Search Results

No local area meetings were among the four that took place nationally last weekend, but participants from the West Mercian and South Midlands areas still managed to get on the scoresheet at all of them, with involvement in every win on the card at Howick in Wales on Saturday. Top of the tree was Herefordshire-based trainer Chris Barber, an across the card double at Howick and Cothelstone in Somerset taking his score for the season to 19. Mount Sinai took the Open and Walkingtheline the Mares Maiden at the former venue, while Aintree Foxhunters and dual Stratford Ladies Final winner Famous Clermont won the Conditions Race and Eileen’s Milan the Restricted at the latter. The last-named was the only one of the four to be ridden by Chris’ regular jockey Ed Doggrell. Famous Clermont with connections after winning at Stratford (Neale Blackburn) Champion jockey James King was in treble form and remains four clear of nearest pursuer Josh Newman in this year’s title race. He took the Howick Restricted for Alan Hill on the progressive The Dancing Tree and his other two winners – one at the Gwent track and one at Buckfastleigh in Devon on Sunday – were for Welsh trainer Luke Price, with whom he generally has a productive relationship in the Spring. The Dancing Tree and James King Jo Priest doubled up at Howick with Members winner Karaktere D’Enfer and Restricted scorer Is Our Otis, both ridden by Zac Baker, while Harvey Barfoot-Saunt – riding this season with a Welsh qualification but very much part of the West Mercian scene – got up close home in the best race of the day in the Conditions Race there, winning on Dragon Rock for John Evans.   Karaktere D'Enfer with Zac Baker and Jo Priest (Graham Fisher) At Cothelstone, Molly Legg got off the mark for the campaign when dead-heating in the Mixed Open on the Gina Andrews-trained Tigerbythetail. She shared the spoils with her “bezzie”, Aimee Jones, also opening her account for the season.   At Saturday’s other meeting, at Hutton Rudby in North Yorkshire, Henry Crow followed up his Cheltenham Foxhunters triumph on Joe O’Shea’s Barton Snow with victory in more prosaic company on a spare ride in the Restricted, while first-season trainer Albertine Barker had her first winner when That’s Where Its At – making his debut over fences – won the Maiden.

On a weekend overshadowed by the tragic death of popular South Midlands jockey Sam Lee, there were a season-high six meetings – including two in the West Mercian Area – giving plenty of opportunities for South Midlands and West Mercian participants to get on the scoresheet, and they took full advantage, being involved in 21 victories at five fixtures, including a clean sweep at Bangor-on-Dee on Sunday. Star performer was again 11-time champion jockey Gina Andrews, who rode six winners – three each at High Easter on Saturday and Guilsborough on Sunday – three of which she trained herself, Fairly Famous and I’m Spellbound at the first-named Essex venue and Arctic Oscar at the Northamptonshire track. For good measure, she also trained the winner of the Flat Race at Bangor-on-Dee, Wise Maiden, ridden by Zac Baker. Another of Gina’s Guilsborough wins was on Cartesien, a first training success of the season for Maxine Filby for her high-profile owners, Christian and Geri Horner. Gina Andrews and Fairly Famous (near side) - High Easter winners (Neale Blackburn) Trainer Alan Hill and jockey Huw Edwards were others to see success at both High Easter and Bangor-on-Dee. They teamed up on Saturday to take the Restricted with Reel Much Fun but went their separate ways at the North Wales course, Alan winning the Restricted with Drayton Flyer and Huw taking the Area Conditions Race with Peaches And Cream, trained by his partner Laura Richardson. Plaudits at Bangor-on-Dee went to popular local trainer Neil Gittins, known to many as “Gitto”. His horses had been out of form earlier in the season, but he got off the mark for the campaign with a vengeance, landing a treble. It was initiated by Mayor Kingston (Felix Barlow) in the Maiden, stable star Great Valley (Guy Sankey) scored easily on his reappearance in the Mixed Open, then Blagthebookies – ridden by Guy’s wife Iola – took the first Conditions Race. The latter two combinations had scored at the same meeting in 2025. Trainer Neil Gittins after his treble (Marilyn Sweet) Read Tricia Newman’s full report of racing at Bangor-on-Dee here. Back at Guilsborough, Joe O’Shea’s Boley Bob followed up his Larkhill win in the Intermediate, again under Henry Crow, while David Dennis’ Just Four Fame gave Dominic Lewis a first pointing win in the Maiden.   At Didmarton in Gloucestershire on Saturday, West Mercian connections won four of the seven races. What A Steal, ridden by Ed Doggrell for trainer Christopher Walker took the Adjacent Hunts Race, Amber Jackson-Fennell gave the Welsh-qualified What’s Up Harry a storming ride to win the Restricted, and Mount Gay Run scored in the Maiden for trainer Nick Pearce and jockey Sean O’Connor, who is having a splendid season. Best finish of the day came in the first Conditions Race, where Angela Slatter’s Alaphilippe and James King and Glancing Hill, trained by Francesca Poste and ridden by Zac Baker dead-heated after duelling all the way up the run-in. Sean O'Connor on Maiden winner Mount Gay Run (Graham Fisher) Read Andrew King’s review of the action at Didmarton here. Finally, down at Charlton Horethorne in Somerset on Sunday, Chris Barber and James King teamed up for a double in the last two races, the Restricted and Intermediate, with Carrillo and the progressive Couer D’Alene respectively.

South Midlands and West Mercian participants again had a successful weekend, with involvement in 15 wins at the meetings at Kingston Blount on Saturday and Ampton and Larkhill on Sunday. Six of those victories were achieved by perennial female champion jockey Gina Andrews, who rode trebles at the Oxfordshire track on Saturday and in Suffolk the day after. She also trained all three Kingston Blount winners – Cheytac in the Conditions Race, Entity of Substanz in the 0-110 Series Race and Master Templar in the four-mile Mixed Open – as well as Call Me Early in the Intermediate at Ampton. Entity of Substanz - joint-leading horse this season (Neale Blackburn) Gina has now ridden 20 winners this season (and trained 18) and looks to have an unassailable lead in the national riders’ championship, which she is bidding to win for a 12 th time. As for Entity Of Substanz, he is now joint-leading horse this season with four wins. Joining him on four wins at the weekend was the legend that is Grace A Vous Enki, again scoring unchallenged at Larkhill and taking his record at the Wiltshire venue to an incredible 11 from 11. Trained by Chris Barber and ridden as always by James King, both keeper and jockey had enjoyed success separately the day before – James teamed up with Alan Hill to take the Restricted at Kingston Blount on The Dancing Tree, while Chris won the Young Horse Maiden there with Hang Out, a first winner as an owner for popular commentator Robbie Scott. Hang Out was ridden by Ed Doggrell, who later completed a double on Francesca Poste’s Farfromaway in the Conditions Maiden. Grace A Vous Enki and connections - 11 from 11 at Larkhill (Tim Holt) Back at Larkhill on Sunday, the Tom Lacey – Sean O’Connor team continued to farm the Maidens with their four-year-olds, following up a double at the last meeting with wins from Seven Kites (Open Maiden) and Madam To You (Mares Maiden). Tom’s assistant Eamonn O’Donnabhain had earlier taken the Conditions Race with Highstakesplayer. Tom Lacey and Sean O'Connor teamed up again successfully (Carl Evans) Concluding Sunday’s action, both divisions of the Flat Race went to South Midlands trainers – Lunar Trix took the first division for Michael Kehoe with Charlie Case on board, while Myles Osborne’s Island Jetaway won division two.

After no racing took place last weekend, Saturday and Sunday again proved successful for West Mercian and South Midlands horses, owners, trainers and riders, with involvement in no fewer than ten winners at three of the four meetings held nationwide. Jeremy Hill (centre) with James King and trainer's son Joe Hill (no relation) after Drayton Flyer's win Star of the show was West Mercian-based owner Jeremy Hill, looking for his first winner. He ran his entire string of three… and all of them were victorious! Drayton Flyer, trained by Alan Hill and ridden by James King, won the Maiden at Lincolnshire track Brocklesby Park on Saturday, while he completed a double at Badbury Rings in Dorset on Sunday with Illico De Cotte in the Ladies Open and Dollanstown in the second division of the Maiden. Dollanstown was part of a treble on the card for Ed Doggrell, while Illico De Cotte was a first ever winner for Molly Armytage, daughter of former leading amateur Marcus. Will she emulate him by going on to win the Grand National? James King and Couer D'Alene won again at Badbury Rings (Marilyn Sweet) Ed had made a much longer trip, up to Alnwick in Northumberland, on Saturday where he teamed up with Chris Barber to take the Young Horse Maiden with Titi Monmartre. Chris himself joined James King in doubling up over the weekend, when the pair combined to win a division of the Restricted with the impressive Couer D’Alene. Bass Rock and Lucas Murphy - completed hat-trick on Sunday (Marilyn Sweet) Also at Badbury Rings, Bass Rock completed a hat-trick for trainer Harry Brown and jockey Lucas Murphy – who is bang in contention for the national novice rider title – and Docket Man, Ledbury-qualified as he was formerly owned and trained by Tom Lacey, took a division of the Maiden. Back to Brocklesby Park, Midnight River won the Mixed Open in the hands of Heidi Palin for trainer Bridget Skelton, following-up his Chaddesley Corbett success in December.

Team Britten - (L-R) Fred, Tom C, Clara, Tom B (all photos Caroline Exelby unless stated) At the young age of 27 and with a string of just six, Tom Britten is already making a name for himself on the pointing scene, having taken big Hunter Chases at Cheltenham and Stratford, including the ‘Horse & Hound Cup’ at the latter venue, with What A Glance in 2024, and training the progressive Ocean Drifter to win four on the bounce in the past two campaigns, most recently scoring in a competitive Mixed Open at Chaddesley Corbett. What’s more, unlike many successful handlers, Tom – who works for Alastair Ralph in the mornings – has to train his horses part-time. Jake Exelby caught up with him on a wet Wednesday at his Highley, Shropshire base, to talk about his background, the secrets behind his success and his plans to train under rules.   Arriving at the yard, I meet Tom (Amidnightstar), reigning female novice champion Clara Brewitt (Ocean Drifter), the current leader in the equivalent male race Fred Philipson-Stow (What A Glance) and work rider Tom Collins (Suttons Hill) as they’re about to make the mile-and-a-half walk to Ralph’s gallops at nearby Billingsley. “We don’t have a walker at home,” Tom tells me, “But the 15 minutes up and down hills to Alastair’s really benefits the horses and strengthens their backs. A scenic view of Alastair Ralph's gallops While none of his family worked in racing, his parents Sue and Paul both used to ride in points – “The thing we have in common is that we all rode just one winner,” laughs Tom – and grandmother Ann Taylor, who bought What A Glance as a foal, has been a fixture on the pointing scene for longer than even I can remember! (Fascinating Fact: Ann trained Behest to win at the Cheltenham Evening Fixture as far back as 1981. The horse was ridden by Helen Hart, mother of my fellow point-to-point correspondent Claire, who used to train Tom’s only winner as a jockey, Orange Nassau). Tom with grandmother Ann (left) after Orange Nassau's win (Pointing WM) Tom explains how he got into the sport of racing. “I’m from Little Comberton, near Pershore in Worcestershire. I grew up with ponies and did a lot of hunting. Mum was a member at Cheltenham, so I used to go with her, and Dad was really into his pointing – Chaddesley Corbett and Upton-on-Severn were our local tracks. I pony raced – I had two winners at point-to-point tracks and one at Cheltenham, riding against the likes of Alice Stevens and Sam Lee. I loved it and thought I wanted to be a jockey.”   Tom is matter of fact about the reason he retired from the saddle aged just 22, after the sole winner (at Woodford in 2019) from about 50 rides. “I wasn’t good enough,” he shrugs. “And only got round twice in my last season. I did it for enjoyment, and weight wasn’t really an issue (Tom must be at least 6’3”), although I struggled to do 11st 2lbs with the allowance in Mixed Opens.” In any case, training was already on the cards.   “I used to ride out for Tony Carroll and went to Philip Hobbs for two summers, as some friends were in a syndicate with him,” recalls Tom. “I was supposed to go to university, the Royal Agricultural College, but never made it. I went to Nicky Henderson’s for the summer and didn’t leave. I was there for two years, when he had the likes of Altior, Santini and Shishkin, then became pupil assistant to Oliver Sherwood, then to David Dennis.”   Tom confirms how the move to Shropshire came about. “Alastair gave me the opportunity to be his assistant, so I moved here in 2022. I kept my pointers there for a year before taking on this place.” However, after three years, working full-time for Ralph didn’t leave Tom enough time to train his own pointers. “I’d go to Alastair’s at 7am, work all morning, rush back here at lunchtime, ride as many lots as I could, then go back to Alastair’s at 4pm for evening stables. There was lots of toing and froing!”   Unsurprisingly, Tom’s gained a lot from his various roles, starting with his time at Seven Barrows. “I’ve learnt to leave room to work on the horses early in the season so they’re ready for the big targets in the spring, and to keep them fresh and well throughout the season. Nicky’s not hard on his horses, but it’s difficult to train like him – there’s a new breed of owner who wants results more quickly.”   Tom expands on his thinking. “French-breds, broken-in as yearlings, have become popular, and don’t seem to have as much longevity as stores coming from pointing, which has more of an effect than people realise. When I started going racing, the likes of Denman and Big Bucks would go to the Festival year after year and perform every time. Lots of horses now have just one good year and we’re breeding horses to become more precocious – many National Hunt horses are flat-bred and not as many want soft ground.”   As Tom admits, he’s been lucky to have two good horses in his care, firstly What A Glance, who had looked more of a two-and-a-half miler who wanted better going, until winning over 3m2f in bottomless ground at Cheltenham! “He’s always worked like an aeroplane at home,” laughs Tom again, “And he’s out of a seven-furlong mare, so I got stuck on the idea that he wouldn’t get three miles. But he was hitting the line strongly over two-and-a-half but not quite getting up. He’d been running well in points against the likes of Ihandaya and Deise Aba, and I didn’t think the Cheltenham race was the strongest of the night.” Tom celebrates as a muddy Murray wins at Cheltenham (Neale Blackburn) However, the soft conditions nearly scuppered Tom’s plans. “Rider Murray Dodd and I walked the course, and it was horrifically wet – I fell out with my girlfriend, who didn’t think he should run – so I told Murray to drop him out and pull up if he hated the ground, but he loved it. We then went to Stratford because he was in great form, and you don’t get many chances at the Horse & Hound. It was over even further and there was still plenty of cut, but he won again.” Before doubling up at Stratford (Neale Blackburn) Last year, What A Glance was never right, and he cracked a splint bone in the Cheltenham Foxhunters. “We’ll see how we go,” says Tom cautiously. “He’s unlikely to go back to the Festival and we’ll work towards the Cheltenham and Stratford evening meetings again. He’ll probably go to Ludlow early next month, (where he was going well when falling four out) then maybe for the Walrus at Haydock. Fred and What A Glance in motion Tom tells me how he obtained Ocean Drifter, his other stable star. “He had good form under rules for Oliver Sherwood but was fragile. Oliver and owner Tim Syder gave him to Cameron Johnstone-Baker – we worked together when I was there – and, when Cameron moved to Emma Lavelle’s, he asked if I’d like him.” Clara and Ocean Drifter gallop through the rain “Clara (Brewitt) gets on well with him,” continues Tom, “And won’t get off him in a hurry! He’s got a non-rules agreement, so we’ll stick to points. Frustratingly, many of the big races are Mens Opens – we can’t run him with Clara in the Lady Dudley Cup – so he’ll keep running in Ladies Opens. Clara and Ocean Drifter win at Chaddesley Corbett (Graham Fisher) Tom talks through his other pointers. Suttons Hill showed good form under rules in Ireland without winning and has been placed, after front-running, on both his British starts. “We may need to change the tactics with him,” admits Tom. (He was held up at Cocklebarrow but was hampered and unseated Clara). Tom C preps Suttons Hill for Cocklebarrow “Amnidnightstar won a hurdle at Hereford but has had two years off. She’s doing things right and seems OK now. She’s owned by Lynn Wallace, another great help to the yard. Impact Player ran in a bumper for Gary Moore. He was green and backwards, is well bred, and will improve for further and fences. And Grass’s Jet came just last week – (owner-rider) Will Badlan sent him to me. He’s a maiden, who’s been in the wilderness, and I’m still figuring him out.” Tom B and Amidnightstar With Murray Dodd, and Toby McCain-Mitchell, who rode What A Glance last year, having turned conditional, Fred Philipson-Stow will ride the horse this year, and Tom confirms how he chooses his jockeys. “People I get on with and people who come in and ride out,” he states firmly. “Both Fred and Clara help out, they listen, and they give good feedback. Fred’s riding with confidence, gets his horses settled and jumping, and is very talented. He probably under-rates himself. It’s the same with Clara – she’s really improved since she started riding Ocean Drifter.”   I ask Tom if he’s thought about going down the young horse sales route so popular at the moment. His response is frank. “Potentially down the line, but you need the time to do them properly and, working at Alastair’s, time is something I don’t have. Older horses are easy – you just tack up and ride them out!”   However, it seems that Tom may soon be lost to pointing. “I’ve done my first two licenced trainer modules, with the third next month,” he tells me. “I’m looking for a yard, then I’ll apply for a licence. While Ocean Drifter will obviously stay pointing, you need plenty of ammunition when you’re starting out under rules, so the others will come with me.”   Tom explains the reasons behind his decision. “I love pointing, it’s not as serious, everyone’s more relaxed, and it’s more fun. But from a business perspective, I have to make money and – while I try to keep the costs down – there’s no incentive to own pointers. Even when you’re buying and selling young horses, it’s hard to make a go of it – you might sell one for £100,000, but you probably need to buy five to find that one. You need a syndicate of backers who can afford to lose money and it’s a gamble at the end of the day, a big gamble. There’s a lot of pressure to deliver and I like to find a consistent horse who can give the owners a fun day out.   As Tom obviously has strong views on pointing, I ask my usual question about what he’d do if he was in charge of the sport. “I don’t know,” he confesses. “It’s a difficult one. The biggest problem facing the sport is if hunting gets banned, as you’d lose a lot of free support and help, and we’d struggle to finance what the hunts do. I’d try to find a big national sponsor – maybe one of the sales companies – but that’s easier said than done.”   He has mixed views on the new social media approach that the PPA is taking. “It certainly appeals to young people,” confirms Tom, “And gets the sport across to a wider audience. But those people can’t afford to have a horse in training and that’s what you need – if you’re struggling to buy a house, you can’t afford a horse!”   So how do you get more young riders into pointing, Tom? “There are lots of them who’d love to ride in a race,” he answers. “So, could you allow, say, a trainer to give some of his horses to his staff, to train and ride in points? You’d have to put a cap on the number of horses, and their level – maybe up to three, rated no higher than 110. I know a lot of pointing people are against professional trainers, but it’s even harder to get a ride under rules and it would be a cheaper way to get people involved.”   Tom’s final word comes in response to my question of what would happen to him in a world without racing. His reply is simple – “I wouldn’t know what to do!”

It was another successful weekend for the two Areas, with participants from West Mercia and the South Midlands involved in all six victories at Higham and seven of the nine successes at Larkhill (including a dead-heat!) To cap it off, Fred Timmis and Henry Bailey made the long journey to Friars Haugh and came back with a win at the Borders course courtesy of Sharing Is Caring in the Restricted. Connections celebrate after Sharing Is Caring's Restricted win (Sean Tasker-Brown) At Higham on Saturday, there was a first win – on just her second ride – for 17-year-old Willow Johnson, daughter of the legendary Richard, one of the greatest jockeys of his generation, on Jimmy The Digger in the Ladies Open. Alan Hill and James King came back from the Essex venue with a double on Senior Citizen (3m4f Conditions) and Reel More Fun (Maiden), while Bradley Gibbs also bagged a brace, training and riding the South Midlands-qualified Practice Run (Restricted) as well as Fier Jaguen (Mens Open). And the Francesca Poste-trained and Cerys Sheehy-ridden Hubrisko took the first Jockey Club Hands & Heels race of the season, a third win of the campaign for this combination. Alan Hill's Reel More Fun and James King before their Maiden win Star of the show at a wet Larkhill on Sunday was Grace A Vous Enki, who took the Coronation Cup classic race – his tenth victory from ten starts at the Wiltshire track – for Chris Barber and James King. James now has a lead of six as he seeks a fifth jockeys championship. James King with owners Clive and Joan Hitchings and the impressive Coronation Cup trophy (Graham Fisher) Fil D’Ariane, owned, trained and ridden by Doug White (older readers will remember his mother Rosemary being a top female jockey in the late 1970s and early 1980s) was an impressive winner of the Novice Riders race, while Boley Bob came out on top in a battle royale for the first division of the Restricted for Joe O’Shea and Henry Crow.   Tom Lacey and Sean O’Connor combined to take both divisions of the Maiden on odds-on shots Gallant Tide and Hive Runner – it’s even longer odds-on that neither will be seen in points again this season as they go racing under rules – while the concluding Flat Race saw a dead-heat for two West Mercian debutants – Dadavic, trained by Justin Brotherton, and Miss Spec, a first success for handler Oliver Hayes. They were ridden by South Midlands jockeys – respectively, Sam Lee and Charlie Case.

With the weather continuing to play havoc with the point-to-point calendar, just one meeting took place this weekend – at Charing in Kent. Racing was competitive, and saw victories for the Chamings Family’s Protect The Future in the second division of the split Maiden, Chris Clarke’s Kansas Du Berlais in the Ladies Open, ending a run of seven consecutive placings (including one on the flat!) and Alan Hill’s The Dancing Tree - pictured below working at home - in the Restricted, a 13 th winner of the season for champion jockey James King, who is four clear in this year’s title race.

Jo Priest, who trains a string of 11 pointers at the historic Caradoc Court stables in Herefordshire – where John Edwards enjoyed so much success under rules with the likes of Pearlyman and Yahoo – has long held a reputation as one of the shrewdest handlers in the business. Last season, she enjoyed a strike rate of over 25%, and eight of her ten horses won – four first time out. She enjoys a 100% record this season too, her Karaktere D’Enfer having taken a Young Horse Maiden at Chaddesley Corbett on his pointing debut, denting some reputations from the ‘sales yards’ in the process. Jake Exelby paid her a visit recently to find out more.   Team Priest - (L-R) Jo, Kauto No Risk, Will, Karaktere D'Enfer, Tilly, Shannon and John (all photos Caroline Exelby unless stated) Following a successful career in the saddle, primarily riding the horses owned and trained by Mel Lloyd, Jo has been training pointers – apart from a brief spell in the mid-noughties with a rules licence – for over 20 years, and last year was her best yet, with eight winners. Czermno gave Jo her first ride at Eyton-on-Severn in 1993 and her first winner at Weston Park later that same year. Then in 1994, she was joint-champion Ladies Novice Rider (with Samantha Wallin), three of her wins coming on Couture Tights. “He was my favourite, and the best horse I rode,” recalls Jo with a glint in her eye. I won twelve on him in total, ended up buying him, and had him for the rest of his life. I had a proper relationship with him.”   Jo moved to Caradoc during Covid. “I’d been training at Upton-on-Severn,” she explains, and I got one of the small business grants they were offering. That paid for the move, with enough left over to see me through when there was no racing and I wasn’t earning. It was supposed to be temporary, but I was asked if I’d like to stay, said ‘yes’, and the rest is history!”   “It suits me here,” continues Jo. “It’s an old traditional yard, with well-established gallops. We’ve got schooling fences, an all-weather woodchip gallop, a round carpet gallop for a warm-up, then two grass gallops – a river meadow and a steep hill. And we can hack the horses ten for ten minutes and use Tom Symonds’ deep sand.” The view from the gallops at Caradoc “The training’s gone better since the move,” Jo goes on. “And I’m enjoying it more than ever. I’ve picked up new owners and more horses. People enjoy coming here – everyone knows the history of Caradoc and owners get personal treatment – and the results speak for themselves.”   The agenda for the morning is three sets of work – two up the all-weather and one over the fences. First up are Sam Lee on Master Tim, a four-year-old owned by Peter Burke, who’ll start out in a point-to-point bumper, and Shannon Nixon on last season’s Chaddesley Corbett winner Llandinabo Lad, who’ll be out later in the season. “Shannon bought Western Cowboy (who won at Didmarton last year) from Will Badlan and will have her first ride on him soon,” Jo tells me. Shannon and Sam on Llandinabo Lad and Master Tim Next to go are Shannon on Karaktere D’Enfer, Sam on Laugusto, an unraced five-year-old owned by Robert Jones, who also has Bitterley winner Is Our Otis with Jo, and Will Badlan on Costafortune. “He’s aptly named,” smiles Jo, as he didn’t cost me a penny, even though he was bought for £55,000 as a three-year-old. He’ll run for my Mum and Dad, Sue and Martin and, if he doesn’t make a racehorse, he’ll be a nice hunter.” Sam (Laugusto), Shannon (Karaktere D'Enfer) and Will (Costafortune) “I think Laugusto will be nice,” she adds with fingers firmly crossed. “He’s well-bred and is very similar now to Is Our Otis when we first had him. I’ll be disappointed if he can’t win a point-to-point bumper.” Shannon and Sam schooling Western Cowboy and Is Our Otis We finish by watching Western Cowboy (Shannon), Is Our Otis (Sam) and Millsbridge (Will) school over four fences. Millsbridge is homebred by Steve Whistance, for whom his dam Milly Malone won a point and two chases. “He’s by Blue Bresil, ran for Adrian Wintle under rules and is a similar type to Thais Toir (who won a Maiden for Jo and Whistance last season). Steve just wants to win a race with a homebred.” Will and Millsbridge jumping I ask Jo about her enviable first time out record. “I don’t like going to the races when I don’t have a chance, as used to happen sometimes when I trained under rules. Having a horse costs owners a lot of money and I like to work them hard and feed them harder! If you’ve got the fittest horse, you’ve got a chance of winning even if you’re not the best in the race.” Jo confirms how the facilities at Caradoc get her horses fit. “Even on an easy day, when you’re going for a hack, you go up banks and canter across meadows. It feels fun to the horse, but they’re working hard. It’s the same for novice riders,” she adds. “It’s one thing to be able to gallop in a straight line, but the river meadow really tells you whether someone can ride.”   Jo has a reputation for supporting novice riders, who were responsible for half her wins last season, two of which came in the hands of Will Badlan. “I’ve known Will since he was six,” Jo says. “He bought his first pony from me. He’s a great lad, who works hard. Shannon’s another hard worker from a non-horsey background. She does roofing for a living, so she’s really strong. She comes in from Stourbridge at least three times a week and does three or four lots. She’s come on leaps and bounds in the three months she’s been here.” Shannon and Llandinabo Lad cool down Jo explains why she’s so supportive of the novices. “I’m not from a horsey background either, so needed someone like Mel Lloyd to have faith in me. Someone asked him once why he was putting up a novice girl and he replied, ‘Jo’s in my yard mucking out seven days a week – she deserves to ride.’ I needed that help, and I want to help others.” As well as her young riders, Jo will be using Zac Baker – “He fits in with the team, I love the way he rides and the owners love him” – and today’s work rider Sam, who’s ridden three winners for her at a 100% strike rate again this season.   The one horse not taking part this morning (Striking Out, has yet to come back in and Jo is awaiting delivery of A Mighty King, a new horse from Ireland bought for Will Badlan) is Kauto No Risk, four times a winner from eight starts, who missed last season. “He’s costing me a fortune in vet’s bills”, laughs owner John Hargreaves – who also co-owns Karaktere D’Enfer with Justin Hoskins – “He won’t be out for a while, as he’s a better horse with the sun on his back. I think he’s got a big race in him. He’s not a Cheltenham horse, but we might target the John Corbet at Stratford – he’d beaten the 2024 winner of that race the previous month.” Kauto No Risk (red and purple) beats the 2024 John Corbet winner (Marilyn Sweet) John also part-owned the horse Jo nominates as the best she’s trained, Ballyboker Breeze. “I got him from Jason Maguire,” she says. “It took me two seconds to say yes when Jason asked if I wanted him. He was electric to watch in a race, a lovely horse with star quality, and was also a ‘nice person’. He still comes back to the yard every summer.” However, she holds regrets about what might have been. “We lost out with Covid – 2020 would have been his best season.”   It’s quite normal for Jo not to have had many runners by mid-late January, as she admits. “I only brought Karaktere D’Enfer in early, as there aren’t many opportunities. January’s a difficult month – you have to travel – so what’s the incentive to get horses in early? Anyway, most of my horses want better ground. More of the horses will start running in February and there will be lots of opportunities over the Easter period.” Karaktere D'Enfer wins at Chaddesley Corbett (Graham Fisher) “They need to sort out the fixture list,” continues Jo. “I don’t understand the logistics of the areas – you have nothing for several weeks, then two on the same weekend. For example, Bitterley and Sandon both race on Easter Saturday, and will attract the same horses. And…” – she’s on a roll now – “Someone has to have the authority to overrule people objecting to meetings being rescheduled!”   Jo doesn’t have any full-time members of staff, but also on hand to help with the horses when I visit is Tilly Davey, a high-level eventer, who rides a lot of the flat work at Caradoc and who has done dressage with Kauto No Risk. “Tilly comes in Monday to Friday,” confirms Jo, “While Vicky Adams does weekends. Then (trainer-rider) Joe Neal is here three days a week, and I also want to mention Alice Garfield, who runs the Caradoc Estate. She’s so helpful – she harrows the gallop and puts up the schooling fences.   Work done, Shannon tells me how she got the pointing bug. “I’ve always had horses, but just as a hobby, but I’d never galloped a racehorse before I spent a month at Justin Brotherton’s in the summer – Justin’s a lovely person and Will and Sam have been supportive too. When I was there, I decided to buy Western Cowboy and jumped in at the deep end! I’ve been having jockey coaching with Charlie Poste but I’m leaving plans for my first ride in Jo’s hands!” Western Cowboy (far side) wins for Will Badlan at a sunny Cotley (Tim Holt) “We need to do more to encourage riders like Shannon,” suggests Jo. “It’s so flipping expensive in your first year, when you may only have two or three rides. Your licence, medical, coaching and equipment cost up to £1,500 – plus there’s the time you have to take out of work. I think there should be more help towards the cost of equipment – under rules, you can borrow it from a shared pool.”   Having won a Young Horse Maiden already this season – albeit not one of the GB Bonus Series and not with a horse to sell – Jo has firm views on these races. “Sales horses don’t contribute to the sport – they get one entry, one run, then you never see them again. So, should a percentage of revenue from sales horses go back into pointing? We throw in loads of money, our horses stay pointing and the crowd get to know the horses. I want people to follow the likes of Karaktere D’Enfer.”   John has an innovative idea. “Wouldn’t it be better to have a bonus for horses who go through the grades?” he asks. “It wouldn’t stop them going under rules afterwards, and my argument to the BHA would be that putting money back into pointing would get the sport into better health by creating more opportunities. If you encourage people to leave, the sport will keep shrinking. There has to be a long-term plan and a big picture strategy – otherwise, we’re just reducing the sport to fit the horse numbers.”   As someone who’s spent over 30 years in the sport, Jo has seen a lot of change. “The ground conditions are so much better now,” she confirms. “Take someone like Jim Squires at Chaddesley Corbett. He does a phenomenal job, and you know you can trust what he says.” And what does she miss about the ‘old days’? “I’d like to go back to a time when you had to hunt your pointers,” she replies. “We still hunt ours when the Ledbury meet here – about half a dozen times a year – and we’d like to go out more but just don’t have the time.”   “It was more low-key then,” Jo says. “You didn’t have the big professional yards, and everyone was on a level playing field. One of the biggest trainers when I was riding was Sheila Crow – she’d be small now.”   I conclude by asking Jo what she loves about a sport to which she’s dedicated most of her life. She smiles once more. “I just love horses. I’ve always loved horses.”

It was another fine weekend for participants from the South Midlands and Sandhurst Areas, with three winners at Horseheath on Saturday followed by a clean sweep at the first South Midlands meeting of the season, at Cocklebarrow on Sunday. The mare Ask Elli, homebred by Chub Castle, got off the mark for the season at Horseheath in the Restricted, while another to break their duck for this campaign was jockey Charlie Case, who took one of the Maidens at the Cambridgeshire track on his father Ben’s Seek Him There. Trainer-rider Lily Bradstock and Myth Buster won their second race of the season in the closing Conditions event. Lily Bradstock and Myth Buster (Ray Newby) Gina Andrews was in out of luck in riding action at Cheltenham on Saturday but returned to winning ways at Cocklebarrow, just 15 miles down the road from the home of steeplechasing, with a treble as both trainer and jockey. Percy De Courcy won the maiden on debut impressively and a date at the sales surely beckons, Entity Of Substanz scored for the third time this season – the first horse to do so – and could be back down the road in May for the Intermediate Final, and Mumbo Jumbo was a facile winner in the Adjacent race. The three-timer took Gina to 14 for the season as both trainer and rider and she is clear at the top of both tables. A three-timer for Entity Of Substanz and Gina Andrews (Graham Fisher) Cocklebarrow saw the running of the first classic of the season – the Mens Open for the Lord Ashton of Hyde’s Cup over 3m6f – and it saw a surprise, as Hugh Lillingston on the mare All Loved Up stepped up in both class and distance to overturn odds-on favourite Lavorante. All Loved up and Hugh Lillingston (pink) come with a strong late run to take the classix (Graham Fisher) All Loved Up’s trainer Harry Brown is another whose yard is in flying form – with four wins from seven runners – and he doubled up when the odds-on Bass Rock took the concluding Novice Riders race in the hands of Lucas Murphy. The 16-year-old was riding his third winner from just five mounts and must be a contender for the national novice title. The only West Mercian winner this weekend was Cotswold-qualified jockey Tilly Dennis, who won the Ladies Open at Cocklebarrow on her father David's game 14-year-old Innisfree Lad, trained in South Midlands territory at Edgcote. It was a fine front-running performance from the 17-year-old, riding her second career winner. Read Russell Smith's full review of the Heythrop meeting at Cocklebarrow here

James King was the main beneficiary of the weekend’s racing, a win at Revesby Park on Saturday and a Sunday Larkhill double taking him five clear at the top of the jockeys’ championship. His trip to the Lincolnshire venue was rewarded with a win in the Mixed Open on Linelee King – trained by Camilla Murphy, wife of rules handler Olly – while Chris Barber’s Grace A Vous Enki went nine from nine at the Wiltshire track with an emphatic performance in the Mixed Open. Barber himself has a phenomenal 66% strike rate this season, with eight wins from 12 runs. King doubled-up on the Welsh-trained One For Snowy in the concluding bumper. Grace A Vous Enki and James King – nine out of nine at Larkhill (Tim Holt) Also at Larkhill, 16-year-old Lucas Murphy showed why he’s such a talent when taking the Novice Riders race on the ex-Paul Nicholls trained Histrionic, while there was plenty of success for West Mercian and South Midlands connections at Sheriff Hutton in Yorkshire on the same day. Joe O’Shea and Amber Jackson-Fennell combined to take the Ladies Open with the progressive Barton Snow, the popular Fumet D’Oudairies – trained and ridden by Gina Andrews – marked his return to the pointing scene by winning the opening Conditions race, and Joe Hill’s Barito won the closing Young Horse Maiden impressively. A date at the Cheltenham Sales on Saturday beckons. Fumet D'Oudairies - made a successful return to pointing at Sheriff Hutton (Neale Blackburn)

It was another successful Saturday for South Midlands and West Mercian participants, as they teamed up to take five of the six races at the East Anglian venue. While it was a quiet weekend on the West Mercian front, with just one area-qualified runner, four-time champion jockey James King rode a double on pointing debutant Jorah (Maiden) and I K Brunel (Mens Open) - both for Alan Hill - to go two clear in his quest for a fifth title. Hill has now had seven winners this season. James King with connections after I K Brunel's win Another to double up - as both trainer and jockey - was Gina Andrews, who took the opening Conditions Race on Mumbo Jumbo and the Restricted on Call Me Early. She has now both trained and ridden ten winners, is three clear in her bid for a first trainers' title, and well ahead in the female jockeys' championship, as she aims for an unprecedented 12th crown. The closing Novice Riders Race went the way of the mare All Loved Up, trained by Harry Brown - who has made a great start to his career with two winners and a second from four runners - and ridden by Hugh Lillingston, getting off the mark for the season. All Loved Up and Hugh Lillingston

Will and Annabel with Colibri Bleu (all photos Caroline Exelby unless stated) Based at Grendon, near Atherstone, Will Thirlby is one of an increasingly rare breed in the sport of point-to-pointing nowadays, a farmer-trainer-rider. After a promising start to his career as a jockey, with a high of 12 wins in 2018/2019, Will went to study at the Royal Agricultural College, before returning to help father Tim run the family farm – with 2,000 dairy goats to milk daily, it is the second largest such operation in the country – and then started training in his own right, notching an initial success with Colibri Bleu at Garthorpe, following which he proposed to partner Annabel James, using a plaiting band as a makeshift engagement ring! Jake Exelby paid him a pre-Christmas visit to learn about the 26-year-old’s plans, both for his string of seven this season, and beyond. You'd think Will would look happier after a win and a proposal! (Nico Morgan) With Will out galloping Colibri Bleu when I arrive at his Fields Farm base, I am greeted by Annabel, who gives me a stable tour. “We only had five runners last year, none before February, and we’ve already had five this season, so it’s keeping us nice and busy,” she smiles, adding, “My role in the yard is to run Will’s life!” As well as Colibri Bleu and Dingley winner Tony’s Tipple, the yard houses maidens Sofana – “A wonderful little mare who’s been fourth twice but did a leg schooling so had a year off before coming back at Garthorpe” – and Miracle Millions, who was off for nearly 1,000 days before returning this season, along with two new purchases. “Chiroqui Princess came via David Phelan from Ireland, where she was second three times, and is an absolute sweetheart, and Colonel Whizz is a gorgeous boy we bought at Doncaster. He was rated 98 at his best for Olly Murphy.”   However, the apple of Annabel’s eye is ‘Ollie’, an unraced and unnamed 4yo by Passing Glance. “He’s my favourite to ride… but unfortunately he’s a sales horse!” Ollie - being aimed at bonus series race Returning to the yard, Will confirms his fiancée’s plans. “My current ambition is to have one – Ollie – to sell on at a profit and one, hopefully Colibri Bleu, who can go through the grades from Maiden to Open. He’s grown up a lot since last year and is a different horse – he was running a fantastic race before falling at Garthorpe.” As for the profile of the horses he trains, “I’m definitely looking for maidens – I’m getting priced out of the more experienced horses I’ve had, like Get On The Yager and Here He Comes.” Another side project for Will and Annabel is breeding, and they’re currently looking for a stallion to send the mare Sion Hill, who suffered a fracture on her Cocklebarrow debut but remains in their barn as a broodmare for owners Lily and Tom Dalby.   Will also confirms, again with a smile, what Annabel said about their respective roles. “I decide what the horses do each day, and when they’re ready to run. But Annabel’s the voice of reason, my sounding board – she tells me when I need to buck up my ideas!” Will and Chiroqui Princess kick up a storm I talk to Will about his facilities as he saddles up Chiroqui Princess. “We’ve got two gallops – one carpet, that used to be woodchip – and one deep sand. “I’ve copied the best,” he laughs. “I went to work for Willie Mullins for three months when he was putting his in and was with Tom Ellis when he did the same. Tom was one of the first (British pointing yards) to have deep sand and it’s helped him be successful.” Becca riding work on Colonel Whizz Colonel Whizz - who was to go on to finish a good second at Ampton on his pointing debut - and Becca Collins accompany Will three times in each direction round the one-and-a-half-furlong gallop and Becca tells me afterwards, “I’ve been working for Will for just over a year. I used to be in the Army, with the Kings Troop, and rode in their point-to-point race several times – my best finish was second. But I’ve got no desire to ride in a proper point-to-point – I prefer showjumping!” Will and Becca returning to the yard Work (with the horses at least) over for the day, we return to the farmhouse and talk over coffee. “I’m not really from a racing family,” Will admits, “Although my Dad – Tim – and Mum, Victoria, both race-rode. Dad had a mid-life crisis, got divorced, stopped smoking, lost three stone, and started racing! I think he had seven rides, and fell three times, while Mum had a go just for fun with one horse and won at Welbeck. She was a three-star eventer and found pointing easy compared to that!” Will's Dad Tim (left) in action during his brief career As for Will’s own riding background, “I’ve been riding since I could walk, did pony club and competed in the Prince Philip (Mounted) Games until I was 17 – I won the World Pairs in Denmark. I progressed to pony racing with a mare called Princess Propellor. We won at Garthorpe, then raced in the Charles Owen series at rules tracks. That was a different league – I was up against the likes of the Bowen brothers and McCain sisters.”   Will’s pointing career began on horses trained by Tim, and his partner Kirsty Smith, who passed away in 2022. “I idolised her as a trainer,” Will says sadly. “She had an eye for detail, loved her horses, and was the driving force for my own passion.” His first rides came on Oryx Falcon at Thorpe Lodge aged 16 – “You always remember your first jump, we just hacked round at the back and finished seventh of eight: nowadays I’d pull up but continued because of the buzz and excitement” – and his first win a month later, on Arkose.   Will recalls Arkose fondly. “He was a lovely old horse, who we bought from Sam Hutchinson. We won the Members at Dingley then, next season, we won a Timico Mixed Open at Ampton. I was just seventeen and remember being sat in behind Gina and Jack Andrews, then bolting up. We went to Cheltenham for the Mixed Open Final that year.”   The best horse Will rode for Kirsty was probably Ardkilly Witness, who took him to the Cheltenham Foxhunters in 2019. “I remember going to Jamie Snowden’s to try him out,” he laughs again, “And couldn’t hold one side of him! So, I said, ‘I’ll have him’. Cheltenham was one of the best days ever. We were outsiders, but it was a great day out, and the build-up was incredible. My aim is to get back there, and I’d also like to ride round Aintree, but you need the right horse.” As for the future, “Will I be doing it when I’m 50? Probably not, but I think I’ve got another ten years in me, then I’ll carry on training.” Annabel chips in mischievously, “He wouldn’t know what to do without a stable full of horses!”  Will winning on Ardkilly Witness at Mollington (Neale Blackburn) Will is refreshingly honest about the reasons his winning tallies each season slowed down after what was a breakthrough season. “I’d been working for Tom Ellis since my A-Levels and was riding good horses, including Master Templar, who bolted up at Ampton. Through Tom, I got to know Fred Hutsby. I’d ride out and school for him and had a few winners, including Downbythestrand at Stratford. After that, I went to Alan King’s – I thought I’d turn professional, but changed my mind, and lost the momentum I’d been building in points.”   Downbythestrand carries Will to victory at Kimble (Neale Blackburn) Covid, a series of injuries including a broken leg and collarbone, then Kirsty’s passing, didn’t help Will’s career in the saddle, but did convince him of his true vocation. “I came home to help Dad run the farm, and to train the pointers, which is something I always wanted to do. I want to be a farmer-trainer, the way pointing used to be. But I think I’m a generation too late – farmers don’t train horses any more due to the cost and there’s nothing you can do about it. It’s a lot more professional now,” continues Will. “That’s not meant to be a negative, but fewer farmers with horses makes the field sizes smaller, and that’s why there aren’t as many jockeys either.”   “The biggest killer is the cost of owning a racehorse,” Will states. “And the lack of hunts down here makes a difference. We’re farmers, and used to hunt with the Atherstone, but it doesn’t exist any more.”   However, rather than bemoan the state of the sport, Will is positive about the future. Dismissing my customary question about what he’d do if put in charge of the sport – “I couldn’t do the job: it’s incredibly difficult” – he praises the new ‘blue mic’ social media content, “It’s wonderful, and you’d hope it’s bringing in more horses,” as well as the new GB Pointing Bonus Young Horse Maiden Series. “Ollie’s going to be aimed at one of those,” he confirms. “It’s a fantastic initiative. There are lots of entries, plenty of runners and a real buzz around it.”   “Syndicates are the way forward,” he adds. “Take Peter Bennett, a long-time owner with us, who’s had the likes of Black Valentine – he’s now involved with Miracle Millions and Tony’s Tipple. We’ve got room for more owners and would like to form more syndicates – we’re looking for people to come into Colibri Bleu. Outside owners make it more sustainable for us in the long-term and, just as importantly, syndicates bring new people into the sport. Part of the fun is going back to the lorry with your owners after racing – it’s not the same if it’s just the two of you.”   Mention of Tony’s Tipple again makes Annabel’s face light up as she reminisces about their win at Dingley. “I never watch Will ride,” she admits sheepishly. “I just listen to the tannoy. I heard the commentator say, ‘He’s going too wide,” but we’d walked the course beforehand and decided to go wide, for the better ground. Will knows the horse inside out – that’s a perk of riding them yourself every day.”  Dingley winner Tony's Tipple says hi to the camera Will agrees. “You ride with a different confidence when you train the horses you ride in races. Yes, it’s difficult to juggle training and riding – and you can’t ride out at other yards – but I do it because I love it. It can be hard work – I feed the goats between 6am and 9am, ride until 1pm, farm in the afternoon, then go to the gym in the evening. I’ve learnt a lot from Tom Ellis,” he adds. “How to train a horse, how to get it fit… and how to be the last to leave the horsebox park!”   Some of Will's 2,000 goats Asked for a final word, Will turns serious. “The Injured Jockeys Fund and Oaksey House were fantastic when I broke my leg – they had me running on a treadmill just three weeks later. The work they do should be better advertised in the pointing world. I know they have stands at some meetings, and ads in the racecards, but why not have banners round the paddock at every fixture, and dedicated races to promote them more. Without the jockeys, there would be no racing to enjoy.”

The second West Mercian Area fixture of the season was held at Chaddesley Corbett on Sunday, and plenty of participants from the local and South Midlands Areas were among the winners.   Heading the West Mercian roll of honour was Latitude, winner of the Mens Open for trainer Phil Rowley and owner Diana Williams, Vice Chair of the Harkaway Club fixture. Latitude wins the Mens Open Jo Priest, who trains at historic Caradoc Court in Herefordshire, has a splendid first time out record and her first runner of the season – the well-backed Karaktere D’Enfer – took the Young Horse Maiden under Zac Baker.   The Ladies Open went the way of Latenightfumble, trained and ridden by Gina Andrews and owned and bred by her mother-in-law, Pippa Ellis. The game mare is a half-sister to Aintree Foxhunters winner Latenightpass and – along with Latitude – is likely to have the Cheltenham equivalent as a target this season. Latenightfumble and Gina Andrews on their way to victory The PPORA Novice Riders Conditions Race saw a first win – on just his second ride – for 16-year-old Lucas Murphy, son of former top professional jockey Timmy, on Bass Rock, trained by Harry Brown, for whom it was also a maiden success. The victory was the first this season for Sandhurst-qualified participants.   Read Andrew King’s full meeting report from Chaddesley Corbett here .   Horseheath on New Year’s Eve may have been an East Anglian fixture, but South Midlands yards had a clean sweep. Top of the charts was Francesca and Charlie Poste’s Station Yard Racing operation, with three wins. Glancing Hill took the opening Conditions Race, a second win of the festive period for Zac Baker, Kirsch De Cotte and Sam Lee won the Maiden and Hubrisko followed up his Chaddesley Corbett success with Cerys Sheehy. Hubris and Cerys Sheehy followed up their Chaddesley Corbett win at Horseheath... Another to win at the Worcestershire venue earlier in the month and follow up here was Entity Of Substanz, trainer-ridden by Gina Andrews in the Restricted. She was completing a double, having taken the Ladies Open on East Anglian-qualified Fairly Famous. ...as did Entity Of Substanz and Gina Andrews In the Mens Open, Luca Morgan’s Givega atoned for his Hexham disappointment, winning in the hands of James King.

In the final article about the Harkaway Club centenary at Chaddesley Corbett, we focus on the most recent decade, which saw two Cheltenham Foxhunters winners use the fixture as their stepping stone to Festival glory, as well as an epic battle between a past and future winner of the Hunter Chase Blue Riband.   The 2014/2015 meeting saw plenty of doubles. Trainer Phil Rowley and jockey Alex Edwards were on the mark with Temple Grandin in the Mens Open and Khyber Kim – a former Champion Hurdle runner-up – in the Club Members. John and Amber Mathias won the Restricted and one of the three Maidens on the card, while trainer-rider Tom Weston was responsible for the winners of the other two Maidens. Performance of the day came from 14yo That’s Rhythm in the Ladies Open for Charlotte and Page Fuller. John Mathias (riding the prolific Rosies Peacock at Trecoed) - Caroline Exelby 2015/2016 was yet another season with multiple divisions, a full house of double-figure fields and over 100 runners. Temple Grandin repeated his success in the Mens Open for the Rowley-Edwards combo, and there were wins for future professional jockeys Stan Sheppard (Black Banjo – Maiden) and Jordan Nailor (Argentato – Novice Riders), along with Noel George, now training in France, who won the other division of the Novice Riders race on Big Fella Thanks, fourth when joint-favourite for the 2010 Grand National when trained by Paul Nicholls. Among the other equine talent on display was the progressive mare Frelia, who took the Restricted for Bradley Gibbs. Bradley Gibbs - won on Frelia (Carl Evans) There was a record 144 runners in 2016/2017 on an 11-race card – the author remembers backing seven winners, all at odds against. There were trebles for Jack Andrews – two of whose victories were for Stuart Morris – and the Phil Rowley and Alex Edwards partnership, for whom Temple Grandin won at the meeting for a third year in a row, in a division of the Conditions race. Andrews’ sister Gina won the Ladies Open on Vedettariat, formerly trained by Willie Mullins, while other familiar faces on the scoresheet were Robert and Sam Waley-Cohen, who took one of four Maiden divisions, and Joe O’Shea’s mare Executive Benefit. She had won the Maiden in 2013/2014 – this time she was successful in the Novice Riders race. Gina Andrews and Vedettariat (Neale Blackburn) Multiple divisions and over 100 runners were again the case in 2017/2018, with several interlocking doubles. Steve Whistance owned two winners – Bleu Et Or was trained by Carlie Packwood, and ridden by Hannah Lewis, who trained and rode War Path for Whistance. Packwood’s other success was with Tucks Bergin, ridden by Lorcan Williams, who also won on Winterberry. The star horse was Top Wood, who won the Ladies Open with Gina Andrews in the saddle. He went on to be second in the Cheltenham Foxhunters, then third in 2019 before winning the Aintree equivalent. Gina Andrews and Top Wood were impressive winners of the Ladies Open (Pointing WM) 2018/2019 was the fourth year in a row with over 100 winners, and there was another Foxhunters winner on display. Ten years after Cappa Bleu had taken the Mens Open en route to Cheltenham success, Hazel Hill, owned by Harkaway Club Vice Chair Diana Williams, trained by Phil Rowley and ridden by Alex Edwards, did likewise. The useful Virak won the Ladies Open for Natalie Parker, and there was a double for Gina Andrews and a first win for future champion conditional jockey Luca Morgan. Hazel Hill outclasses his rivals in the Mens Open (Pointing WM) Two years of abandonments followed, although the second was due to waterlogging, rather than lockdown, which affected so many meetings. When the Harkaway Club returned, on 28 th December 2021, the sport had changed after Covid. There were fewer runners, and no further divisions at the fixture, but the action remained top class.   Highlight of the card was the Mens Open, in which Cheltenham Foxhunters winner Porlock Bay was odds-on to beat the improving Premier Magic, trained and ridden by Bradley Gibbs. But the younger horse was victorious and, while his Festival bid failed in 2022, he’d be back with a vengeance a year later. Gibbs had initiated a double on Fier Jaguen, another classy individual, and there were also two wins for multiple champion jockey Gina Andrews. Al Shahir took the Veterans Race and Dubai Quest won the Ladies Open, which saw Andrews equal the record for point-to-point winners by a female jockey, a total she passed a few days later at Horseheath. Porlock Bay (far side) and Premier Magic (Bradley Gibbs) at the last (Pointing WM) At the other end of the scale, 16-year-old Olive Nicholls enjoyed a first win on Virak – returning to the scene of his 2019 win – in the Novice Riders race. She went on to be leading female novice that season.   2022/2023 was a day to remember for Bradley Gibbs, with a treble, initiated by Theshoddytradesman in the Restricted. Fier Jaguen won for him again, this time in the Mens Open, as Premier Magic geared up for his Foxhunters triumph in the Veterans Race, a hugely impressive performance under the welter burden of 12st10lbs in soft ground. Olive Nicholls enjoyed another win at the meeting, on Shantou Flyer in the Ladies Open. They went on to be third to Premier Magic at Cheltenham, a third placing in the race for Shantou Flyer. Bradley Gibbs and connections with Premier Magic (Graham Fisher) The 2023/2024 running was abandoned, which brings us up to date with last year’s running of the Harkaway Club fixture. It was a day for the Andrews family, with Gina training four winners – three of which she rode herself – notably Master Templar, her 400 th career winner in the Ladies Open, and I’m Spellbound in the Conditions Race. Her fourth was ridden by brother Jack.   The progressive Important Notice took the Intermediate for trainer-jockey Josh Newman, while the Mens Open went to Jeux D’Eau, trained by Laura Richardson and ridden by her partner Huw Edwards. They went on to capture the Lady Dudley Cup at the same venue for the second year in a row as well as the John Corbet Cup at Stratford and Jeux D’Eau looks a star of the future as the Harkaway Club enters its second century at Chaddesley Corbett. Jeux D'Eau winning with Huw Edwards (Graham Fisher)

The Harkaway Club fixture went back to its customary late March / early April date in 1995, which saw a six-race card – the fewest number of races for over 20 years. There were no equine superstars on display, with the exception of the useful former Tim Forster horse Major Match, who gave Candy Thomas a second consecutive win in the Ladies Open. The Mens Open went to Guildway and Mark Rimell. Major Match pictured winning at Andoversford (John Mullen) 1996 saw a fourth and final win in the Ladies Open for the Russki-Alison Dare partnership, as well as a double for 1995 champion jockey Alastair Crow, on Jolly Boat in the Club Members and Korbell in the Confined. A young Polly Gundry, who would of course go on to win multiple championships and break records, won the Restricted and there was a victory for Geoff Barfoot-Saunt, still going strong nearly 30 years later, in a division of the Maiden.   There was another new date – the May Bank Holiday weekend – in 1997, and firm going saw just 20 horses turn up and a walkover. Julian Pritchard and Alison Dare – taking her seventh Ladies Open in ten years – had doubles, and the ground didn’t deter the classy Stag Fight (Mens Open) and Down The Mine (Ladies Open) from turning up and winning.   It’s rare that you see a 66/1 shot in a point-to-point nowadays, let alone one winning at that price in a five-runner race, but Sophie Talbot and Tytherington did just that when left lucky winners of the Confined.   The fixture moved again in 1998, this time to its earliest date, mid-February, and was a much stronger card, with seven races and 94 runners. (It was also the author’s first appearance at the fixture, although not my first visit to Chaddesley Corbett). The racing saw doubles for Andy Dalton and Julian Pritchard, joint-champions that season, and – shock – Alison Dare beaten in the Ladies Open!   The best horses on show were 1997 Aintree Foxhunters hero Blue Cheek, who won the Ladies Open for Teresa Spearing and the prolific Solba, who took the Mens Open with Andy Dalton and went on to win the Lady Dudley Cup in 1999. Dalton’s second winner, Shoon Wind in the Club Members, was another who went on to score multiple times, while future champion Richard Burton had his first winner at the meeting. Solba and Andy Dalton at Chaddesley Corbett (Brian Armstrong) 1999 ran again in February and again saw plenty of runners. The biggest name among winning jockeys was future top professional Tom Scudamore, who took the Novice Riders race (first run in 1998) on Poucher. Among the victorious horses were 20-time winner Whatafellow, for Alastair Crow in the Club Members, and Clive Hitchings’ Better Future, a third victory in the Mens Open for Tim Stephenson. Action from the 1999 Ladies Open (Brian Armstrong) Another move, this time to mid-March, took place in 2000 (was the changing date a peril of being a Club fixture?) and, despite Good to Firm ground and it being a busy time of the year, there were eight races, including three divisions of the Maiden. There was a double for Julian Pritchard, Richard Baimbridge and Alison Dare teamed up to win their eight Ladies Open at the fixture, this time with Split Second, and Richard Burton took the Open with the talented, but wayward-jumping, Lochnomore.   Foot and mouth caused the meeting to be abandoned in 2001 but 2002 saw a nine-race card with nearly 100 runners. The highlight was the notable – and rare – achievement by current West Mercian Area Chair Dave Mansell winning consecutive races in half-brothers Rusty Fellow (Mens Open) and Maggies Brother (Moderate). The latter was on the upgrade and took a Cheltenham Hunter Chase later that season. The Ladies Open went the way of Jill Wormall and the useful Larry’s Lord.   There were again nine races in 2003, which saw a first win at the fixture for Diana Williams, who is the current Vice Chair of the Harkaway Club point-to-point. Her Supreme Citizen won the Ladies Open with daughter, and future champion jockey, Jane in the saddle. On the subject of champions, Richard Burton took a division of the Maiden en route to the first of his four titles that year. Supreme Citizen after winning for Jane Williams (Bill Selwyn) Tim Stephenson had a fourth success in the Mens Open, this time on Fontaine Again, another owned by Clive Hitchings, and there were two up and coming stars on display in the form of Irilut – winning the second of what would be 22 races in the Restricted – and his young jockey Sam Waley-Cohen, whose storied career as an amateur included the Gold Cup and Grand National. Irilut and Sam Waley-Cohen (Bill Selwyn) It was back to February in 2004, a third consecutive year with nine races, and the fixture saw success for a pair of future spouses. Richard Burton rode a double – his Open mount Jemaro kept winning until he was 17, the same age as future jockey Immy Robinson – and wife to be Hannah Kinsey sprung a shock with Pacon in the Ladies Open.   Stuart Morris matched ‘Burty’ with a double in two of the four Maidens on the card, while the other winning couple who would go on to marry were five-time champion Polly Gundry, who took the Conditions on Fertile Valley for Clive Bennett, and Ed Walker, who won the Conditions race on outsider The Campdonian.

The ten-year period in question saw all meetings held, record numbers of runners and an end to Dick Baimbridge’s dominance of the Ladies Opens on the card.   The February meeting in 2005 was waterlogged off and eventually held on 11 th June – its latest ever date. The ground was firm, but agrivated, and field sizes were decent. An Intermediate race was run at the fixture for the first time. Rider, the late Lorna Brooke, and trainer Steve Isaac both had doubles – they combined to win the Ladies Open with Magicien. Lorna Brooke in action (David Simpson) 2006 saw a return to the usual February slot, with seven races. Dick Baimbridge won his ninth Ladies Open, this time with Claire Allen – another he led to championship glory – in the saddle on Father Tom. Sam Waley-Cohen won the Mens Open on Moscow Court – unusually, a winner not owned and trained by his father – and future leading National Hunt trainer Jamie Snowden took the Intermediate. Probably the best horse on display was Clive Hitchings’ Saint Reverien, who took the Club Members race with Adrian Wintle in the plate. Clive Hitchings' colours were often successful at the fixture (Graham Fisher) A stamina-sapping ten-race card took place in 2007, with four Maidens. All races had double-figure fields, with 123 runners in total. Julian Pritchard was leading rider with a treble, one of which – Twenty Degrees – was trained by former champion jockey Alison Dare, and Will Kinsey had a double. Dick Baimbridge and Claire Allen teamed up again, this time in the Intermediate, and Will Hill won a race at the meeting for the third consecutive year. Dick Baimbridge won the Ladies Open ten times (Pointing WM) Ten races were again on the menu in 2008, with the young and older horse Maidens and the Restricted divided. Again, all field sizes were in double figures and there were even more runners than the previous year, 134. Fergal O’Brien had a training double, with popular grey Marblehead and the appropriately named Fergal’s Find. Another popular winner was Mr Cee for racegoer and owner Nigel Lilley, still going strong now in his 90 th year and who has probably visited more point-to-point courses than current racegoer. The equine star of the show was the talented but fragile Mister Banjo, ridden by Richard Burton and trained by Desert Orchid’s jockey Simon Sherwood. Nigel Lilley (right) - popular owner (Neale Blackburn) In 2009, there were fewer races and runners – the Ladies Open was reduced to a match – but a genuine top-class performer was present in the shape of Mens Open winner Cappa Bleu, that season’s Cheltenham Foxhunters hero. Jockey Richard Burton and trainer Sheila Crow had a double, as did husband and wife team Dave and Julie Mansell, as part of a stellar season for Dave that saw him finish runner-up in the jockeys’ championship. Dave Mansell - stellar season in 2009 The 2009/2010 season saw the Harkaway Club fixture move to the Christmas-New Year date it still holds today. The author remembers a massive entry, but frost in the ground making it unlikely that racing would take place. Although the meeting did go ahead after a delay, fields were smaller than anticipated, but several class acts took part.   Former Coral Cup winner Burntoakboy won the Club Members, the progressive but ill-fated William Somers – one half of a double for Mark Wall – took the Restricted for owner-trainer Tim Sage, Skyhawk and Claire Allen were victorious in a tenth, and final, Ladies Open for Dick Baimbridge and Roulez Cool scored in the Mens Open for Robert and Sam Waley-Cohen. Mark Wall had two wins in 2010 The Waley-Cohens were on the mark again in 2010/2011, this time with Rumbavu in the Maiden. He would go on to win 14 races, including the Lord Ashton of Hyde’s Cup. Billyvoddan took the Ladies Open for two future champions in trainer Phil Rowley and rider Jane Williams, the Mens Open went to James Ridley and Up There, while another champion trainer in waiting – Jack Barber – enjoyed success in the saddle in the Intermediate. Robert Waley-Cohen with Rumbavu The 2011/2012 fixture was another with ten races, the Club Members race was divided for the first time, and the action started at 10.00am! The Waley-Cohens were successful at the meeting for the third year in a row, as was jockey Tom Weston, Billyvoddan and Jane Williams enjoyed a repeat success in the Ladies Open, and Sheila Crow teamed up with Tom David for a double, of which the highlight was prolific mare My Flora winning the Mens Open. Tom Weston (left) enjoyed plenty of success at the fixture 2012/2013 was another meeting which only just went ahead, this time due to ground described as ‘Heavy, waterlogged in places’. The author even parked off course, as I didn’t want to risk having to be towed out! Honours went to David Brace with a double – another popular grey in Silver Token won the Club Members, Tom David enjoying more success at the fixture, and Charlotte Pritchard, riding so successfully in France now, took the Maiden on Bringinthebranston. The best horse on show was Mens Open winner Cottage Oak.   David Brace - enjoyed double in 2012/2013 The ground was again heavy, although not as desperate as the year before, in 2013/2014, where the most taking performance was Mr Mackay’s all-the-way win in the Restricted, with Ruth Tutton on board. The Open races winners possibly lacked the class of recent years but the mare Executive Benefit – who took the Maiden – went on to better things and Club Members victor Siro Demur, for the formidable Phil Rowley-Alex Edwards partnership – won two Hunter Chases later in the season. Phil Rowley (bottom left) and Alex Edwards (top left) - formidable partnership All photos Caroline Exelby except where stated

At the age of just 24, Luca Morgan is already a high achiever, both in the saddle and as an up-and-coming trainer of point-to-pointers. Turning professional in 2019, after two seasons riding between the flags, Luca went to work for Ben Pauling and was crowned champion conditional jockey in April 2023 before his sudden retirement that November. Turning immediately to the training game – with his first runners in February 2024 – he has already proved himself a shrewd operator with both older horses and youngsters, with the classy Givega targeting top Hunter Chases this season and Baron Du Brizais, who took the opening GB Pointing Bonus Maiden at Lower Machen last month, making £90,000 when going under the hammer at the recent Goffs Coral Gold Cup sale. Jake Exelby went to see him at his impressive Sandall House base, near Warwick, to find out more about a young man on the rise.   Luca (pictured above holding Givega, with partner Paige Topley and Baron du Brizais - all photos Caroline Exelby except where stated) has a mix of horses in their yard, from pre-trainers for former boss Ben Pauling, to youngsters to run and sell, to established pointers. “The pre-trainers underpin the business,” explains Luca. “They pay for the keep of the stores that I buy to sell on. Then the older horses are mostly owned by The Gambie Gang, comprising Mum and Dad and a group of family friends. I’ve done well for them, with the likes of Givega and On Springs (who Luca rode to five wins under rules, then trained to win three points last season). I also bought a 4yo horse for them – J’Envoievalserenki – who won at Badbury Rings.”   Luca, originally from near Bath – “pretty much where Neil Mulholland trains” – has been at Sandall House since he retired as a jockey and expects to run, “Six three-year-olds, two more 4yos and five older horses,” this season. Surprisingly for one who’s done so well, so young, he’s not from a racing background.   “Mum and Dad weren’t interested in racing and had no idea about the sport,” recalls Luca, “But I wanted to be a jockey since I was about five. The mum of my best mate at primary school had a riding school and I went to have lessons every Saturday morning. Mum and Dad then bought me a New Forest pony – Maisie – who dropped me most days! I had to wait until I was nine to ride her in a race – it was the pony racing day at Wincanton – and I thought she was a rocket… but she wasn’t!”   “My parents were massively supportive,” adds Luca. They used to take me to ride out for Seamus Mullins – I told him I was 12 but I was only ten – then Paul Nicholls, and pony racing at the weekend. It was Matt Hampton who got me into pointing – I met him when we both rode out for Paul – and he taught me so much. We get on really well and he’s a great trainer. I rode a horse called Billy Two Tongues for him and learnt loads… mostly because he was a terrible jumper!”   Luca clarifies why he turned conditional after his second season, in which he rode six winners, along with the PPORA points series. “I was riding almost as much under rules as in points, so thought I might as well get paid for it. Ben Pauling put me up one day in a hands and heels race, then agent Dave Roberts called and said Ben was looking for a 7lb claimer. Two weeks later, I was there and never looked back.”   “I rode my first double at Uttoxeter (in December 2019)”, continues Luca, “And – while I think I had another 50 rides before my next winner for Ben, because he had a bug he couldn’t shift, which prompted him to move yards – I had an amazing time. Ben was brilliant to me. I was claiming, but riding in Grade One races, and on horses like Northern Bound, Shakem Up’Arry and Slipway. I won seven races on Northern Bound, and he was a real darling – you could put your nan on him!””   “I always believed in myself,” says Luca about his championship season, “But didn’t expect to win the title, particularly as I was only claiming 3lb at the start of the season. I remember messaging Ben in August saying I wouldn’t mind giving it a go and it’s all down to the support of Ben, as well as people like Michael Scudamore.”   Luca is honest about the struggles with his weight that forced him to retire just six months after his title. “It was always an issue,” he admits. “Even when I was 17 or 18, I was sweating every day. After I got the trophy at Sandown, I went to Tenerife for a week, but didn’t go overboard, as I knew I had to ride at 11st2lbs when I got back. When I got on the scales, I expected to be 11st5lb but was a stone heavier. I managed to lose it all, but couldn’t see straight, and my ears were popping. While I felt fine on the horse, I drank buckets of water afterwards and put it all back on. I had two rides booked at Ludlow – also at 11st2lbs – for Nicky Henderson, so had to do it all over again.”   “I told Ben I needed a break,” a sombre Luca goes on. “He was very understanding and I was still riding out every day, but – when I came back – I broke my foot and was concussed on my first ride, so had to stop again. I came back one more time but one night, I’d been in the bath two hours and hadn’t lost any weight, so I said to Ben, ‘That’s it.’ I was upset more than anything,” Luca admits. “The hardest part was ringing Ben, as I hate letting people down.”   Younger brother Beau – best known for his association with Twig (trained in points by Matt) – still rides as a conditional but, as Luca explains, didn’t get the bug until he was older. “He didn’t start until he was a teenager,” laughs Luca. “I taught him to ride one evening while Mum was making dinner and had him jumping hurdles by the end of the night!   As for the rapid move into training pointers, “We already had horses at Paige’s Mum and Dad’s place, so thought we’d give it a go. We found the yard and, the day we moved in, Ben sent us four pre-trainers.” Luca’s first runner was Perfect Pirate, who gave him a maiden success at Paxford later in the year. His first full season provided five winners to go with one in each of the first two weekends of the current campaign. So, after such a flying start, how far off is a move into the professional ranks? “It’s an ambition,” confirms Luca, “But it’s a bit of a way off. It depends how the next couple of years go and I’m enjoying training the young horses.”   James King and Ellie Holder on two of Luca's 3yos As we watch a group of unnamed 3yos canter round the indoor school, then up the all-weather gallop, before taking a few schooling hurdles, Luca outlines his plans for the season, starting with Givega, who pulled up at Hexham on his reappearance, but has come out of the race well. “I’d literally die for that horse,” he smiles. “He’ll probably have just three runs this year, going to Leicester for a Hunter Chase at the end of February – first prize was £7,000 last year – then to Punchestown (for the Irish Champion Hunter Chase). He’s better going right-handed than left and is fragile – he’s got feet like poppadoms!” Archie Wilson and Fergus Gillard come up the gallops Other older horses include Just Lucky Sivola – “Who I got from Paul Nicholls, and who’ll go for Conditions Races, then possibly a Novice Hunter Chase” – and another talented but fragile prospect, the mare Rossea. “She won her Irish point-to-point and was then sold for £95,000,” Luca tells me, “Then got a leg. She was going to run last year but I stopped with her when the going got good. She’ll run in a Restricted.”   Obviously, some of our chat focuses on a horse no longer in the yard, Baron Du Brizais. Luca confirms how he came by the 4yo. “I went to Ireland with Dan Astbury and we bought four stores. I sold a filly privately and a Harzand gelding won a schooling race at Chaddesley Corbett and is now with Oliver Greenall. But Baron Du Brizais is the first of mine to run in a Young Horse Maiden, and the first to go through the ring.” Baron Du Brizais takes the Young Horse Maiden (Alun Sedgmore) “I can’t afford pedigrees with my budgets,” explains Luca of how he and Dan select the stores they buy. “For the first group we bought, I looked for up and coming sires – like Capri, Harzand and Nirvana Du Berlais – with black type through the dam.”   “We’re getting towards the Irish model,” states Luca in relation to Young Horse Maidens. “The likes of Fran and Charlie Poste, Gina and Tom Ellis and Jack Teal are among those doing a fantastic job. The more people who have young horses, the greater the depth – it’s not about the publicity but the strength of the racing. At Lower Machen, we beat horses trained by Tom Lacey, Chris Barber, Josh Newman and the Postes, which showed the bonus race was working.”   The sale of Baron Du Brizais was bittersweet for Paige, as she explains. “My Dad, David, broke him in, and I’ve ridden him from the start, since he was a 3yo.” The 2019/2020 leading female novice rider, whose promising career was interrupted by Covid, confirms that she’s retired – “Unless there’s a particular horse that makes me want to come back.” Her time in the saddle was ended abruptly – and tragically – when her best horse, Garrettstown, was killed on the road by an errant driver. “I retired on the spot,” Paige says sadly. “Perfect Pirate was with him at the time, and wouldn’t go on a road again, which was hard, as we didn’t have gallops at home.” James on Hexham second Via Romano One of the 4yos is Hexham second Via Romano, another Luca plans to sell, but the aforementioned J’Envoievalserenki will be staying at Sandall House and targeting the new 0-110 Series Final. “His highest rating in Ireland was 108,” says Luca, “And he’d probably be 6lb or 7lb higher over here. A series with a big final is a good thing as it gives you the chance to win decent prize money.” Paige and J'Envoievalserenki “It would be good to have more finals,” Luca opines, “With higher prize money. Cheltenham and Stratford both come at the end of the season so suit the same horses who are running at that time of year. What about the early season horses? You could have, say, a final for Maiden winners in March, or a big Hunter Chase meeting in December.”   Indeed, Luca is generally positive about the new initiatives being introduced in the sport. “I’m glad that things are changing,” he confirms. “Having a slot on Racing TV is massive, the GB Pointing Bonus series is brilliant, and the social media is going in the right direction. We just need to make it more affordable for owners,” he concludes, before admitting, “But that’s a question to which I don’t know the answer! It’s hard to get owners to buy pointers when you can get £350 for finishing eighth under rules, more than you get for winning a point-to-point. People will spend money at the sales for a dream – winning a point-to-point isn’t a dream!”   My last question to Luca, as so often, is why he loves pointing, especially not having the sport in his blood. “I don’t know,” he confesses. “It’s hard to explain – if you presented a business plan for pointing to the Dragons Den, they’d laugh at you! I just love racing, and pointing’s more relaxed. And I love winning! Winning at the weekend is why I do it. My dream is to buy a horse at the Cheltenham Sales and come back to Cheltenham to win a race with it.” Luca and his riders with his 3yos... and Bean

Two was the magic number at the weekend as several leading protagonists in the South Midlands and West Mercian Areas celebrated doubles.   Saturday saw racing at Alnwick and Charing and Gina Andrews took three horses on the 500-mile return journey from her Marton, Rugby base. She returned home with wins from pointing debutants Azlad and The Dog Thief, both of whom she rode herself. This took her to five for the season – as both trainer and jockey – and continued the splendid record of her yard at the Northumberland venue, where she and husband Tom Ellis have had 22 wins from 42 runs since 2019. The Andrews yard has a great record at Alnwick (Grace Beresford) Another trainer to move on to five wins for the season was Alan Hill, whose Charing double came courtesy of Monrocco Moonlight and pointing debutant Lucky Zebo, formerly trained by Henry de Bromhead. The latter was ridden by Ellie Holder in the absence of Hill’s stable jockey and daughter-in-law Izzie with a broken leg.   Champion jockey James King, bidding for a fifth title in six years, was also on the double at Charing, on horses trained by Luke Price in Wales. The second success was his 300 th between the flags and he quickly embarked on his fourth century when the Chris Barber-trained Grace A Vous Enki made it eight from eight at Larkhill, all in the hands of King. Grace A Vous Enki and James King at their beloved Larkhill (Tim Holt) Barber had initiated his own brace with the Ed Doggrell-partnered Carrillo in the Young Horse Maiden. His yard’s form eclipses even that of Andrews and Hill – this season, he has had seven winners from just nine runners, five ridden by Doggrell, and is joint-top of the national trainer standings. Ed Doggrell (left) and Chris Barber - teamed up to win again Also at Larkhill, current leading national novice rider Fred Philipson-Stow had his fourth win of the season, on Dorset Dazzler, on whom he had scored at the previous fixture at the Wiltshire course. And there was a first success – with just his second runner – for Matthew Gill with the Ledbury-qualified, but Lambourn-trained, Kandor. Both the winning trainer and jockey Daniel Williams – enjoying the fourth win of his career – work for Nicky Henderson.

With the first West Mercian Area fixture taking place at Chaddesley Corbett on Sunday, it was no surprise that locally qualified, trained and ridden horses were out in force and among the winners.   Star of the show was the Tom Britten-trained Ocean Drifter, who put up a fine front-running performance under last season’s female novice champion Clara Brewitt to take the Mixed Open. A determined Clara Brewitt and Ocean Drifter take the Mixed Open Not far behind in terms of quality was Midnight River, formerly useful under rules for Dan Skelton and now in the care of his sister-in-law Bridget (nee Andrews), a former champion rider between the flags and subsequently a successful professional, making her return to the point-to-point training ranks after a decade’s absence. Despite sweating up in the paddock, he took the PPORA Conditions Race comfortably in the hands of Heidi Palin. Midnight River and Heidi Palin en route to victory The third West Mercian winner on the card was Couer D’Alene (yes, the spelling is correct!) who was an easy winner of what looked like a decent Restricted for trainer Chris Barber, continuing his excellent start to the season, and champion jockey James King.   Another current champion, Gina Andrews, emulated her sister Bridget by training a winner on the card, Entity Of Substanz in the closing Maiden. She also rode the gelding, another who used to be trained by Dan Skelton.   South Midlands raiders had opened their account on the day in the previous contest, the PPORA Novice Riders Conditions Race, where Hubrisko – who made most of the running under a fine ride – gave a first success to Cerys Sheehy, who works for trainer Francesca Poste. Cerys Sheehy returns in triumph after her first win on Hubrisko Read Andrew King’s full meeting report here All photographs c. Graham Fisher

Trainers, jockeys and horses from the West Mercian and South Midlands Areas continued their splendid start to the season with involvement in two wins at Hexham and sharing victory in all five races at Larkhill.   Joe O’Shea made the long journey from his Cheshire base to Hexham on Saturday and was successful with Paul Marvel and St Cuthbert’s Cave in the Mixed and Ladies Opens, the latter following up his Lower Machen success on the first day of the season. Respective jockeys Henry Crow and Amber Jackson-Fennell were opening their account for the season. Joe O'Shea - Hexham double (Carl Evans) Stars of the show at Larkhill were trainer Nickie Sheppard and jockey Fred Philipson-Stow, both of whom came away with doubles. Nickie and Fred teamed up to win a high-quality and exciting Mens Open with A Jet Of Our Own, Nickie completed her brace with Yippee Ki Yay in the Conditions Race, continuing jockey Milo Herbert’s excellent return to the saddle, while Fred’s second win was in the Maiden, on the Dorset-trained (and appropriately named) Dorset Dazzler. Yippee Ki Yay and Milo Herbert win the Conditions Race at Larkhill (Tim Holt) Two South Midlands raiders got on the scoresheet. Trainer-rider Lily Bradstock made up for Badbury Rings disappointment with a fine front-running display on Myth Buster in the Ladies Open while Zac Baker produced an excellent tactical ride to win the Restricted on Glancing Hill for Francesca Poste. All involved were winning for the first time this season. Glancing Hill and Zac Baker (Neale Blackburn)