REVIEW |
THE Axe Vale
point-to-point basked in April sunshine on Sunday where good going
ensured a huge crowd enjoyed nine competitive races.
Michael Holmes, 23, celebrated his first ever race riding success in the opening members' race on his own Orinoco's Flight, a six-year-old he trains close to the course. And in the novice riders' race, Will Biddick, 16, was another jockey to score his inaugural win when he took up the running on Ross Oliver's Let's Fly on the turn for home and booted the nine-year-old clear to score a six length success. It was an incident-packed race where Lynne Hawkins sustained a suspected broken ankle when African Dawn slipped on the bend and Rosie Booth was taken to hospital after Atavistic took a crashing fall. Father Mansfield and Caroline Prouse scored a last gasp victory in the intermediate when they came with a late surge on the run-in to head Nick Williams and Noble Action a stride before the line and win by a shorthead. Caroline rides for her parents Henry and Sarah from near Crediton and was scoring for the second time on the gelding this season. Ballysicyos was odds on to continue his winning sequence in the mixed open but jumping the last Kingston Venture held a slight advantage and drew clear on the run-in under Tigger Barnes to record the fastest time of the day. His owner/breeder Claire Overton admitted she hadn't expected her horse to win but knew he would act well on the good ground. Ballysicyos' rider Ashley Farrant, who is bidding for his first ever national championship, gained compensation for defeat when taking the first restricted on the David Pipe-trained Euwiluwill. The six-year-old disappointed when he finished third last time and Pipe was at a loss to explain why. Pipe has provided the majority of Farrant's 33 winners this season and added: "I have just about enough horses to keep Ashley going until the end of the season but hopefully everyone else in the Westcountry will rally around and give him rides to help him win the title. Ashley really deserve to win it more than anyone as he has had his share of bad luck over the years." The second division went to first
season trainer Claire Williams' Hold On Harry with Liam Heard in
the saddle. Fitness instructor and Sporting Life
race reader Naddan Wilmington won the faster of two maidens on
Fiona Shaw and her mother Lady Acland's Sliema who made virtually
all the running to win by 15 lengths. The six-year-old is Lucy Gardner, 21, took the second
division on her own Questionit who heads for the Doncaster Sales in
May having been purchased from there a year. The J & FJ Baker Confined Race,
The Harry Parr Memorial Cup The Axminster Carpets Ltd Mixed Open
Race, The Graham Hollingworth Memorial Cup The Victoria Laundry Intermediate
Race, The Mr & Mrs PF Perry Memorial Cup The Matford Land Rover Restricted
Race Division I, The Ruth Wilmington Memorial Cup The Matford Land Rover Restricted
Race Division II, The Ruth Wilmington Memorial Cup The John Woods & Co Maiden Race
Division I, The Stan Sweetland Memorial Cup |