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WAT JIMMY CALL IT: Extended Richard Burton's lead in the National standings to four
photo: Sweet Photography

The Flint & Denbigh Hunt meeting between the flags at Bangor-on-Dee was one of two meetings that brought the curtain down on a very successful season in the North Western area, with the Meynell & South Staffordshire hosted by their adoptive course Garthorpe on the same day.

The Flint & Denbigh enjoyed plenty of runners and took place on perfect racing ground which was a credit to their clerk of the course Ed Gretton and the ground staff.

Richard Burton took the riding honours with a treble, opened by Cedrus Libani who recorded his third win of the season in the Mixed Open, winning a shade cosily by two and a half lengths from Oscar Churton aboard Little Rocker. The winner is trained by Angela Rucker and co-owned by the trainer and her husband William. Speaking after the race Rucker said, "We are enjoying the end of the season better as the horses were wrong at the start of the year. I am not sure where the horse goes next, either Chaddesley Corbett or the 2m1f hunter chase at Strattford."

Thirty five minutes later Burton recorded his 32nd winner of the season on Echo India in the Confined race to beat Oscar D'Angron by 15 lengths. The winner is owned by Ann Cardwell and trained by Burton's brother in law Will Kinsey at Chester. This win put him three clear of Phil York in the National Point to Point Riders Championship, but a very easy success aboard Wat Jimmy Call It in the Restricted extended the lead to four. The pair won by five lengths from He's A Hawker with Pillbox a further seven lengths back in third. The winner is trained by Sheila Crow and co-owned by Gareth Samuel and Sue Davies. Crow thinks a lot of the winner; speaking after the race she said, "He is improving with each race, he did not handle the track at Bredwardine, it was a very tight course. Richard [Burton] said that he is improving and that he would make a nice Open horse next season. I like him a lot and he is a tremendous worker at home."

The opening Open Maiden was won in good style by the Gary Hanmer-trained Amongst Friends under Josh Hamer, who forced the pace from flag fall to win readily by four lengths from Foundry Square and Shales Ay Jay who dead heated for second place. The winner is trained at Nantwich by Hanmer and is owned by Steve Jones, Pete Morris and Gwyn Owen.

The best finish of the day was reserved for the Novice Riders Race, which saw Miss Tilly Oscar under Robert Jarrett repel the late challenge of Fresh Fruit with Patrick Gerety in the plate by a nose. The winner is trained at Shobdan by Steve Flook and owned by Stafford farmer Brian Mould. Speaking after the race, Flook said the mare was super tough, adding that was it now for the season.

There was another good finish to the 2m4f Maiden with victory going to Best Back Him under Nick Slatter, who were all out at the line to beat the staying on Cirrus Coin by a neck with Cardigan Island a further four lengths back in third. The winner is trained at Kelsall by Stuart Ross for local blacksmith Charlie Walker.

The Club Members Race went to the Joanna Messenger-trained Rajam who battled on well on the run in under Camilla Cotton to beat Wolves Castle by t a length. The winner provided 18-year-old Camilla Cotton with her first winner at the 13th attempt on the horse. The Sadler's Wells gelding is owned by the trainer and the rider's mother Diana Cotton; the horse has plenty of miles on the clock, as the trainer stated that this was the horse's 97th race.

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