Secretaries: Kirsty Boutflower & Di Stevens

Address:  Troakes Farm, Ford, Wiveliscombe, Taunton, Somerset, TA4 2RH

T:  01984 629266

M: 07532 165029

E: kirstin.boutflower@virgin.net

Entries: Mrs Tracy Parker

Address:  Manor Court, Steps Farm, Bilbrook, Minehead, Somerset, TA24 6HE

T/F:  01984 640245

E:  tracyparker@aol.com

Entry Fee: £30 per horse per race, £10 per additional entry same horse

Entries Close:  Sunday 3rd May 2015, 9.00 pm

Races:  Members - Open Maiden - PPORA Novice Riders - Mixed Open - Confined - Restricted - Intermediate

Leading trainer Jack Barber holds the key to Saturday’s Minehead Harriers & West Somerset Mixed Open with Benedictus and consistent mare Posh Totty. Benedictus won his first three races this season, including the Coronation Gold Cup, one of pointing’s four classic races, before staying on but never threatening What A Laugh in the Lady Dudley Cup. Posh Totty has finished in the frame in her six 2015 outings, including two wins at Badbury Rings. Potential opposition includes Fiulin, who got the better of the Barber-trained Kostaquarta at Stafford Cross, Laura Claydon’s King’s Bench, winner of two of his five outings last season, 2014 corresponding race winner Rush’N’Roll, Cotley Hunt race winner Steeltown and Level Spirit, who is on a hat-trick after two Flete Park successes. The ‘Jack Barber selected’ runner is the selection.

The Kayley Woollacott-trained Jepeck can continue owner Jon Pike’s marvellous season by making it five 2015 wins in the Confined. The nine entries include Jepeck’s enigmatic stable companion Robin Will, Bathwick Scanno, who brought up Will Biddick’s half-century at the Devon & Somerset (DSSH) here last weekend, and Wadebridge winner Supreme Danehill, but former top hurdler Cockney Trucker, a Charlton Horethorne open race winner in March, looks the danger.

Bathwick Scanno and Cockney Trucker are among the 19 entries for the Novice Riders race, along with course specialist Eslin Bridge and the Zoe Hammond-trained The Ferbane Man. Lara Mahon may seek to consolidate her lead in the National Novice Lady Riders table aboard The Magherally Man, a Holnicote winner in 2012 and unbeaten in five 2015 outings for trainer Tim Eades before being overturned at Littlewindsor on Monday. The Magherally Man gets the vote ahead of Hedley Webb’s Loose Preformer, denied a four-timer when caught on the flat by Maxi Chop in a high class Axe Vale contest, and Brackenwood, who gave the principals a run for their money in the same event.

Crackacan is fancied to follow up last weekend’s Maiden race success in the Restricted. On Your Max, pulled up at Stafford Cross, and Steel Brush, second when sent off favourite for the DSSH Hunt race, can bounce back from disappointing efforts by completing the placings.

Swingbridge can follow up his recent Whitfield and Lockinge successes by completing a hat-trick in the Intermediate. Keith Prichard’s Prince Eleanor looks the danger if travelling from Wales.

The 2014 winner Took My Eye, who landed a two-horse contest here on Sunday, can follow up in the Hunt race, with Carrickmines the one for the forecast.

San Satiro refused at Stafford Cross but can make amends in the 16-entry Maiden.

The afternoon begins with a charity flat race in aid of the Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance at 1pm, followed by seven point-to-point races from 2pm.

The course is just off the A39, 3 miles W of Minehead and 2 miles E of Porlock (TA24 8TE). Admission: £20 per car; £10 single occupant.

Hunts Members (2 ran)

1. Carrickmines (IRE) (N Lawton, 4-5F); 2. Took My Eye (IRE) (S Ellicott, evens). 6min 43s. 8l. (Debbie Beilby)

Open Maiden (8 ran)

1. HMS Intrepid (Robert Hawker, 10-1); 2. State Department (S Kirwan, 3-1); 3. Ninogaro (FR) (S Houlihan, 20-1). 6min 48s. 1l, 6l. (Teresa Clark)

PPORA Club Members (Novice Riders) (7 ran)

1. Cock Of The Rock (H Cobden, 4-6F); 2. The Magherally Man (IRE) (Miss L Mahon, 7-2); 3. Falcon Island (E Doggrell, 33-1).

Mixed Open (5 ran)

1. Benedictus (IRE) (W Biddick, 1-4F); 2. Level Spirit (IRE) (R Henderson, 5-2); 3. King’s Bench (IRE). 6min 28s. 3l, 8l. (Jack Barber)

Confined (5 ran)

1. Bathwick Scanno (IRE) (W Biddick, 7-4); 2. Jepeck (IRE) (Jamie Thomas, 4-5F); 3. Talab (N Lawton, 16-1). 6min 27s. 1½l , 10l. (Teresa Clark)

Restricted (3 ran)

1. On Your Max (R Henderson, 1-2F); 2. Roy’s Gallery (IRE) (M Legg, 7-4); 3. Gingers Relection (Robert Hawker, 4-1). 7min 05s. 2l, 10l. (Ed Walker)

Intermediate (3 ran)

1. Carlos Gardel (Robert Hawker, 7-2); 2. Mullins Mill (IRE) (D Andrews, 5-1); 3. Swingbridge (IRE) (C Dando, 1-3F). 6min 53s. 4l, 2l. (Alison Christmas)

N/A

“I’ve never had five winners in a season before, let alone a week,” smiled Broomfield trainer Teresa Clark after saddling a Holnicote double to make it five winners from five runners in the last seven days. She led off with HMS Intrepid, who led from the penultimate in the Maiden after a patient ride from Robert Hawker. “This horse means a lot to us, as he was initially owned by my partner Jeremy Cossey’s late grandfather, Gordon Cossey, and is now owned by his uncle, Duncan Cossey, who had the faith to leave him with us,” said Teresa.

Bathwick Scanno and Will Biddick regained the lead in the Confined after Jepeck led over the last. Bathwick Scanno brought up Will’s half-century six days earlier, but Teresa made the decision to run him again when “he ran away with me on the Quantocks on Thursday.”

Will and Robert also completed doubles on the card. Will employed new tactics on Benedictus, who led throughout the Mixed Open. “We felt he was caught out in the Lady Dudley Cup when What A Laugh and Stone sprinted clear, so we’ve made the running to ensure a true gallop,” explained trainer Jack Barber, now on the 43-winner mark for the season. Robert doubled up aboard Carlos Gardel, who landed the Intermediate to reward a near nine-hour round trip by Yorkshire owner-trainers Alison Christmas and John Kilner, who had just celebrated his 60^th birthday.

National Novice Champion-elect Harry Cobden, 16, maintained his two-winner lead in the standings when Cock Of The Rock quickened past The Magherally Man in the Novice Riders race. Cock Of The Rock has now won his last five races to join six other horses at the head of the 2015 National Leading Horse Award table and must have every chance of taking the prestigious title, with five weeks of the season remaining.

Carrickmines went into honourable retirement after taking the Hunt race. The winner of 11 races in total, George and Debbie Beilby’s 13-year-old led throughout under Nick Lawton and was never threatened by 2014 winner Took My Eye.

On Your Max and Robbie Henderson followed up their 2014 Holnicote Maiden race success by taking the Restricted. Robert Hawker set a pedestrian gallop aboard outsider-of-three Gingers Reflection, but On Your Max had more speed than Roy’s Gallery when the race developed into a sprint.

Armagnac Rebel and Cathryn MacFarlane were awarded the Charity Flat race after first-past-the-post Portacarron lost his weightcloth during the contest and was disqualified when jockey, Samantha Telling, failed to draw the correct weight.