17 May 2010 Report: North West Point-to-Point Club - Tabley
by Arthur Shone
The jockeys for the Novice Riders Final pose for the camera
photo: Sweet Photography
The North West Point-to-Point Club meeting between the flags at Tabley produced a fantastic day's racing in front of a big crowd. Clerk of the course Rob Hankey had done a great job with the course to ensure excellent racing ground, which was reflected in an abundance of runners at the Cheshire course.
The feature race on the card was the Dodson & Horrell PPORA Club Members race for Novice Riders Championship Final. There was a thrilling finish to the race, which saw the Joe Turner-trained Parkinson, with his grandson Ed Turner in the plate, just holding off the strong late run of Aztec Warrior and George Henderson by half a length. No Virtue was a further ten lengths back in third. The Turner family made the long trip from Suffolk worthwhile, the veteran Owner and Trainer is the winning-most Owner in the history of Point-to-Pointing.
Nantwich trainer Gary Hanmer regards Tabley as his manor and he completed a treble on the card, as did rider Miles Seston who rode all of Hanmer's horses. The only other time that Seston rode a treble in his career also came at this course.
The first leg came aboard Glenteviot in the first division of the Open Maiden. The Terimon gelding won going away by 12 lengths from Sister Beryl, with Gemma Garton in the plate. The winner is a half-sister to Border Fusion, who had finished runner up in the Bangor Hunter Chase Final the day before. Hanmer bred the winner himself and the gelding used to run in the colours of the late bookmaker Gordon Crawford.
Hanmer and Seston also took the second division of the Open Maiden with Whitepark Legend, who galloped his rivals into the ground to win unchallenged by 25 lengths from Ferton Sid, with the Gordie Edwards-trained Spring Francais a further length away. The winner was bought in Ireland last year by Oakenholt owner Roy Thomas as a fortieth birthday present for his wife Sarah.
Ballyeightra Cross took the North West Club Members race to complete the treble for Hanmer and Seston in impressive style, beating Premier Kadam by five lengths, with Keeverfield a further seven lengths back in third. The Anshan gelding is owned by Steven Evason and is clearly held in high regard by Hanmer. Speaking after the race, he said "Miles rode him well as he is quite a tricky ride. I have always known he has plenty of ability, we will put him away now and I have big plans for him in the future."
Horses for courses certainly applies to Le Seychellois, who made it three wins out of three runs at the Cheshire course when galloping his rivals into the ground in the Mens Open, beating Royal Tender by four lengths. The winner, priced at 16-1, was a bit of a shock, especially as he turned over the 2008 Cheltenham Foxhunters winner Amicelli, who never got into the race at any time. The winning Owner and Trainer Richard Hewitt from Anglesey was surprised at his charge's starting price, given that he is unbeaten at the track.
Lagosta, trained at Ludlow by Steve Graham and ridden by Rachel Reynolds, won the Ladies Open for the second year running. The combination took up the running at the second last and pulled away on the run in to win by six lengths from Angela Rucker aboard the well backed favourite Petit Lord. General Grey was a similar distance back in third under Sam Drake. The winner was given to Graham as a gift three years by Martin and Angela Roddis from Doncaster - not a bad gift as he has now won six out of twenty races for him. The trainer works full time as a fence builder and supplied the birch for the fences at Tabley.
Richard Burton had one of those weekends that will be etched on his mind for years to come. The day before this meeting he had won the North West Point-to-Point Final at Bangor-on-Dee aboard the Sian McCain-trained Ice Tea, in the well known colours of Derek Malam; he also became a father for the first time after his wife Hannah gave birth to a baby girl named Arabella.
Burton was seen as his brilliant best to win the Restricted aboard the Sheila Crow-trained Enter Paradise in the well known colours of Richard French. He got the better of a titanic battle on the run-in to win by half-a-length from Mercurial Girl under Katy Young. Jolly Rock was a further six lengths back in third. Tabley is now French's local course since he moved from Eccleshall to Congleton.
It seems that forgetting to bring her racing colours to the course is proving to be a lucky omen, as Enville trainer Di Williams explained after her charge Sweet Citizen had won the ten-year-old and upwards Club Members race readily by eight lengths from Malt Max. The winner is owned by the trainer and her husband Peter, but ran in the borrowed silks of William and Angela Rucker, Williams said that she has two horses in borrowed colours and both have won. The trainer also said that her prolific winning pointer Step And Run has been retired.
