Secretary:   Mrs Joanna Ruddock

Contact Details   Mob: 07540 324442  

Email:   joanna.ruddock@icloud.com

Entries to:   The Point to Point Racing Co Ltd

Entries close:   Monday 21st November 2022 12.30pm

Races: 4 and 5 year old Maiden (2m4f), Ladies Open, Mens Open, Restricted, Conditions (L2) Veterans 9yr+, Maiden (NWFAA)

First Race:   12.00 noon

Larkhill hosts the first of seven planned meetings for the 2022-23 season buoyed by the news that the future of the course has been secured following the intervention of the Secretary of State for Defence the Right Honourable Ben Wallace who has confirmed that a new lease be granted for the course. This has taken away the uncertainty that had been circling since the end of last season and gives all owners, trainers, jockeys and the general public a lot to look forward to as the first meeting next Sunday approaches. The Hursley Hambledon have received an excellent entry of 80 horses for the six scheduled races with horses entered from all over the country.

The Moore Barlow sponsored Ladies Race looks a real cracker with numerous previous winners amongst the high-class entry of seventeen horses. Cousin Pascal, the winner of the prestigious Walrus Hunter Chase at Haydock in 2022 is the class act and if he makes the trip from his Cheshire base, he will be fancied to make a winning seasonal debut. His trainer Joe O’Shea has also entered Williewonga the winner of a Novice Riders race at Knightwick and whichever one runs Amber Jackson-Fennell will ride.  Either of these will need to be in their best form to defeat Highway One O One who has already won at Badbury Rings under the promising Molly Landau. Molly also the potential ride on the prolific Captain Bucks who won four races for trainer Jenny Gordon last season. Alan Hill has entered both the progressive Normofthenorth and the ex-National Hunt winner I K Brunel and whichever Alan chooses to run Izzy Marshall will have a chance of another victory. The prolific Monsieur Gibraltar runs well at Larkhill, and the same comment applies to the veteran Tom Barton. Three ex Paul Nicholls horses of Rhythm Is A Dancer, My Way and Brewers Project are entered, and each will have their supporters. The game mare Miss Seagreen will certainly be primed for her seasonal debut by trainer Lucy Smith and comes into the mix. 

The Ward Thomas Removals sponsored Mens Open is another race potential of being a high-class Hunter Chase with twelve horses entered for the Two-and-a-half-mile contest. Envious Editor, another from the in-form Joe O’Shea stable has already notched up an impressive win at Knightwick and he will be  the one to beat. Famous Clermont the winner of four of his races last season including a Hunter Chase at Exeter will prove a tough rival as he has an excellent relationship with Will Biddick. Igor finished his season being the runner up in the Ladies Hunter Chase at Stratford but previously won the Lady Dudley Cup and if fully tuned up may be the greatest threat to the two principals. Footloose progressed through the ranks last season but this will be his toughest assignment to date for his owner/rider Arron Butterfield. Dawn Sunrise was third behind Igor at Larkhill in December before winning his Hunt race at Milborne St Andrew. Nickolson was placed over fences for Olly Murphy and is now in the capable hands of Julie Wadland and he might have each way possibilities.

The Retraining of Racehorses and Jockey Club Veteran Horse Conditions race also holds an entry for Cousin Pascal, but he may come up against the high-quality Jett trained by Robert Waley-Cohen who won two Hunter Chases last season before pulling up in the Aintree Foxhunters and Shantou Flyer who beat Jett in a Hunter Chase at Fontwell before running in the long distance Hunter Chase at Cheltenham in May. Now owned by Paul Nicholls and trained by Sam Loxton his return to pointing will be noted with interest. Commanche Red is another to consider for Molly Landau to ride on his seasonal debut.

The meeting begins with a fascinating four- and five-year-old Maiden race sponsored by Carter Jonas for which seventeen entries have been received. Of those with form Highway Hero was a promising third at Badbury Rings for trainer Harry Ryall, Andy du Pierres was placed at Bratton Down last season but has now moved from Chris Barber to Julie Wadland, Rabble Rouser who was placed over Hurdles for Tom George and is now with Joe O’Shea and Wind from the West placed in a Bumper for his owner Robert Waley-Cohen. Of the newcomers attention should be given to the Chris Barber trained Mount Etna, the Fran Poste trained Illico de Montave and the Tom Ellis trained Big City Roller. The winner may well come from one of these three named horses. 

The Botley Commercials Spraytek sponsored Restricted race may see the reappearance of Another Furlough the winner of the Maiden at Badbury Rings earlier this month and a follow up in this race is perfectly possible. Another winner from Badbury Rings last season is Cuzzicombe trained by Ed Walker for John Pearn and John Dorse, and he may give Another Furlough the most to do. Buzzard Trix won his Maiden in Ireland and is now with Heidi Brookshaw. Our Brother John won his Maiden at Holnicote on his only outing in England last season for Alan Hill and is on the upgrade. Bold Conduct won his Irish Point 4 years ago but did not set the world alight when trained by Colin Tizzard. Now with Sally Alner the change in scene may bring about an improvement for this eight-year-old. 

The meeting concludes with the Equestrian Fencing and Timber Limited sponsored Maiden race for which there are twelve entries. Rabble Rouser holds an entry in this race as well as the first and this might be the easier race. Kayf Taoi was placed in two Hurdles when trained by Paul Nicholls and is  now owned by him for his daughter Olive to ride. Chabichou Dupoitou was placed in Hurdles for Philip Hobbs and now with owner Robert Waley- Cohen she is a tentative suggestion. Go Sacre Go was placed for Nicky Henderson and is now with Sally Alner. The Fran Poste trained Pocatello placed in Ireland is another to consider.

Larkhill Racecourse is to be found 5m NW of Amesbury, Nr A303, A345 and A360 – Postcode SP4 8QR. First race 12 noon Entry Costs on race day £15 per person by cash or card, children under 16 go free 

Race 1:            Maiden 4 & 5 year old 

1^st         Matchadam

2^nd        Mount Etna

3^rd        City Storm 

Runners:          15                    Distances:        hd, 7l                           Time: 5m 15s

Race 2:            Ladies Open 

1^st         I K Brunel

2^nd        Grageelagh Girl

3^rd        Miss Seagreen 

Runners:          10                    Distances:        2.75l, 6l                                   Time: 6m 03s

Race 3:            Mens Open 

1^st         Envious Editor

2^nd        Doldido

3^rd        Grey Atlantic 

Runners:          9                      Distances:        11l, 8l                          Time: 6m 14s

Race 4:            Restricted 

1^st         Bold Conduct

2^nd        Another Furlough

3^rd        Our Brother John 

Runners:          7                      Distances:        4l, 8l                            Time: 6m 28s

Race 5:            Level 2 Veteran (9yrs+) 

1^st         Shantou Flyer

2^nd        Commanche Red

3^rd        Blakerigg 

Runners:          5                      Distances:        DH, 50l                        Time: 6m 11s

Race 6:            Maiden (NWFAA) 

1^st         Rable Rouser

2^nd        Gallent Geronimo

3^rd        Geordie Washington 

Runners:          8                      Distances:        19l, 19l                        Time: 6m 16s

N/A

The Larkhill season opened with a high quality meeting for the Hursley Hambledon point to point where racing took place on perfect going which encouraged horses travelling from a distance and some excellent performances. Pride of place goes to Joe O’Shea who brought three horses from his Cheshire base and was rewarded with two impressive victories. There was a highly competitive young Maiden race where the first two home looked ones to follow if their future careers are under National Hunt rules and a Veteran race where the judge was unable to split the two principals and declared a dead heat.

Joe O’Shea is never shy to speak highly of his horses and their chances and prior to the competitive looking Mens Open race he was very bullish about the chances of Envious Editor who had already won easily at Knightwick on his seasonal debut. He was spot on with his thoughts about his charge as his eight rivals were brushed aside when his rider Henry Crow set off for home after the second last and had ten lengths in hand over his closest rival Doldido. Both Joe and his enthusiastic owner Peter Clifton have thoughts of Hunter Chases on the agenda for their progressive eight-year-old gelding with the Walrus at Haydock Park and the Aintree Foxhunters the likely targets for him in 2023. Joe advised that he had left his stable at 6.30am and had taken four hours to get to Larkhill but after this performance the journey home will have seemed  a lot shorter. 

Another trainer who travelled a distance from his Oxfordshire base was Alan Hill who was rewarded when I K Brunel ridden by Izzy Marshall won the Ladies Open race. Joe O’Shea saddled the favourite in this race but Williewonga blundered very badly at the third last and lost all chance of winning the race. A new recruit to pointing the eight year old successful gelding had been in training with Olly Murphy but had reached his level and was struggling with his handicap mark. After the recommendation of both James King and Fergus Gregory Alan put together a syndicate comprising Martin and Lynn Redman, Maurice Thomas and himself. Delighted with his Larkhill success and very complimentary about Izzy’s riding ability Alan had no immediate plans for his charge but did add that ‘he would be going home to drink copious amounts of alcohol’ to celebrate the victory. 

The meeting began with fifteen of the seventeen entries facing the starter in the four- and five-year-old Maiden race. The Tom Ellis trained Big City Roller ridden by Gina Andrews was expected to win but his chance evaporated by the time the field approached the second last when  the unraced Mount Etna ridden by Martin McIntyre took up the lead . He was challenged all the way from the last by another newcomer Matchadam ridden by Tommie O’Brien and despite running green Matchadam prevailed by a short head. Owned by Stephen Macauley who missed the victory as he was at home in Downpatrick, he is trained by Eamonn O’Donnabhain who is head lad to Tom Lacey’s successful Herefordshire stable. Bought by Eamonn at the Tattersalls May 2021 sale for 24K Euros he is the only horse he trains in his lunchtime. It was a landmark victory for Tommie who was riding his 100^th point to point career winner having started his riding at the comparatively later age of 23.

The Restricted race saw the smart looking Bold Conduct ridden by Natalie Parker defeat the recent Badbury Rings winner Another Furlough ridden by Josh Newman. An impressive point to point winner as a four-year-old in Ireland he was subsequently bought for 150K but failed to make much impression for trainer Colin Tizzard. Acquired by trainer Sally Alner as ‘a happy hacker’ the result left her speechless as her jubilant partnership celebrated their success. Running in the colours of Jill Miller the Fourofakind Partnership consist of her, Kevin Simpson, Sally and Tina Wilson he was always travelling well and when Natalie asked him to quicken, he was too good for the favourite. Explaining the transformation from his poor National Hunt form Sally did say that she had sorted out his back problems but was still amazed about his performance.

The Veteran race had the smallest field of five horses and with the favourite Jett pulling up after the fourth fence the two other market principals Commanche Red ridden by Molly Landau and Shantou Flyer ridden by Olive Nicholls had the race between them. Matching strides for most of the three miles journey there was nothing between them at the line and after a referral to the video camera the judge called the result as a dead heat to the delight of both sets of connections. Commanche Red had been ridden by Freddie Gordon last season but this was the first time he had been ridden by Molly who works for Chris Gordon. Shantou Flyer had been Hunter chasing for David Maxwell but now in the ownership of Paul Nicholls for Olive to ride he is trained by Sam Loxton. Paul was present to watch his daughter and said that ‘Sam has done a really good job with the gelding as he only came into  work at the beginning of October’

Joe O’Shea added his second victory on the card when Rabble Rouser ridden by Henry Crow comfortably won the finale the Open Maiden. Owned by Peter Clifton he is by the stallion Aizavoski who also happens to be the sire of Envious Editor and was bought by his owner at Doncaster from Tom George’s stable for £3000. Describing the gelding as ‘just my cup of tea’ he sent him to Joe whose stable he described as ‘man school’ and hopes that he has unearthed another potential star. Henry riding his first winners at Larkhill is currently studying Economics and Finance at Bristol University but lives half an hour from Joe’s stable and rides out regularly.