Larkhill hosts its fifth meeting of the season when the New Forest hold their meeting on Sunday. In addition to the 6 point to point races there will be a charity flat race at 11.00, the rearranged King’s Troop race at 11.45 and after the point to point races there will be two pony races so it will be a very busy day at the Wiltshire course. The current going is good with rain forecast over the next few days so it is anticipated that there will not be any change to the predicted going. There will be a good selection of trade stands as well as bar and bookmakers so it should be an excellent day out for all of the family. 

The highlight of the meeting is the Timico sponsored Mixed Open race for which an entry of 11 horses has been received. It looks an wide open contest with the principals being the consistent Green Winter who would be making his seasonal debut, Tom Barton the winner at the Hursley Hambledon meeting in December, the progressive Coco Live who has won his last three races, Woodfleet who showed a return to form when finishing second at Charing and The Well Road who won three races last season. Coco Live is the selection to continue his progress. 

The Horse Health Intermediate race opens the meeting with the Teresa Clark trained Pancrace looking the likely favourite. Already a winner at Barbury Castle he is in good form having been placed in his previous outings. His main opponents are likely to be Tree Sparrow who ought to come on for his run at rain soaked Bishops Court and Bricks and Beams who ran fourth in the same race at the Devon course and Black Jewel trained by Francesca Nimmo who has already won two races this season. Pancrace ought to be able to secure another win for Teresa Clark’s stable. 

The New Forest Inn sponsor the Open Maiden race for which the principals are likely to be Keep it Simple who showed improved form when finishing second at Monmouth, Milberry who was a close third at the last meeting at Larkhill and Montarlot who was third behind Mankala again at the last meeting. Mankala has franked the form when winning his Restricted at Didmarton so the Harriet Brown trained seven year old gelding looks the answer to this contest. 

The Mares Maiden race sponsored by Earlcote and the Jockey Club may see the jumping debut of Rosie Present already a winner of a Bumper at Great Trethew for Ed Walker and her appearance should be watched with interest. Bluebell Sally was second at Monmouth and is now owned by Tim Underwood and may be the principal danger to Rosie Present. Hot Cross Bun a half- sister to the prolific John Daniell trained by Mary Tory is another to consider. 

The Restricted race sponsored by Race to the Pitt Stop may be at the mercy of the Tim Underwood owned Streets of London already the winner of a maiden at Barbury Castle and looks on an upward curve. Rien du Tout won at Cothelstone last season and finished fifth in a much more competitive race at Chipley Park and looks a danger. Lawsons Thorns should come on for his run at Badbury Rings and Oscar Mor the winner of a Maiden in Ireland in 2016 should be straighter after his debut at Buckfastleigh last month for trainer Jade Barber. 

The meeting concludes with the GPG Solicitors sponsored Conditions race has received 12 entries including Coco Live who would be a likely favourite for this race if bypassing the Mixed Open race. Crown Theatre was a close second for Elizabeth Knight at the last meeting, Adrenalin Flight has defied his age this season and this is a much easier race than the one he last ran in at Badbury Rings, Golden Crisp was well beaten at Barbury Castle but ought to come on for that run and Thereyarsee who was running a good race at the December meeting when his saddle slipped and he was pulled up. Thereyarsee has a good record at Larkhill and may provide the promising Liam Harrison with another winner. 

Larkhill Racecourse is to be found 5m NW of Amesbury, Nr A303, A345 and A360 – Postcode SP4 8QT. . First race 12.30 with charity race at 11.00am and King’s Troop race at 11.45. Entry Costs £10 per person, children go free 

Race 1:                        Intermediate 

1^st             Tree Sparrow

2^nd             Lake Balaton (Ire)

3^rd             Bricks and Beams (Ire) 

Runners:            7                        Distances:            10l, 3l                                    Time: 6m 5s

Race 2:                        Open Maiden 5yrs+ 

1^st             Milberry (Ire)

2^nd             Monyarlot (Fr)

3^rd             Keep it Simple (Ire) 

Runners:            8                        Distances:            6l, 1l                                    Time: 6m 20s

Race 3:                        Mixed Open 

1^st             Green Winter (Ire)

2^nd             Tom Barton

3^rd             Big Man Doe (Ire) 

Runners:            8                        Distances:            4l, 15l                                    Time: 6m 6s

Race 4:                        Mares and Fillies Maiden 

1^st             Bluebell Sally (Ire)

2^nd             Doesn’t Botherme (Ire)

3^rd             Rosie Present 

Runners:            5                        Distances:            15l, 25l                                    Time: 6m 23s 

Race 5:                        Restricted 2m4f 

1^st             Streets of London (Ire)

2^nd             Gunner Road

3^rd             Lawsons Thorns (Ire) 

Runners:            6                        Distances:            2l, Dist                                    Time: 5m 18s 

Race 6:                        Conditions 

1^st             Coco Live (Fr)

2^nd             Ballycahane (Ire)

3^rd             Sacre Toi (Fr) 

Runners:            9                        Distances:            ½ l, 10l                                    Time: 6m 16s

N/A

A blustery cold wind blew across Larkhill during the afternoon but this did not deter racegoers from enjoying an excellent afternoon’s racing on good ground. With a modest entry of 57 for the 6 races there were concerns that there would be a scarcity of runners but this proved to be incorrect with 43 horses declared to run which produced a percentage of runners to entries to over 75%. The highlights of the meeting were a smooth victory for Green Winter in the Timico sponsored Mixed Open, a double for owner Tim Underwood and rider Phil York and a welcome victory for Richard Mitchell with his Milberry in the Open Maiden race. 

Green Winter, who was making his seasonal debut in the Mixed Open race had a great battle with Tom Barton over the final three fences and had four lengths in hand at the winning post. Owned by Sarah Oliver who describes her gelding as ‘a horse of a lifetime’ this was his tenth career point to point victory and his second at Larkhill. Previously the winner of the last three runnings of the Crudwell Cup at Coldharbour this stamina test may again be on his agenda in 2019. He has been ridden by Zac Baker in all of his races since the beginning of 2016 and clearly it is a partnership that both horse and rider have great regard for as Sarah added that ‘ as soon as Zac appeared to saddle him Green Winter started whinnying’. He is now trained by James Ridley who has his stable in very good form. 

There was drama at the closing stages of the Intermediate race with the clear leader Black Jewel ridden by his owner Gordon Hopkinson looking to have secured an easy victory. However in the shadow of the post his weight cloth fell off and his disqualification was inevitable in the following stewards’ enquiry. This left victory to Tree Sparrow ridden by Bryan Carver which provided a memorable weekend for his trainer Camilla Scott who had saddled two winners at Cothelstone the previous day. Owner by John Pengelly and related to the prolific County Derry who was a stable star for the Scotts Tree Sparrow does need good ground to show his best form . 

Richard Mitchell from Piddletrenthide near Dorchester had an upturn in his fortune when his Milberry ridden by Charlie Davies beat the favourite Montarlot ridden by Shane Quinlan by six lengths in the Open Maiden race. His form in his native Ireland had been very poor having been pulled up six times and when he arrived in England last November he regularly pulled himself up in his work so his future looked bleak. However a chance meeting between Richard and Dan Drake, a former point to point rider proved to be the turning point as Dan asked Richard if he had anything to ride and Dan became Milberry’s regular work rider. A promising close third at the last meeting proved not to be a fluke and he was a ready winner of the race. A beaming Dan said that ‘this win had given me so much pleasure’ and Richard added that his last point to point winner was Tricky Tangler in 2009 at Kingston St Mary when ridden by Dan. 

Tim Underwood has his horses in good form and he celebrated a double at the Wiltshire course. Firstly his recently acquired mare Bluebell Sally trained by his daughter Sarah Braclik near Henley was a very easy winner for Philip York in the Mares Maiden race. Previously owned by Julia Oakey she had run well on her UK debut at Monmouth last month but had only been with Tim and Sarah for a week so Tim felt that all credit should go to her previous connections for this win. Sarah has one other horse in training for her father namely the ex- Charlie Longsdon gelding Ready Token. 

Tim’s double came in the Restricted race when Streets of London beat Gunner Road by two lengths.

A promising five year old he was supplementing a win at Barbury Castle last month and he may be out again at Penshurst in an Intermediate next weekend if he comes out of this race in order.

The meeting concluded with another win for Coco Live in the Novice Riders race. Already the winner of his last three races for owners Harriet Waight and Stan Rawlins he was ridden by Matthew Fielding who had previously triumphed aboard the gelding at Badbury Rings. He went clear after jumping the third last but having looked like he was going to record an easy victory he became rather lonely in front and only held the fast finishing Ballycahane ridden by Milo Herbert by half a length.