22 November 2010 News Round-Up
by Carolyn Tanner
Ahead of the new season, Carolyn Tanner reports a series of news items from the Pointing scene.
Tom Weston, who finished fifth in last season's Men's Championship, has modest ambitions this time. "To stay in one piece, and maybe get into double figures," he says, though he is, of course, looking forward to renewing his partnership with Aintree Fox Hunter winner Silver Adonis.
Tom will be riding again for the yards of Maz Scudamore, who will have a reduced string this time, and Clive Bennett. The latter has some new names in his yard but will be without his five-time winner from last season, Ashwell Lad, who sadly broke a leg in the field.
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When Master Shuil scored at Aldington in 2009, his rider Harry Miller received a good review from Mackenzie & Harris, two men who can sometimes be sparing with their praise. Harry, 19, who currently rides out for Zoe Davison near East Grinstead, has triumphed just once more from a limited number of rides, so is still available for Novice races. "Have car, will travel" is his motto, so he is prepared to go further afield to Point-to-Point yards to ride out and school.
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Tom Flint, who opened his account last season on Iris's Prince, has recently taken on a new job, that of chauffeur to one of Philip Hobbs's stable jockeys, Tom O'Brien, who has lost his licence. Flint himself still works at the Hobbs yard part-time, and also travels to Bridgend once a week to ride out for his trainer father John.
Unfortunately, after just three weeks in his new role, he has already fallen foul of the law. Sunday's trip to Aintree proved his undoing, as he was stopped for speeding by an unmarked police car on the M6, with a resulting fine and three points on his licence.
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Richard Hawkins, who was knocked out in a Cheltenham fall earlier this month, has recovered well and is hoping to get the all-clear after a concussion test, as he has a full book of rides at Black Forest Lodge on Sunday.
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Following the retirement from training of Robert and Sally Alner, their stable amateur Sam Allwood, who is nearing a half-century of winners, has returned to the family home near Whitchurch in Shropshire, where he is training five Pointers, one of whom, Presenting Jack, won twice for his parents when with Karyn Heard.
Two of the youngsters in his yard have run in Bumpers, Jessie Gwendoline twice for Donald McCain and Rocalixjide once for Giles Smyly.
Unfortunately for Sam, who is one of the tallest amateurs riding, he will be unable to make the weight on the majority of his runners due to the allowance they will claim, so he will be looking to pick up outside rides in the North West area.
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Alison Dare is restricting herself to just two horses this season. New Series, who won his Maiden in 2009, should be out at Barbury, where he is likely to be partnered by the novice Chris Smith, but The Pensioner's British debut will wait until 2011.
Alison purchased the latter in Ireland from his owner-breeder Denis Vaughan as a replacement for The Partalonian, who is having a year off.
