DISPATCHES FROM THE SOUTH AND WEST MIDLANDS: 16 NOVEMBER

The second weekend of the 2025-2026 point-to-point season, which saw five races at Badbury Rings (the sixth was declared void due to regulatory issues), was groundhog day as far as two of the successful operations were concerned, with two of the participants reappearing in the winners enclosure a week after they did so at Lower Machen.

Racing action at Badbury Rings (Tim Holt)

Luca Morgan had taken the Young Horse Maiden with Baron Du Brizais at the season’s opening fixture and repeated the feat in the first race on Sunday with the Warwickshire-qualified and intriguingly named J’Envoievalserenki – which could be translated as “I send a waltz to the Sumerian Lord of the Earth” – again for owners The Gambie Gang and again ridden by James King. The ex-Irish 4yo scored comfortably despite some awkward jumps in the home straight.

The West Mercian winner at Badbury Rings was another for trainer Chris Barber and rider Ed Doggrell. Chris and Ed had won the older horse Maiden at Lower Machen with Western Monkey and took the level-weights Maiden at the Dorset course with the well-backed Samba Mambo, another ex-Irish 4yo to win with ease.

Ed (left) and Chris have been friends since their schooldays.

And Fred-Philipson Stow, having declined a walkover in the race that became void, got off the mark for the season on the Dorset-trained Finisher in the Conditions Race.