REVIEW BEAUFORT DIDMARTON SATURDAY 1 MARCH 2003 by Peter Mansell |
Barnane Walk was an appropriate winner of the Members Race
during Saturdays Duke of Beaufort Point to Point. The 11-year-old is
trained by James Tuck at Oldbury on the Hill, which is just a few yards
from the Didmarton course and the winner was back in his stable before the
next race had started. The favourite owed his success to the riding skills of
Cheltenham jockey Adrian Wintle. Dante's Promise had started to draw clear
of his rival turning into the home straight, but a quicker jump at the
last saw Barnane Walk gain a one length advantage which the runner up was
unable to claw back on the run to the line. Berkeley Trainer Dick Baimbridge kept up his recent good run
of form when Cool Jake scored an impressive win under Julian Pritchard in
the final division of the Maiden. The winner carries the colours of
Twyning Farmer Stan Warner who has retained his faith in the unraced
10-year-old and was rewarded by this emphatic win on the horse's
racecourse debut. Pritchard's mount took the lead at the 14th
and they were never in danger of defeat from this point and strolled home
30 lengths clear of the favourite Timely Magic This was the second leg of a double for Pritchard who had
teamed up with David Brace earlier in the day to land the Restricted with
Braceys Girl - an appropriate winner on St David's Day for the Welsh
owner/trainer. The mare hit the front at the 15th and was
unable to shake off the attentions of Choc until drawing clear between the
final two fences. There was a tremendous cheer when Campden Kitty returned to
the winner's enclosure after her success in Division I of the Maiden. The
9-year-old mare carries the colours of Sue Collett (who as Sue Sadler rode
so many winners in West Midlands Point to Points during the 1990's until
suffering a career ending injury at Upton upon Severn, 7 years ago). Sue
had done much of the roadwork on the mare who showed the benefit of all
that hard work with a 2 1/2-length success over Penthouse Minstrel. The finish of the 5, 6 & 7 year old Maiden changed
dramatically in the closing stages. Bill Haze was two lengths clear of his
rivals until he declined to jump the last. This left Stewart Pike's
Fashion House to claim the prize, but she was all out to hold the strong
finish of the debutant Poppy Maroon who was three quarters of a length in
arrears at the line. Friar Waddon scored an emphatic win in the Mixed Open, which
was the Areas Feature Race. Darren Edwards sent Peter Clarke's 10-year-old
in the lead at the 15th and nothing else got a look in
thereafter. The Keith Cummings trained gelding was eased down on the flat
but still had 8 lengths to spare at the post. Mrs Be kept up John Burbidge winning run by taking the Intermediate under Polly Gundry but the mare was all out to hold the challenge of the fast finishing runner up Bardon Boy with the minimum margin separating the first two as they passed the judge. WEST
MIDLAND AREA CHAMPIONSHIPS LEADERS AFTER ONE MEETINGLEADING
MALE RIDER
LEADING LADY RIDER LEADING
HORSE
LEADING MARE GROOM
OF YEAR
CHAMPION NOVICE HORSE |