Secretary:   Mr James H Young

Address:   Ford Farm Burley Road Brockenhurst Hants SO42 7TB

Contact Details Tel: 0590 622515   Mob: 07771 540919

 Email:   james@fordfarmstables.co.uk

Entries Secretary:   As above

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

Entries close:   Monday 9th March 2020 12.30pm

Races:   Oriental Club Conditions, Open Maiden, Mixed Open 3m 6f, Young Maiden 4yrs + (2m4f)), Restricted (2m4f), PPORA Members Conditions (novice riders)

First Race:   12.30pm

The fifth of seven meetings scheduled to take place at Britain’s busiest point to point course takes place at Larkhill on Sunday when the New Forest Hounds hold their meeting. Following the abandonment of the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale meeting last weekend a very good entry of 118 horses for the scheduled 6 races. Prior to racing there will be a charity flat race at 11.30 am and pony racing after the point to point races. The latest going report is that it is currently good to soft but it is likely to go back to good by next Sunday. 

The highlight of the meeting is the Earlcote Construction sponsored Mixed Open to be run over the shorter distance of two and a half miles. A competitive entry of seventeen horses have been received and there may be a rematch between Captain Buck’s and Faraway Star who fought out a match at the last meeting with the latter named just prevailing in a very close finish. Captain Buck’s is clearly able but is a quirky individual and notoriously difficult to win with. Green Winter is an interesting candidate in this shorter race as his best form is over longer trips and his runs this season shows he is still capable of winning a Mixed Open. Curious Carlos narrowly beat Sixteen Letters at Badbury and he has very good form under rules to his name when trained by Peter Bowen. Cold March is an interesting recruit to pointing for the Henderson family having won four chases but has not run since January 2019. Coco Live was rather disappointing in the Coronation Gold Cup but another chance is given to this Larkhill specialist who is trained within sight of the course. 

The meeting opens with the Oriental Club sponsored Owner-Trainer conditions race where sixteen horses are entered. This is a new series of races sponsored by the Oriental Club across the country and this is the first in the Wessex Area. Fleur du Pommier has reeled off three victories this season and with the assistance of Alex Edwards the partnership are in excellent form. However this is a stiffer task against more experienced rivals and her winning run may come to an end. Cold March holds an entry in this race and if race fit would be of interest. Ptit Zig ought to come on for his outing in the Coronation Gold Cup and this former classy inmate of Paul Nicholls yard would come into the reckoning. Rien du Tout won a Restricted at the last Larkhill meeting and is on the upgrade. Country Legend won four races last season and had a perfectly respectable seasonal debut when fourth in a similar race at Badbury. She is chosen to resume her winning ways. 

Moore Blatch Solicitors sponsor the Restricted race for which eighteen horses are entered. Voie dans Voie trained by Laura Thomas has been consistent this season and this might be an opportunity to secure a Restricted victory. Happy Larry won a Maiden at the last meeting whereas Drakes Well won a Maiden last season at the course. Philip Rowley has entered Caliente and his forays to Larkhill have been profitable this season. Arcal Fifty runs well at Larkhill but did not enjoy the soft ground at Milborne when last seen. Truly Spoken won her only start at Barbury Castle last season but has not been seen since December 2018 – she might be the one to give Voie dans Voie the most to do. 

The Novice Riders race sponsored by Lascar Electronics may see the reappearance of the veteran Adrenalin Flight already the winner of four point to points and the likely mount of Charlie Pike. Azure Fly won a similar race at Cocklebarrow and is in good form. Theatre Evening and Thereyarsee both boast winning Larkhill form but the race might be between Vivaldi Collonges who will be ridden by Ben Bromley and Victarion the likely mount of Isaac Buncle who has won races when trained by Philip Hobbs and remains in the ownership of Diana Whateley. A chance is taken on the last named to defy his absence from the course. 

The remaining races on the card are two Maidens the first an Open Maiden sponsored by Horse Health for which 31 horses have been entered. Of those with form Dawn Sunrise ran well at Badbury to finish runner up to Revels Hill, Falloway Dubreau was travelling well until falling on his latest outing, Montarlot was placed in Maidens last season and Wykham a very promising fourth on his debut in January. However with a number of strong stables entering their four year olds who do receive a large weight concession from the older horses it is likely that the winner will come from one of these. Fran Nimmo has Arressveepee and San Fermin and there are two Tom Lacey owned horses namely Kaphumor and Scipion, the latter named out a mare called Morning Calm bred by The Queen who has already produced two winners. 

The other Maiden over two Miles and four furlongs contains again a number of unraced horses with representation from Fran Nimmo, Liam Treadwell, Philip Rowley and Christopher Barber who has entered Miltiades. Of those with form Kinondo Kwetu was second at Chaddesley Corbett and may use the experience to best advantage. Bespoke Cave was placed at the last Larkhill meeting and Thanks a Million was fourth at Milborne. An inspection of the newcomers in the paddock may be the best suggestion. 

The first point to point race is at 12.30pm.  The course is 5m NW of Amesbury nr A303, A345 and A 360 – SP4 8QT – and follow signs) Admission Cost £10 per person Under 16s Free.   Race Cards £3

 Race 1:                        Oriental Club Conditions 

1^st             Pitt Zig (Fr)

2^nd             Order in Court (Ire)

3^rd             Country Legned 

Runners:            5                        Distances:            2l, 6l                                    Time: 6m 33s

Race 2:                        Open Maiden Div1 

1^st             Kaphumor (Fr)

2^nd             Wykham

3^rd             Dawn Sunrise (Ire) 

Runners:            8                        Distances:            3l, 1l                                    Time: 6m 38s

Race 3:                        Open Maiden Div 2 

1^st             O’Faolains Lad (Ire)

2^nd             Saquon (Ire)

3^rd             Cotton Rock (Ire) 

Runners:            8                        Distances:            5l, 12l                                    Time: 6m 34s

Race 4:                        Mixed Open 2m 4f 

1^st             Captain Buck’s (Fr)

2^nd             Azure Fly (Ire)

3^rd             Cloudy Joker (Ire) 

Runners:            10                        Distances:            5l, 8l                                    Time: 5m 30s

Race 5:                        Open Maiden 4,5,6yrs 2m4f 

1^st             Grizzman (Fr)

2^nd             Adjournment (Ire)

3^rd             Maitree Express 

Runners:            6                        Distances:            ½ l, 20l                                    Time: 5m 36s

Race 6:                        Restricted 

1^st             Voie Dans Voie (Fr)

2^nd             Cashmoll (Ire)

3^rd             Fab Vinnie (Ire) 

Runners:            12                        Distances:            12l, 16l                                    Time: 6m 34s

Race :                        Conditions (Novice Riders) 

1^st             Vivaldi Collonges (Fr)

2^nd             Victarion (Ire)

3^rd             Spanish Arch (Ire) 

Runners:            11                        Distances:            12l, 15l                                    Time: 6m 36s

N/A

The spectre of Coronavirus hung over Larkhill on Sunday with the extra bio security measures put in place by the course and the potential that there may be limited point to point racing after this weekend. The weather did not help either with rain for the start of the meeting before becoming drier at the end of the day and as a result the ground became more testing particularly by Larkhill standards. The highlights of the meeting were riding doubles for Will Biddick and Tommie O’Brien and a brace for owner Tom Lacey and a victory for Captain Buck’s for leading trainer Rose Loxton. 

The Mixed Open, the feature race, over the shorter trip of two and a half miles proved to be to the liking of the favourite Captain Buck’s. Beaten at the prohibitive odds of 1 to 7 on when he last appeared at Larkhill he started at more generous odds to beat his nine rivals and this time he was partnered by Angus Cheleda. Not the easiest ride Angus took up the lead after jumping the second last and forged clear approaching the last but did idle on the run in to defeat Azure Fly ridden by Peter Mason by five lengths. Owned by John Gane who missed the victory and Paul Nicholls he has appreciated being in a smaller stable with a different routine than he enjoyed when he was trained at Ditcheat. 

Another former inmate of Paul Nicholls stable Ptit Zig turned back the clock when recording a victory in the Oriental Conditions race when ridden by Will Biddick. A previous winner of the Dipper Chase in 2015 at Cheltenham and a Grade One Hurdle at Auteuil in 2016 he was gifted to Mike and Lucy Felton in an attempt to see if his enthusiasm could be rekindled by a change of scene. An encouraging fourth behind Chameron in the Coronation Gold Cup he followed Order in Court until taking it up approaching the last. Ridden around the Felton’s farm he has had a very different routine than he enjoyed at Ditcheat. 

Tom Lacey introduced two four year old newcomers Kaphumor and Grizzman in two of the three Maiden races run on the day and both were victorious ridden by Tommie O’Brien. Kaphumor won one of the divisions of the three mile Maiden from the favourite Wykham ridden by Sam Waley –Cohen by three lengths having taken up the lead at the last. Described by his owner as still very weak he may next be seen in the Aintree sales which is hoped will still take place. 

Grizzman an attractive son of Al Namix fought out his race, the shorter two and a half mile Maiden, with another four year old Adjournment ridden by James King and trained by Fran Nimmo and prevailed by half a length. Entered in the Goffs Doncaster May Sales 2019 he failed to appear and was bought privately from his owner by Tom in August. He should be better on good ground according to his owner and both the winner and runner up look good prospects for the future. 

The other division of the Open Maiden provided a welcome winner for trainer Stuart Penny when O’Faolains Lad beat another four year old Saquon ridden by Alex Edwards. Owned by friends of Stuart’s Marion Hiron and Tony Pond he was acquired via Tom Malone having run five times in Ireland and pulling up on four occasions. Diagnosed with ulcers he is testament to the training methods of Stuart and his assistant Teona who have nursed him back to full health. Ridden by Tom Doggrell, 19, who was recording his third winner at the weekend having ridden two winners at Cothelstone the previous day. 

Will Biddick recorded his second winner of the day aboard Norman Thomas’s Voie Dans Voie in the Restricted race. Patiently ridden by Will he was an easy winner by twelve lengths Cashmoll ridden by Zac Baker. Trained by Norman’s daughter Laura she described him as very easy and a kind horse to look after. An Intermediate race ought to be well within his compass. 

The concluding race, the Novice Riders, was won in convincing style by Vivaldi Collonges ridden by Ben Bromley. Previously trained by Paul Nicholls he was in James Owen’s yard last season but then moved to Philip Rowley where Ben now works. Last seen on the opening day of the season at Cottenham he has not been quite right behind since November but is now back in good form and easily accounted for Victarion ridden by Isaac Buncle and nine other rivals.