WHAT A MESS! – controversy reigned in the Chipley Park mud. Bookmakers had already paid out by the time a stewards’ enquiry had been announced for the Novice Riders’contest. Subsequently the odds-on favourite PREMIER PORTRAIT, who had been announced as the winner after passing the post three quarters of a length ahead of KIRKLEIGH, was disqualified.

The disqualification had become inevitable when the clerk of the scales reported that the favourite’s young rider had not passed the scales.

We have seen this saga on a few rare occasions in point-to-points up and down the country in the past. A horse is disqualified – bookmakers may have paid out on the original winner – oops, backers of the original runner-up, now the winner, claim their winnings – if they haven’t thrown away their tickets. The integrity of punters who collected on the original result – now the loser- is tested- will they return their ill gotten gains?.

Here are a few comments I heard after the Chipley Park episode:-

“Thanks to the people who gave their money back,” was one of the bookies comments.

However several layers were not so enthused: three bookmakers related similar stories; “A few regular punters paid us back and thanks to those who did. Some were not so honest.”

It became apparent that at least a four figure sum had been pocketed on the original result, as bookies then started to pay out on the promoted horse.

The original “winner” PREMIER PORTRAIT (1-2 to
4-6), disqualified for not weighing in, therefore gave way to runner-up KIRKLEIGH (6-4 to 7-4). LUNDY SKY was a lively outsider from 20’s to 10’s but failed to finish. BOOKS REVIEW (9’S TO 8’s) showed something of his old ability, making steady progress from the rear to reach a place.

The two best backed horses of the quartet fought out the finish of the opening Hunt race: BLINDING LIGHTS (6-4 to 5-4) was winning this particular race for the third time for Mary Sanderson. (shades of her good old horse Jabiru who won it five times). It was not all plain sailing though for Blinding Lights and he was fully tested all the way up the home straight by the runner up JEPECK (drifted from 4-6 TO 4-5).

The favourite STONY ROAD (2’s to 7-4) came right away from his rivals approaching the last in the 13-runner Restricted. POLO THE MUMM (easy to back at 16-1) has been in the doldrums since a sparkling debut in this country at Great Trethew last March. He ran very well here under Hannah Welch to finish second in his first time tongue tie. Third placed TEMPLESTATEFLORESCO (2’s to 5-2) is sure to win a Restricted, but an eye catcher here was WOTZIZNAME (5-2 to 2’s) who travelled like a dream trying to repeat his Larkhill victory when crashing out at the 13th fence.

The £1000 Mixed Open attracted some classy pointers. ASK THE WEATHERMAN (1-2 – 4-7 fav, touched 8-13) and DICKY BOB (4’s to 3’s) raced stride for stride from the bottom bend before Ask The Weatherman produced the better jump at the penultimate and asserted as his rival tired. It will be interesting to see whether the winner’s connection try to gain a Cheltenham Foxhunter qualification. Dicky Bob’s next outing is likely to be at Buckfastleigh in February. There was money for I’M ALL SET (16’s to 5’s) who was pulled up after showing prominently for a long way. ONE MORE TUNE was also backed (20’s
to 14’s), but was also pulled up in the closing stages. Hunter chase winner DOUBLE BANK (6’s out to 8’s) was presented with a stiff task with his 10lbs penalty and will strip fitter for the race.

The Welsh mare MY CORANNA varied between 1-2 and 4-7 before just fending off SEA BEAR (4’s to 2’s) in the five-runner Intermediate. This pair looked at home on the soft ground.

Only four turned out for the Mares’ race in which POSH TOTTY was a hot number for Will Biddick at 2-5 (touched 1-2 and 1-3). Jack Barber’s consistent chestnut looked certain to win jumping the last, but emptied out quickly on the incline to the post allowing WHENHARRYMETSALLY (steady at 2’s) to mug her near the finish.

Punters could not choose between ARMCHAIR HERO (touched 5-2) and ATHREEOTHREE (opened 5-4), who shared favouritism at 7-4 at the off in the Open Maiden. In the event the drifter PAULS CONN (2’s to 4’s) proved the strongest. There is never a dull moment in the Chipley mud and ATHREEOTHREE and PAULS CONN fought out the finish – literally. With the pair rolling about into each other, this little bit of argy bargey on the run in brought the stewards’ into action but no sanctions were applied. BEACON BAY, a nice type by Karinga Bay, was backed from 16’s to 8’s and showed fair promise.

RESULTS

Results of the Tiverton meeting

VIDEO

Westcountry Videos filmed the meeting, order on 01884 840403 or through the website later in the week at www.westcountryvideos.co.uk

PHOTOGRAPHERS

The following photographers were at the meeting: Cat Down Photography, Tim Holt, Marcus Bath, Roger Peaple, and Alun Sedgemore (Sporting Prints)

Upcoming Event

Sunday 7th February 2016, Western Point-To-Point, Wadebridge

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2015-16 Season, Chipley Park, Devon & Cornwall Point to Point Association, Granville Taylor, Point-To-Point, Reports, Tiverton

REPORT ON THE TIVERTON POINT-TO-POINT AT CHIPLEY PARK, SUNDAY 24TH JANUARY

January 25, 2016 Devon & Cornwall Point-To-Point Area Website

WRITTEN BY GRANVILLE TAYLOR

The climate changed again at Chipley Park near Wellington when the short lived mid week ice age gave way to mild and cloudy weather in time for the Tiverton Foxhounds to race on Sunday.

The ever improving Ask The Weatherman, quite an aptly named horse in the circumstances, (actually his dam was called Whatagale), won his sixth consecutive race when upped to Open company in the very testing Chipley going.

This was the best Open race in the Devon & Cornwall area this season. Starting odds-on, the promising seven-year-old Ask The Weatherman was given a tough race by the useful grey Dicky Bob, also seeking his first success at this level after five successive wins last season.

The pair raced locked together on the stiff incline from the bottom bend until Ask The Weatherman began to pull away from his rival approaching the last fence. Ex-chaser Pentiffic finished a creditable third with In Great Form the only other finisher. Hunter chase winner Double Bank was pulled up, but will come on for this race, Dicky Bob lost little in defeat. “He has been eating too many Christmas puddings,” smiled trainer Verity Nicholls, alluding that the race fit winner probably held the edge in fitness. “Dicky Bob will probably be seen next at Buckfastleigh next month.” Said Verity.

Paul Barber, who owns the winner in partnership with David Martin, described the winner as, “really tough and keeps on going. I wouldn’t rule out a bid for the Cheltenham Foxhunter.” Last year’s leading trainer Jack Barber, who saddled Ask The Weatherman from his Henley, Crewkerne base, showed obvious pride in his charge and commented, “he keeps on improving.”

Will Biddick had the mount on Ask The Weatherman. The four times champion jockey came out second best however on another hot favourite from the Barber yard when a tiring Posh Totty was caught close home by the game Whenharrymetsally in the Mares race. The winner, trained by Keith Cumings, was the leading mare in the Devon and Cornwall area last season, and was completing a double for her 24-year-old jockey Matt Hampson, despite the rider losing an iron at the last jump. “She loves the soft,” reported the rider who works for the Richard Woollacott yard.

Blinding Lights had initiated Hampson’s double when just getting the better of Jepeck in the Hunt race. The winner’s owner/trainer Mary Sanderson must have put lots of polish on this trophy since Blinding Lights was capturing it for the third time after her well remembered Jabiru had won it on five occasions.

Welsh jockey Bradley Gibbs was another double scorer. Stony Road drew clear of his rivals in the home straight to set up the rider’s double in the Restricted. The winner is trained for owner Jeanne Thomas by Ian Prichard and could be aimed at a maiden hunter chase. “This is the first time I have ridden this horse and got the mount because Charlotte Prichard hurt her shoulder in the week,” said the rider.

The consistent mare My Coranna completed the double for Bradley Gibbs when just outstaying Sea Bear in the Intermediate. Bought by owner Claire Sherriff at Ascot sales just over a year ago, this seven-year-old is trained at Ynysybwl, Mid Glamorgan by the jockey’s father David Gibbs.
The Open Maiden might have been run in the slowest time of the day, but provided the closest finish with Pauls Conn, well ridden by Nick Lawton, just denying Will Biddick on Athreeothree by a head. The two tired horses were rolling into each other like weary boxers in the closing stages, but the subsequent enquiry into possible interference allowed the result to stand. Seven-year-old Pauls Conn is the first horse owned by Linda Bacon and is trained by Bethen Childs at Carhampton near Minehead. It was a nice touch that this race, sponsored by the Mount Pleasant Inn, Nomansland, was also a memorial race for my late press colleague Brian Armstrong.

There was more controversy following a thrilling finish to the Novice Riders’ event. Premier Portrait came to the race with a hat trick of wins to his name this season, with Kirkleigh chasing him home on two occasions. This time 4-6 favourite Premier Portrait just held off his old rival, but Radley schoolboy Gus Levinson failed to weigh in. The race was awarded to the Robert Chanin trained Kirkleigh, owned by Sue Trump and partnered by her grandson Alistair Harvey.