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
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LEADERS AFTER ONE MEETING

LEADING MALE RIDER                  LEADING LADY RIDER
JULIAN PRITCHARD - 17                POLLY GUNDRY - 12
ADRIAN WINTLE - 10
MARK WALTERS - 5

LEADING HORSE                          LEADING MARE
BARNANE WALK - 7                      CAMPDEN KITTY - 7
CAMPDEN KITTY - 7
COOL JAKE - 7

GROOM OF YEAR                        CHAMPION NOVICE HORSE
CAROL CLIFT STABLE - 1           DANTE'S PROMISE - 5
JELLY NOLAN STABLE - 1
ANDREW WHEELER’S STABLE - 1