26 April 2011 Report: Vine and Craven - Hackwood Park
by Robin Gray
Small fields, but enough runners to keep a bumper crowd happy, brought the Point-to-Point season to an end in the Sandhurst Area. Clerk of the course Bill Welling applied 150,000 gallons of water to the track over three days, which resulted in ground no worse than good to firm. Welling's disappointment when it was announced that next Monday's Hackwood Park meeting has been cancelled due to lack of entries was plain to see.
There was drama aplenty in the J Passey & Son Mens Open race when the leader bypassed the final fence before crossing the line six lengths clear. Inevitably, Rowdy Yates was disqualified, with the race being awarded to Penric, mount of 17-year-old Zac Baker enjoying his second win.
"I could see Rowdy Yates being steered wide," said Zac, "the jockey wouldn't have heard me even if I had shouted - he was ten lengths clear!"
Harry Marriott, 49, was distraught at his blunder, for which the stewards fined him £75. "I knew we had to miss a fence [the Open Ditch] on the final circuit," he said, "but I was confused and just made a silly decision."
Local champion rider Philip York added a couple to his score of winners, keeping National Championship hopes alive. York enjoyed a walkover on Seymar Lad in the Fullers Brewery Hunt Club Members Race, and followed up on Dawn Display in the Caviste Conditions Race. Dawn Display made all the running, being constantly harried by Medic who frequently lost a length jumping and finally finished a two lengths second. York is now on 22 for the season, just two winners behind Richard Burton.
As a trainer, York scored with Nessa in the Fontwell Park sponsored Novice Riders Race, ridden by Tom Cheesman. Nessa has provided the teenager with each of his four successes.
Odds-on in the two horse Harwoods Maiden, six-year-old Can't Touch This beat his only rival Gulfoss very easily in spite of having run mulishly through the race. "He is much happier surrounded by lots of runners," said owner/rider Clare Hobson. "But once we turned for home I was confident of winning."
This was Clare's 24th birthday, but hopes of a double for her were dashed when she had to pull up Irish Rebel in Dawn Display's race. Golden Tangle gave Hannah Watson a sixth winner for the season when beating Brave Boogie in the Berry Bros & Rudd Mares and Fillies Race.
