29 April 2009 Preview: Cambridgeshire with Enfield Chase - Northaw
by James Crispe
The East Anglian Point-To-Point season draws to a close on Bank Holiday Monday when Northaw stages the Cambridgeshire with Enfield Chace meeting.
This is the fixture where most of the East Anglian titles are decided, although Rupert Stearn and Gina Andrews have virtually unassailable leads in the County Linen Services-sponsored Mens and Ladies riding championships.
The novice jockey crowns are more interesting. Ben Rivett has a ten point lead over Ed Turner in the male version while Becky Ward has an 11 point gap to bridge if she is to catch the injured Emma Bell in the female equivalent. With points awarded at 8 for a win, five for a second, three for a third and one for a fourth, it could yet all change at the top.
Overall, 85 entries have been received for a six-race card, which gets under way at 2.00pm with a 13-entry Club Members Race and runs through until 4.55pm, when 17 are engaged for the Open Maiden. The steeplechasing will be followed by two children's pony races over a section of the course but bypassing the fences.
The best horse on show may be the four-time winner this year, Mid Div And Creep, who is already assured of retaining her Marriage Horse Feeds East Anglian Mares Championship and could run in either the Mens or Ladies Open races, or in the Confined.
In the ten-entry Mens she has most to fear from Go North, who was touched off in a spine-tingling finish at Fakenham last Sunday, while the pick of her 17 potential Ladies Race rivals are the Patrick Hutchinson-trained pair, Free and Limerick Leader.
Clerk of The Course Douglas Pirie reports that the course has been fertilised, harrowed and rolled and treated with a Vertidrain. Two fences have been completely rebuilt and all the others have been improved with the addition of padded guard rails. Watering will take place if necessary.
The course needs to be approached using the B156, which runs between Northaw and Cuffley, east of Potters Bar. The M25 is barely a mile to the south, and either junction 24 or 25 can be used. Admission will be charged at £10 per head with under 17s free.
