 Mrs D M Hall's Mackoy (Cambridge University Drag Hounds) (Lucy Franks). Also: Newmarket Magic (4), Lisnagar Hide (5).
Four lengths, a distance. 6.51. W £1.10. DF £ 2.30. SP 2-7 fav.
Race Three (Ladies Open Race):
1 Mrs D Williams' Step And Run (Albrighton Woodland) (Miss J Williams),
2 J M Turner's Spring Gale (Suffolk) (Miss Z Turner),
3 Cutterworth Syndicate's Dook's Delight (Fernie) (Miss G Harriss).
Fifteen lengths, 12 lengths. 6.50. W £1.10. DF £ 1.30. SP 1-3 fav.
Race Four (Men's Open Race):
1 The Next Stop Cheltenham Partnership's Madmidge (Suffolk) (D Kemp),
2 B Kennedy's Minino (Essex Farmers and Union) (A Merriam),
3 Mrs P King's Dunmanus Bay (Suffolk) (S Morris). Also: Gatchou Mans (4), Leatherback (5), Emperor Roscoe (6), Hum 'n' Haw (pu), Peacemaker (pu).
Three lengths, 11 lengths. 6.47. W £1.60. DF £ 1.90. SP 4-5 fav.
Race Five (Restricted Race):
1 A G Chinery's Baron Bernard (East Essex) (P Chinery),
2 A Pennock's Pampered Lad (Cambridge University Drag Hounds) (owner),
3 A Byrne's Baron Halebop (Suffolk) (D Kemp). Also: Hougham George (4), Stick Or Bust (5), Present Moment (6), Holy Moses (ur), Hurricane Storm (ur), Major Reno (pu), No Nay Never (ur), On The Day (pu), River Paradise (pu), Will Hill (pu), Persian Silk (withdrawn).
Four lengths, two lengths. 6.56. W £11.80. DF £ 9.80. SP 14-1 (Hougham George 3-1 fav). Rule 4 applies (Persian Silk 8-1 at time of withdrawal).
Race Six (Open Maiden Race):
1 J Ridge's Fiftiesonfire (Suffolk) (D Kemp),
2 Mrs J Wilson's Cashari (Pytchley) (S Morris),
3 Mrs A Vaughan-Jones and Mrs G Luck's Willow Ryde (Pytchley) (A Vaughan-Jones). Also: Shambob (4), All Alight (pu), Egberts Army (pu), Lightningconductor (pu), Lismore Legend (pu), She's A Terror (pu), Warrier Dan (f).
Eight lengths, 20 lengths. 6.58. W£8.80. DF £2.30. SP 2-1 (Cashari 6-4 fav).
