GRANVILLE’S BETTING GOSSIP – TIVERTON STAGHOUNDS

The stipulated spectator ticket allocation of 1,500 was sold out so there was much more of a real pointing atmosphere at Bratton Down.

An array of 10 bookies looking hungry for business lay in wait for the punters, who struck first blow as Dr Rhythm (6-4 to evens fav) atoned for his two recent falls in the Hunt race. Fly McIntyre always looked in control on the jolly, who jumped without blemish this time, and had four lengths in hand of a spirited effort from Broughtons Rhythm (7-1). Dual course winner Lawsons Thorns (10-1) was pulled up but the 12-year-old has earned himself retirement.

Despite the early success for the punters it was about a score draw at the end of the day. I had backed Businessman at 8-1 when he was mugged on the line at the first Bratton meeting, but missed the early 4-1 here so left it ( SP 6-4 fav at the off.) That was a good job because he looked ill at ease on the quicker ground and could only finish fifth. The Teresa Clark trained seven-year-old mare Bennys Miracle was friendless from 4’s to 7’s, but that did not stop her as she scuttled up the hill like a runaway train with four lengths to spare over Mad for Action (14-1) and Top Cliche (20-1).

Largy Mountain (4-6 to 1-2 fav) was bidding for his fourth win in a row in the Intermediate under James King. I had a feeling that Awesome Tunes (6’s to 9-2), whose friends call him Elvis, would raise the Cornish flag here, and he certainly relished going left handed on a quick track. Don’t ask me why I didn’t back him. We punters know the feeling as Darren Edwards steered him round to put Largy Mountain in his place.

It is almost inconceivable that Los Alamos (11-10/ evens) is a point-to-pointer. The highly bred Galileo gelding should be performing at Royal Ascot, but instead he has become a Bratton Down specialist and gave weight and a beating to his nine opponents here. River Myth (5-2 out to 4’s) turned in her usual game effort to chase home the winner, and third placed Eric the Third (6’s touched 8’s) was always in the fighting line.

Moscow Prices (evens out to 7-4) also seems to relish this moorland course and readily followed up last week’s Bratton win. Ridden more positively this time, the consistent 11-year-old travelled well for Lucy Mager and drew away up the hill. Runner up Mahler Style (10’s to 7’s) has been running well but find it hard to win in this class, whilst Wotzizname (2’s to 5-4 fav) could not quite match his recent winning effort and probably found the ground too quick for him.

The final race of the season in the area saw a very fit Warwickshire raider Fan Club Aulmes (uneasy 2-1 fav) step up on his Kingston Blount run to catch front running O’Faolains Lad (11-2) in the home straight. A quite expensive store now with Fran Nimmo, he had won a strong Mollington Maiden and it would be no surprise to see the winner returned to racing under rules. Five-year-old mare Daisy Yeats was a springer in the market for this event (20’s to 7’s). She is nicely bred, was not pushed and is worth a notebook entry for the future.

Well that is it for another season. Between October and June with a lengthy half time break, the Devon & Cornwall area managed to complete 11 of the 25 scheduled fixtures in the area as this best forgotten COVID ravaged season came to a bright conclusion. No fireworks, but a fully fledged rainbow made an appearance after the last race. A big well done to all the organisers, particularly the point-to- point secretaries, who worked miracles in ensuring that their meetings went ahead against all odds.

ENDS

REPORT – TIVERTON STAGHOUNDS AT BRATTON DOWN

GRANVILLE TAYLOR

“My necessaries are embark’d: farewell

Hamlet, Act 1 scene 3, William Shakespeare

It was farewell last Sunday to this shortened COVID hit season with just 11 fixtures completed out of the 25 scheduled for the area. Well done to all the organisers who managed to put on meetings amidst all the pressures.

A total of 60 runners lined up for the six races as the Tiverton Staghounds brought down the curtain for the Devon & Cornwall area at Bratton Down. With the closed doors now partly open, all 1,500 tickets had been sold, so the vibrant atmosphere of a decent sized crowd had at last begun a return to normality. The best bet of the day was probably to take a chance with the long queue for Mr Styles farmhouse ice cream.

James King will become Tattersalls champion National point- to -point jockey for the first time this year when the season ends in Oxfordshire next weekend. Five of his 32 winners to date have come at the three late-season Bratton Down fixtures.

A double for King on Sunday was initiated when Los Alamos, in the colours of his uncle Jason Warner, followed up his recent course win in the Men’s Open. The new champion completed his double when Fran Nimmo saddled her 20th winner of the campaign in the 10- runner Totnes & Bridgetown Races Company Restricted.

Los Alamos is by Galileo and showed all the resolution of his illustrious sire by fending off the strong challenges of River Myth and Eric the Third up the punishing final climb. Jason Warner is the Tattersalls National leading owner this year with 14 winners to date, with the possibility of adding more at Kingston Blount on the final weekend.

Apart from his riding prowess, James King has also been busy as a trainer, saddling five winners from a handful of runners this year. He was in the limelight again as a rider when the Fran Nimmo trained Fan Club Aulmes landed the Restricted under a very confident ride. This £32,000 store had a couple of runs for Dan Skelton and was following up his Mollington Maiden win for the Nimmo yard.

Darren Edwards has secured his fourth Devon & Cornwall jockeys championship this year and was successful on his only ride of the day when Awesome Tunes beat the James King ridden Largy Mountain (1-2 favourite) in the Exmoor Hay & Straw Ltd Intermediate. “He likes to go left handed and hugs the bales on the bends,” remarked the jockey. The winner was acquired from Ross Oliver and is now owned and trained by Ryan Chapman who said, “We call Elvis. He is a family horse and anybody can ride him. I cantered him on the beach at Mawgan Porth yesterday. He must have good to firm ground.”

11-year-old Moscow Prices took his point-to-point tally into double figures with a typically game performance in the competitive Greenslade Taylor Hunt Ladies’ Open. Owned in partnership by his rider Lucy Mager and Kim Tripp, and trained at Weston-Super-Mare by his rider, Moscow Prices, like the Men’s Open winner Los Alamos, had returned from winning at the Exmoor meeting eight days ago. “I didn’t want to hit the front so early but I could barely hold him and he was hard to pull up afterwards,” said the rider.

Martin (“Fly”) McIntyre came in for the winning ride on Dr Rhythm in the Winston Pincombe Land Rovers Hunt race as Josh Newman had not recovered from injuries sustained in a fall from that horse on this course last weekend. This time the eight-year-old was foot perfect and had too much pace for Broughtons Rhythm in the closing stages. “He just needed a bit of help with his jumping and was absolutely cantering,” said the rider, acknowledging a fine training performance by Keith Cumings.

Bennys Miracle had very few friends in the betting ring, drifting out to 7-1, but that did not stop the lightly raced seven-year-old from beating front running Mad for Action (Abigail Lewis) in the Riverside Caravan Park Open Maiden. Trained on the Quantocks by Teresa Clark for owners Mike and Naomi Roe, Bennys Miracle stormed up the final climb in the hands of Rob Hawker. ”He is a better ground horse who could go summer jumping,” said the trainer, with the jockey adding, “He fell apart in the mud last time. I needed a lead because it is a long way up the hill.”

As the dark clouds rolled in after the last race, and a rainbow straddled the moor, The Devon & Cornwall jockeys awards were presented. Darren Edwards took the Men’s title with Chloe Emsley taking the Lady riders’ award. Conor Houlihan strode away with the male novice award and 17-year-old Charlotte Summersby won the female equivalent.

ENDS

IT is with regret that we have to relate the death of the well liked and much respected Stewart Pike. Stewart was the breeder, owner and trainer of a number of top class WestCountry  point- to- pointers and steeplechasers, particularly during the 1990’s.

Based at Sidbury, Devon, he regularly produced from his mare Roman Lilly the likes of Winters Lane, Synderborough Lad (named after his farm), Proud Sun, Sweatshirt and the mare Front Cover who were all prolific winners. 

It was Proud Sun who was the best horse he trained and gave him the most success. Unbeaten in his first four points he was narrowly beaten by What a Hand at Larkhill in February 1995 before then notching up four Hunter Chase victories that season culminating in a triumph in the John Corbet Cup at Stratford when beating the Richard Barber trained Cherrynut.  In all of these Hunter Chase victories he was ridden by Mike Felton. Jim Culloty was the rider when Proud Sun triumphed the next season at Stratford, this time in the prestigious Horse and Hound Cup. Seamus Durack took over the reins when he returned to action in 1998 and showed all his class in the race of the season with  Cheltenham Foxhunters winner Fantus at Larkhill in January, but sadly that was his swansong as he took a fatal fall on his next outing at Wetherby.

I am lucky enough to count myself as a personal friend.  I have a strong recollection of a day over 30 years ago when Stewart, Monique and me travelled from Devon to Leicester races together for a Maiden Hunter Chase with their pointer Sidbury Hill in the trailer. With Jim Wilson in the saddle the horse won at odds of 7-2. That same horse was later placed in the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham and ran in the Grand National. I think that Stewart  thought him a good thing at Leicester !

Stewart and his wife Monique continued to be regular attendees at point to points after he retired from training and they were a very popular couple at both Devon and Cornwall and Wessex meetings until ill health intervened. Sincere condolences are sent to Monique and all of Stewart’s friends and family.

GRANVILLE TAYLOR

Granville Taylor

Devon & Cornwall Point-To-Point Press Officer and PtPRC Race Reader

Email Granville