25/26 All things point to point

           SCARBOROUGH RACES REPORT

With 52 runners drawn from near and far, the popular track at Charm Park near Wykeham produced some excellent racing for the sizeable crowd which attended the second of the two Scarborough Races fixtures last Saturday 18^th April.

Whilst the winning connections in the Thank You Barry Foxton For 50 years Of Fence Building! Restricted were amongst the long distance travellers,who added much to the day, it was very much a case of a local Scarborough Boy coming home. Andrew Pennock grew up at Harwood Dale before eventually migrating down to Bury St Edmunds from where he has built up a successful training business, together with his wife Ruth. The long journey back north with a team of three was rewarded when Artiste D'Ainay, racing in the couple's own colours and partnered by Ellie Callwood lead all the way, coming home a long way clear of the…

                                          BEDALE POINT TO POINT REVIEW

Hornby Castle has played host to the Bedale point to point for nigh on eighty years and is a very big day in the local social calendar. The massive crowd which once again descended on the park last Saturday 11^th April was rewarded with quality horses and exciting racing despite braving conditions Yorkshire folk would call nithering.

Both Open races proved to be a happy hunting ground for favourite backers and saw impressive performances by a brace of classy horses. The Ladies was kindly sponsored by Lowes A Saltus Business and saw Daisy White and Killer Clown attempt to retain the trophy they won here twelve months ago. Run over the shorter two miles and six furlongs trip the field stayed closely bunched for much of the race with Second Subaltern producing some spectacular leaps as he took them along under Venetia Thompson however…

REPORT: PUCKERIDGE & ESSEX MEETING AT HIGH EASTER ON SATURDAY APRIL 11^th  

By Mike Ashby 

The 2025/26 East Anglia area point-to-point season concluded with the Puckeridge and Essex meeting at the delightful High Easter racecourse. All bar one of the scheduled ten fixtures took place, only the initial one planned for November didn’t run, due to lack of entries. 

At High Easter the main race of the day, The Ladies Open race, with the prestigious Warwick Vase awarded to the winner, went to Police Academy ridden by Ellie Callwood. This improving partnership has now won twice ( Higham and here ) and were runners-up at Fakenham, all in the space of three weeks. Two fences out all three runners, Police Academy, Spyglass Hill and I’m Spellbound were in the air together but the eventual winner produced a better jump than her rivals. This enabled Callwood to round the final bend on the favoured inside line and the winning pairing kept on strongly to win by 1¼ lengths from the I’m Spellbound who didn’t appreciate the drying ground and there was evidence of a broken blood vessel which wouldn't have helped his chances. Spyglass Hill…

RESULTS : Puckeridge & Essex at HIGH EASTER 

The official going was GOOD to FIRM/ GOOD  in places. 

PPORA CLUB MEMBERS’ RESTRICTED RACE 

1st REEL MUCH FUN  Huw Edwards 4/6Fav 

2^nd Main Stage  Gina Andrews 3/1 

3^rd  Validation Ellie Callwood 4/1 

REPORT: 

ESSEX & SUFFOLK AT HIGHAM ON GOOD FRIDAY APRIL 3^rd  

Author Mike Ashby 

Just like night follows day, the crowds flocked to Higham racecourse for the annual Essex and Suffolk meeting on Good Friday. The weather didn’t deter anyone and the normal fabulous array of picnics were on display and racegoers were determined to arrive early to save being directed to the overflow car parking areas.  

The day was full of equine and canine activities with the racing and dog show, coupled with two avenues of tradestands and catering outlets, beer tent, funfair, ice cream vendors and more importantly an adequate number of portaloos ! 

The lead rein dash contest that opened the day’s on course happenings was hilarious with some of the participants only 3 years of age being “carefully handled” like rag dolls but the enjoyment radiated by everyone who took part, was loudly applauded by the…

                        MIDDLETON POINT TO POINT REPORT

Mick Easterby's popular Sheriff Hutton course was once again the venue for the prestigious Middleton point to point last Saturday 4^th April where the feature race was the historic Grimthorpe Gold Cup. one of the sport's four classic races and run over the marathon trip of four miles one furlong. Sponsored once gain by Lord Grimthorpe and the Beckett family, the roll of honour stretches back over a hundred years the most recent of which was the Clark family's Blue Sans and when the starter's flag fell for this year's renewal, their hopes of retaining the cup rested with Sam Magee whose easy victory at the noted stayers course at Dalton Park two weeks earlier meant he was made joint favourite in the betting ring alongside the Easterby brothers multiple winner Morozov Cocktail. Jockey Joe Wright set out to repeat the previous winning tactics by…

Latest going report from Clerk of Course Rupert Wakley Easter Sunday 7pm - visit Paxford Races on socials.

ESSEX & SUFFOLK  -  HIGHAM 

GOOD FRIDAY APRIL 3^rd   

GOING: GOOD ( watered) 

ESSEX & SUFFOLK HUNT MEMBERS  

1 TOSS AGAIN  Boris Ball  1/4Fav 

2 Atlantic Fleet  Charlotte Butler 5/2 

REPORT: WEST AND NORTH NORFOLK at FAKENHAM on SUNDAY MARCH 22nd

Author: Mike Ashby

It was a perfect Spring day with plenty of sunshine , a gentle breeze , the customary three winners for the incredible winning-machine, jockey Gina Andrews, welcome success for trainer Andrew Pennock and a victory to celebrate for Norfolk owner, Simon Stearn.

The number of declared runners totalled 31, from the 40 individual horses entered, and produced some excellent racing throughout the afternoon. Pennock’s winner came in the concluding Maiden race where the 6-y-o Lightspeedahead was given an admirable ride by Ellie Callwood to race clear of their rivals from two fences out to register a 12 length success. The winning trainer had not had a winner all season despite covering many hundreds of miles in their horsebox and this success is just reward for Andrew and his wife Ruth for all the tireless work and…

                            HOLDERNESS POINT TO POINT REVIEW

The splendid and timeless Dalton Park near Beverley was the setting for the Holderness point to point last Sunday 22^nd March. The once a year course drew a large crowd of spectators who were treated to some exciting racing with several close finishes.

An enormous amount of work has to be put in to make an event like this happen and it is always good to see those who devote their time getting rewarded for their effort. That was certainly the case at Dalton Park when the Clark family's Sam Magee romped to an easy win in the Agrii Mixed Open. The line up featured two of the most prolific winners on the Yorkshire pointing circuit in Camdonian and Ballydonagh Boy however Joe Wright sent the outsider of the field off in front from flagfall and he proceeded to maintain a relentless gallop throughout to…

                                         HURWORTH POINT TO POINT REVIEW

There can be few more glorious places in the point to point world than the bank in Skutterskelfe Park in the bright spring sunshine with the racecourse below and the beautiful vista of the Cleveland Hills beyond. With the weather kind last Saturday 14^th March a large crowd was able to enjoy some super competitive races which produced thrilling finishes to get everybody excited.

Twenty four hours after the the Cheltenham festival drew to a close, one of the stars of Gold Cup day made his visit worthwhile with his only ride a winning one. The man in question was Henry Crow whose win on Barton Snow was described by Sir Tony McCoy as the ride of the week, which was some accolade and the ride he gave Baby Chou to win the Steven Beane Farrier Restricted race was another cracker. Always at the head…

By Mike Ashby 

The sky was slightly sullen and the opening mood very sombre as news had emerged that young jockey Sam Lee, who made regular East Anglia area appearances, had tragically died the previous day. A minute’s silence was observed after a fitting tribute was made by Area Chairman Stephen Howlett, over the PA system. 

The action provided another very successful afternoon for leading jockey Gina Andrews who followed up her six winners from last weekend and added another treble here at High Easter before rounding off another totally successful weekend with three more winners at Guilsborough. A remarkable 12 winners from 17 rides registering a strike rate of 70%. The third leg of her three winners, on Fortuneville, at High Easter brought up Gina’s 450^th points winner, Yet another milestone passed in her truly outstanding career. Both Fairly Famous (Mixed Open race) and I’m Spellbound (Ladies Conditions) are trained…

                     SCARBOROUGH RACES AT CHARM PARK NEAR WYKEHAM

                                                            REPORT

The first of the two popular Scarborough Races fixtures took place last Sunday 1^st March at Charm Park near Wykeham. The springlike weather drew a large crowd who were treated to some good racing with exciting finishes.

The day opened with a fitting winner for trainer Will Easterby of Great Habton in the Moneyweb Conditions race. Will recently decided to call time on a successful career in the saddle, having just become a father, but remains as involved in the sport as ever and acts as the clerk of the course for this meeting. The hard work he put in to set the course up, alongside his committee, was repaid when his brother Tom steered Morozov Cocktail to victory. Owned by mother Sarah, the winner was sent off favourite but had to be ridden along from a long way out…

REPORT:  THE SUFFOLK AT AMPTON RACECOURSE ON SUNDAY MARCH 1st  

Author:  Mike Ashby 

Gina Andrews has enjoyed many winning sequences since riding her first point-to-point winner at Cottenham in 2008. At the weekend, Gina rode three winners at Ampton on Sunday following a treble at Kingston Blount, the previous day. Now approaching 450 career wins in points, her determination and desire to maintain her success rate, never diminishes.  

Andrews winning trio, at Ampton, came courtesy of  Padjoes Legacy ( Veterans race ), Ice Prowler ( Maiden ), both for owner/trainer Nigel Padfield and Call Me Early ( Intermediate ) registering another success for the local ownership, The Signy and Marriage Families. Padjoes Legacy stayed on stoutly up the Ampton finishing hill having been involved in a tense duel with Paint The Dream throughout the final circuit. The winner had the advantage of the inside round the final two bends and…

                                                HELMSLEY RACES REPORT

Having been thwarted by a blanket of snow last Sunday and determined not to be be defeated by the weather, the Helmsley Races organisers moved heaven and earth to rearrange one week later and their efforts were rewarded as a sizeable crowd were treated to some great racing in front of one of the most stunning backdrops any racecourse can boast.

The feature race of the day was the Eccles Heddon Solicitors Mixed Open which saw a field stacked full of talent line up. Last year's Aintree Foxhunters winner Gracchus De Balme was made a warm favourite and jockey Henry Crow sent his mount off to front run as though he really meant business. As they jumped the last it was last season's leading Yorkshire horse Surprise Attack who came to challenge and he appeared to take the favourite's measure on the run in however the…

Author: Mike Ashby

Although racing throughout the country is being interrupted by the excessive spell of wet weather, there were no problems at Higham with the Hamilton Bloodhounds holding their inaugural fixture. The experienced Roderick Duncan, the new Clerk of the Course at Higham, kept us all fully informed of the state of the going, on the lead up to the meeting and because the course is situated on gravel, it is able to maintain raceable conditions. The end result, the going on the day was deemed to be Good to Soft and the whole course was a credit to Duncan and his team. Further reported comments, on the day from other sources went as far as to say "That was the best going that will be seen anywhere in the country for the next month".

After the excitement of two hotly contested pony races the main racing took…

REPORT: CAMBRIDGESHIRE WITH ENFIELD CHACE at HORSEHEATH on SATURDAY JANUARY 24th - Pointing EA

https://pointingea.com/report-cambridgeshire-with-enfield-chace-at-horseheath-on-saturday-january-24th/

YORKSHIRE AREA POINT TO POINT CLUB AT SHERIFF HUTTON JANUARY 18TH 2026

                                                                REVIEW

High quality performances by some very classy horses lit up a damp and grey Sheriff Hutton where the Yorkshire Area season opened last Sunday after a week's delay due to the wintery weather. Run once again in aid of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, to whom a cheque was presented by the organisers during racing for £13917.00, the total now raised and donated to them by the YAPPC has now passed the quarter of a million pounds mark.

The star performer on the card beforehand looked to be Barton Snow in the Labiana Life Sciences Ladies Open and those who took the short odds would never have a moment's worry. Get With It and Pippa Brown made the running but when Amber Jackson Fennell sent the favourite on three out the race was soon over and he…

Report from Ampton meeting held on Saturday January 10th

Go to :-

https://pointingea.com/report-dunston-harriers-at-ampton-saturday-january-10th/