Secretary: Mr George Pullen

Address:  The Coach House Greendown Chewton Mendip Radstock BA34NZ

M:  07879 645364

E:  george.pullen@jmfinn.com

or enter online at: www.pointtopoint.co.uk

Entry Fee: £30 for a single race, £15 per additional race same horse

Entries Close: Monday 27^th March 2015, 12 noon

Races: Confined, Ladies Open, Mens Open, Open Maiden, 4,5,6 year old Maiden (2m4f), Restricted (2m4f)

The second of the weekend’s point-to-point meetings in the Wessex area is the Mendip Farmers held at Ston Easton near Shepton Mallet on Sunday. A very picturesque and friendly course situated alongside the A37 it always stages competitive racing and this year should be no exception. The opportunity to enjoy Mothering Sunday and to watch six races followed by pony racing at the course should not be missed. 

The opening race, the Confined, may see the return of Kernel Victor to action this season. Trained by Ed Walker the gelding was one of the most improved horses in the area last season and his debut this season is eagerly awaited. Of his rivals Rose Loxton has entered both Join Together and Monsieur Gibraltar but they do hold other entries in the Mens Open race as well as at Milborne the day before. Delphi Mountain is in good form and looks to supplement his win in this race from last year. Third Chance goes well at his local course and would be a popular winner. Another to consider if opting for this race rather than the Mens Open is Thereyarsee trained by Sally Alner for owner Bill Dupont. 

The Open Maiden over 2 miles 4 furlongs might go to Ticket to Ride if he bypasses his entry at Milborne St Andrew the day before. In his absence Truly Spoken from Sally Alner’s stable ran an encouraging race on debut at Larkhill and could be too good for those that have already raced. Of the newcomers particular interest should be given to the Jane Williams trained 4 year old Jeu de Mots who is related to Nambour, the winner of three races in Ireland and now trained by Mouse Morris.

The Ladies Open race also contains entries for Delphi Mountain and Third Chance and if this is their chosen race then they should be considered. Be Definite who gave her young rider Ellie Trousdale her first winner on her first ride at Hackwood Park comes into the mix as does Oh Toodles who won a Ladies race at Horseheath in February. King’s Bench was a good third at Black Forest Lodge for owner/rider Felicity Weeks and may be closer to her conqueror that day Western Diva who is also entered. De Boitron ran well at Charlton Horethorne and a chance is taken for him to provide trainer Janet Ackner with another winner. 

The Mens Open is very dependent on what runs elsewhere. Kernel Victor would go close here if this is his chosen race as would the Rose Loxton pair of Join Together and Monsieur Gibraltar. Thereyarsee might opt for this race rather than the Confined and he could be the one to claim the victory. Ed Walker’s pair of Doyen Dynamo and The Flying Doc are both entered at Milborne St Andrew as well as the Harriet Waight trained Impact Area. If Flying Eagle makes the trip from West Wales then the in- form James Bowen seeking his fifth riding victory in his third week of riding could be one to trouble Thereyarsee the most. 

The Restricted race is another race where the likely principal participants have entries at Milborne St Andrew. Whichever of Jack Barber’s pair of Ballyknock Cloud and King Calvin is declared should be good enough to win the race. Of the others Palmaria won well at Chipley Park and was third at Charlton Horethorne and a victory for local trainer Caroline Keevil would be very popular. Micks Lad was travelling well when unseating at Didmarton where another potential rival Threesixfive pulled up. Chester Copperpot is entered at Milborne but if it is decided to run here then he may give the Jack Barber representative the most to do. 

The final race, the Open Maiden, may see the reappearance of Emperor Renard owned by David Churches and trained by Marie McGuinness. Placed third in both his races so far he looks to have a good chance of breaking his duck. Of his potential rivals Tree Sparrow was a good second at Charlton Horethorne and Clenagh Castle was second and Every Breakin Wave was third in a race at Ottery St Mary. Sagamour from Richard Bandey’s stable is an interesting potential debutant as he is a half- brother to the stable’s prolific winner Alskamatic and his performance should be noted. 

First Race 12.30 pm. Ston Easton, Shepton Mallet alongside A37 Postcode BA3 5DH. Entry Prices £10 per adult but can be bought in advance for £8 from eitherwww.mendipfarmerspointtopoint.co.uk or facebook (facebook.com/mendipfarmersp2p).

Meeting: Mendip Farmers @ Ston Easton

26^th March 2017

Race 1 – Confined

1^st: Thereyarsee 2^nd: Join Together (Ire) 3^rd: Punter Friendly (Ire)

Runners: 3                       Time: 6min 04.4s                        Distance: 4l 8l

Race 2 – Open Maiden 4,5,6yo 2m4f:

1^st: Ticket to Ride (Fr) 2^nd: Jeu de Mots (Fr) 3^rd: Bellas Touch

Runners: 7                        Time: 5min 20.6s                        Distance: hd 15l

Race 3 – Ladies Open:

1^st: Masterleaderman (Ire) 2^nd: De Boitron (Fr) 3^rd: Go Odee Go

Runners: 6                        Time: 6min 11.3s                        Distance: 1/2l 6l

Race 4 – Mens Open:

1^st: Monsieur Gibraltar (Fr) 2^nd: Flying Eagle (Ire) 3^rd: Kernel Victor

Runners: 4                        Time: 6min 21.1s                        Distance: 20l 3l

Race 5 – Restricted 2m4f:

1^st: King Calvin (Ire) 2^nd: Palmaria 3^rd: Darkgesture (Ire)

Runners: 8                        Time: 5min 01.3s                     Distance: nose 1 1/4l

Race 6– Open Maiden:

1^st: Emperor Renard (Ire) 2^nd: Kit Barry (Ire) 3^rd: Amis des Champs (Ire)

Runners: 11                       Time: 6min 17.4s                        Distance: 3l, 10l

N/A

A glorious spring day attracted a large crowd to Ston Easton to enjoy the Mendip Farmers point-to-point. There was some excellent racing with several close finishes with the riding honours shared by Lorcan Williams and Will Biddick who both rode a double. There was a second career victory for Harriet Tucker aboard her own horse Masterleaderman in the Ladies’ Open race. 

The meeting began with a select field of three in the Confined Hunts race. Setting off in front and determined to make it a test of stamina 12 year old Join Together and Will Biddick set a fast pace and looked to have his rivals in trouble approaching the final two fences but the concession of giving 7 pounds to his younger rival Thereyarsee ridden by Lorcan Williams proved too much with the latter having four lengths in hand at the line. Commenting afterwards trainer Sally Alner said that ‘she was amazed at the quick time (just over 6 minutes) and that was some performance for such a big horse on this tight course‘. Recording his third victory of the campaign Bill Dupont’s gelding does like to race left handed so a trip to Cheltenham might still be considered. 

A cracking finish to the Open Maiden over two and a half miles followed with two promising four year olds fighting it out to the line. Ticket to Ride ridden by Will Biddick narrowly beat Jeu de Mots ridden by Chester Williams with the winning margin given as a head. Owned by Richard Kelvin-Hughes and Ed and Polly Walker the winner had been in pre training with Dan Skelton but it was decided more time was needed. His next outing is likely to be at the Goffs boutique sale at Aintree on 6^th April and both his and the runner-up’s future progress should be watched with great interest. 

Masterleaderman made most of the running to hold off the late challenge of De Boitron in the Ladies Open race. Owned/trained and ridden by 21 year old Harriet Tucker this was a second career victory at her local course. Stabled at East Pennard near the A37 he is ridden out during Harriet’s lunchbreak from her full time job with Paul Nicholls and somehow she fits in the rest of his training around all of her work at Ditcheat. 

Spectators were privileged to see the two brightest new talent of jockeys fighting out the finish of the Men’s Open race when 17 year old Lorcan Williams riding Monsieur Gibraltar beat 16 year old James Bowen riding Flying Eagle. Riding his fourteenth winner of the season Lorcan is well ahead in the leading Novice Rider Championship. Trained by Rose Loxton the gelding’s previous outing had been in a charity flat race at Newbury when he had been ridden by Sheikh Fahad Al Thani and the race had appeared to take more out of him than had been expected. However having had a break he was an easy winner of the race having twenty lengths to spare over his rival. He is likely to be next seen in a Hunter Chase. 

The closest finish of the day came in the Restricted race when King Calvin trained by Jack Barber and ridden by Will Biddick narrowly beat Palmaria trained by Caroline Keevil and ridden by Christopher Barber. The judge’s decision of the winning distance being a nose showed how close it was at the line and there was much uncertainty in the winner’s enclosure as to the outcome until the announcement was finally made. 

Emperor Renard made all the running to win the Open Maiden race under Sean Houlihan. Having shown promise in his only start last season he finished third at Chaddesley Corbett in December but was then found to be suffering from a cold and it has taken time for him to be ready to make his reappearance. Bought by trainer Marie McGuinness for owner David Churches as a three year old at Goffs in June 2014 his mother won six races on the flat, two hurdles and three steeplechases (trained by Martin Pipe for the chase victories). Sean commented that ‘he would have been more impressive in his victory if something had come to take him on’. David praised the patience and detail of Marie in getting the gelding spot on for his return to action and hopes that more success will now follow.