Secretary:   Mrs Jane Stockdale

Address:   Malyan Portman Road Pimperne Blandford Dorset DT11 8UL

Contact Details Tel: 01258 455412   Mob: 07732 279070

 Email:   jane.stockdale@hotmail.co.uk

Entries Secretary:   Mr James Symonds

Address:   Willowbrook House 41 Corton Warminster Wilts BA12 0SZ

Contact Details: Tel: 01985 850883 Mob:  07990 707139

Email:   symonds@willowbrookhouse.eclipse.co.uk

Entries to:  The Entries Secretary or The Point to Point Racing Co Ltd (www.pointtopointentries.co.uk )

Entries close:   Monday 18^th February 2019 12.30pm

Races:   CA Members Conditions, 5yrs + Open Maiden, Ladies Open, Mens Open, Restricted, CA Members Conditions (novice riders)

First Race:   12.00 am

Badbury Rings hosts the first of its two meetings when the Countryside Alliance Club (Wessex) hold their point to point on Sunday. Always a very popular meeting and well attended they welcome a major new sponsor Howden Specialist Insurance and other new sponsors in Cooling and Heating Solutions and British Game Alliance and hold a Skinner’s Pet Food Ladies Open race. There will be numerous trade stands including a shopping village and many food stalls. Other attractions include terrier racing and a sale of limited edition photographs and prints. The current going is reported as good and with a total of 74 horses entered for the six scheduled races there should be some good racing for racegoers to enjoy. 

The highlights of the meeting the Mens Open race and the Ladies Open race both have attracted quality horses amongst the entries. The Mens Open holds an entry for Caid du Berlais the winner of the Champion Hunter Chase at Punchestown last April and he stands out of the ten strong entry. Potential rivals include Golden Hoof and MInella Fifty who were first and second in a Mixed Open at Upcott Cross last May. Golden Hoof holds an entry in the Ladies race and may choose that option but Minella Fifty who won on his seasonal debut last season may be the one to give Caid Du Berlais the most to do. Others to consider are Jack Snipe an impressive winner at Chipley Park having already won four steeplechases under Rules and Tom Barton who has a tremendous record at Badbury Rings and gave his young rider Liam Harrison his first winner. Caid du Berlais ought to be too good for his opponents. 

Golden Hoof looks to have a good chance in the Ladies race but if Laura Thomas sends Karinga Dancer to Badbury from her Wiltshire base the veteran 13 year old may be a strong challenger. Moscow Prices ran well last season but was rather disappointing at Larkhill on his seasonal debut. Minim Mouse is another to consider in an open looking race. 

The opening race, the Conditions race, has attracted 16 entries with the recent Chipley winner Imogens Thunder holding a strong hand. Given a superb ride by Will Biddick the Mary Tory gelding is still on the upgrade and is a likely favourite. Coco Live has won two races at Larkhill and has formed a good partnership with rider Jack Savage but this looks tougher. Both Kit Barry and Tree Sparrow won races last season and are on the upgrade and Flights tends to run well at the Dorset course. Im All Set won at this meeting in 2017 and might be another to consider. 

The Novice Riders race for which eleven horses are entered may see the return of Apple’s Queen. The runner up at Larkhill in a Mens Open race this looks a weaker race and may give Liam Harrison another winner. Jack Tudor has returned to race riding after a bad accident and his likely mount Northgeorge has been running in better company and may the one to challenge Apple’s Queen. Others to consider are Silvergrove trained in East Anglia by James Owen but has not been seen since May 2017, Gingili who has won races under Rules for Paul and Clare Rooney and is in the care of Johnny Farrelly and Theatre Evening who defied his odds to put up a strong performance when finishing fourth in a hot Mens Open race at Larkhill. 

The Restricted race holds an entry for another winner from Chipley namely Raging Fire who was an impressive winner. Mike and Lucy Felton who train Raging Fire have also given Hunt Politics an entry for this race and he should improve on his seasonal debut at Chipley. Askers Lad was placed at Cothelstone and comes into the reckoning whereas Taking the Mickey needs to brush up on his jumping from last season. Everybody’s Talkin bought by Charlie Dando out of Nigel Twiston-Davies stable having run unsuccessfully for Isaac Souede and Simon Munir might be one to consider having won a point to point in Ireland. 

The biggest entry of the day, 17, is in the final race of the day the Maiden race. Hon the DJ was a good close third on debut at Larkhill and although he has changed hands since he is now in the care of Johnny Farrelly and must have every chance .Others to consider are Our Grey Boy placed in three Maidens last season, Niteinshininarmour placed in his only race to date and now in the care of Jane Western for owner George Rendell and A Tipple or Two placed at Barbury Castle this season for trainer Caroline Keevil. BoygoChasing was placed in a Bumper but has yet to jump a fence in public and should be watched with interest. 

Badbury Rings, 4 miles NW of Wimborne off B3082 Postcode DT11 9JL. Gates open at 10.00am with first race 12.00. Entry Costs: £30 per car. £15 per car (single occupant) and for each pedestrian.  

Race 1:                        Conditions Race 

1^st             Coco Live (FR)

2^nd             Imogens Thuder (IRE)

3^rd             Flights 

Runners:            4                        Distances:            15l 2l,                                     Time: 6m 17s

Race 2:                        Mens Open 

1^st             Jack Snipe

2^nd             Tom Barton

3^rd             Golden Hoof 

Runners:            6                        Distances:            12l, 1 ½ l                         Time: 6m 4s

Race 3:                        Conditions for Novice Riders

1^st             Little Billy Boy

2^nd             Gingili

3^rd            Blue Benny (IRE) 

Runners:            6                        Distances:            3l 4l,                                     Time: 6m 24s

Race 4:                        Ladies Open 

1^st             Moscoe Prices (IRE)

2^nd             Bankhall (IRE)

3^rd             Karinga Dancer 

Runners:            3                        Distances:            2 ½ l, 20l                        Time: 6m 5s

Race 5:                        Restricted 

1^st             Everybody’d Talkin (IRE)

2^nd             Askers Lad

3^rd             Lawsons Thorn (IRE) 

Runners:            8                        Distances:            10l, 20l                                    Time: 6m 7s

Race 6:                        Conditions Maiden 5 yrs+ 

1^st             Hon The DJ (IRE)

2^nd             Ivebeentold (IRE)

3^rd             Our Grey Boy (IRE) 

Runners:            9                        Distances:            2 ½ l,25l                                     Time: 6m 18s

N/A

It was a glorious spring day at Badbury Rings with skylarks in attendance and racegoers were able to enjoy the Countryside Alliance (Wessex) meeting without the need for coats which is certainly more usual at this time of year. The drying weather did have an impact of the number of runners but there was some competitive racing in the six races with the highlights being a win for Jack Snipe in the Mens Open and Moscow Prices in the Skinner’s Pet Foods Ladies Open and a first ever riding success for Josh Cameron in the Novice Riders race 

Jack Snipe was an impressive winner of the Wessex National Mens Open race when beating a good field in a fast time. Supplementing his win at Chipley Park in January the tactics employed of setting off in front and maintaining a relentless gallop proved too much for his five rivals who were left toiling. Ridden with confidence by Shane Quinlan he jumped well throughout and he approached the last in a clear lead. Owned by Pam Pengelly and her grandson Connor and Richard Hawker he had won 4 steeplechases when trained by Jeremy Scott for his breeder Lucinda Tylor including two races when ridden by Rob Hawker. When Lucinda decided to sell the gelding she rang Rob and asked him if he would like to take him point to pointing this season and Rob had little hesitation in putting together the partnership that now own him. The intention was that Rob would ride him this season but he is still recovering from injuries he suffered in a stable accident so Shane is now the ‘lucky devil ‘in Rob’s words to benefit from his absence. 

Moscow Prices ridden by part owner Lucy Mager fought off the attentions of Bankhall ridden by Emma Jones to win the Skinner’s Pet Foods Ladies race by two and a half lengths. Explaining his previous poor race at Larkhill his other part owner Kim Tripp said that ‘he does not like racing right handed and did not enjoy the experience at Larkhill’. He relished the faster surface at Badbury and connections will now be keeping him to left handed courses where he will be a force to reckon with in Ladies races for the rest of the season. 

Josh Cameron will remember the meeting with fondness as he recorded his first riding success in the Novice Riders race aboard Little Billy Boy trained by Annie Bacon for owner Lynne Hunt. Josh, 31, started his career in 2015 and has ridden in over 40 races before securing that elusive first winner. Lynne who has been a stalwart supporter of Annie was one of the part owners of the Champion Hurdler Rock on Ruby but now her horse interests are contained with Annie and her partner Josh. After the departure of the favourite Apple’s Queen at the fourth fence the race turned into a duel between Little Billy Boy and Gingili ridden by Luca Morgan with Little Billy Boy staying on the stronger. Described by Josh as a ‘proper gent at home’ he was winning his third point to point race for Annie. 

Coco Live continued his upward momentum when easily winning the Conditions race by fifteen lengths from race favourite Imogens Thunder. With usual rider Jack Savage unavailable owners Harriet Waight and Stan Rawlins called on the services of Matthew Fielding and he proved an admirable deputy with the partnership well clear from the third last. Describing her horse as ‘ very nervy’ when he first arrived at her stables Harriet explained that he has settled into her routine and although he still goes to post before the other runners this is now more because that is their normal practice rather than being because of any particular issues. 

Everybody’s Talkin was another easy winner when making all the running to win the Restricted Race. Owned and ridden by Charlie Dando and trained by his partner Brooke Gardener-Wollen at Badminton he had been purchased at Ascot in June last year out of Nigel Twiston-Davies stable where he was trained for leading owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede. His form for that yard in five outings had been mediocre but he had won a Maiden point-to-point in Ireland and this free going horse relished the going and the trip over the full three miles and more improvement can be expected as he progresses. 

The concluding race, the Maiden Conditions race, turned into a battle between Hon the DJ ridden by Luca Morgan and Ivebeentold ridden by Shane Quinlan with the former prevailing by two and a half lengths. Owned and trained by Johnny Farrelly the five year Arcadio gelding had run with great promise at Larkhill in January when he was trained by Francesca Nimmo. Subsequently he went to the sales but did not reach his reserve but Charlie Poste, the partner of Francesca Nimmo, contacted Johnny to suggest he purchase the gelding and a private deal was struck. Johnny reported that his charge is still quite green and will continue to improve with experience. Luca who works full time for Johnny was registering his fifth career victory of which two have been under Rules