Secretary:   Mr James H Young

Contact Details Tel: 01590 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 20th March 2023 12.30pm

Races:   Conditions (Level 3), Maiden, Mixed Open 3m 6f, Maiden Conditions (2m4f)), Restricted, PPORA Members Conditions (Novice Riders) (Level 2)

First Race:   12.30pm

The Larkhill season culminates with the running of the New Forest Hounds meeting on Sunday and a busy day is in store for the racecourse. Whilst there are six point to point races scheduled to start at 12.30pm the action starts earlier at 11.30am with two charity races the first for ponies sponsored by Hyde Country Stores and the second for horses sponsored by Rosehill Advisers. After the point to point racing there are two pony races . The course is in fine condition and with rain forecast for the week the going should be good. All the bends have been moved since the last meeting. There will be a good selection of food and general trade stands for racegoers to enjoy as well as bookmakers to have a wager or two. 

The meeting begins with the Le Mieux sponsored Conditions race where ten horses are entered. Cheltenham Mati has yet to race this season but was very consistent last season winning twice and being place three times. Happy Larry who has already won at the course was a good winner at Penshurst on his last outing and now with Phil York he is worth considering. First Preference won his Hunt race at Howick and will have his supporters. Coco Live is a course specialist and ought to come on from his seasonal debut. Tacky MacGregor has both Dawn Sunrise and Rio Quinto entered and it would be no surprise for her selected runner to show improved form this season. 

The NFU Mutual sponsored Maiden race has attracted 13 entries, several of which are also entered at Cotley on Saturday. Christopher Barber has both Coolattitude and Ping Pong Paddy entered with the latter having only raced last Saturday when staying on well at Milborne St Andrew. Ed Walker has both Aunt Lily and Hold Me Tight with the former coming close to breaking her Maiden status when runner up in her Hunt race at Milborne St Andrew. Furioso des Bordes posted a couple of good runs last season and ought to improve from his seasonal outing. Must Have Hope was second at Penshurst and might be another winner for owner Tim Underwood. 

The feature race, the Southwick Court  Fine Wines sponsored Mixed Open race, has attracted a high quality field of fifteen horses headed by the Coronation Gold Cup runner up Sixteen Letters who is likely to take up one of his options at Cotley. The mare Country Legend is in fine form and won her Hunt race at Charlton Horethorne  but would not want too much rain for her to take part. Grageelagh Girl provided Fern O’Brien with her first jumping success and a repeat of that run may be good enough. The veteran Southfield Theatre is another who would not want too much rain but still retains his form. Former jockey Jason Maguire has entered both Barney Dwan and One for Rosie and his representative should be considered. Sumkindofking gave his rider Edward Walker his debut success at Didmarton but this looks a tougher assignment.

The Maiden Conditions race sponsored by Earlcoate Construction contains entries for Aunt Lily, Hold Me Tight and Must Have Hope already mentioned. Campsie Linn was a good second at Cothelstone and this mare deserves to find a race . Famoso also boasts some consistent form and it would be no surprise to see him win this race. The Mickey Bowen trained Putemunderpressure was second at Howick and he should be on the short list as well as Whitsand Bay placed in two flat races to date. 

The GPG Law sponsored Restricted race contains an entry for Great Colewood who has already won at Larkhill this season. Whilst no match for the winner on his last outing at Ottery St Mary this may be an easier race for him. Sir Shelby is another course winner and he should be considered. Between You and Me has been the runner up in three races this season and may be the main danger to Great Colewood. Gouazec won at the last Larkhill meeting and there may be more to come from this ex- Irish gelding.

The meeting concludes with the Merlin Ferris sponsored Novice Riders Conditions race where Molly Landau has the option to ride either Captain Bucks or the consistent Commanche Red and either will have chances. Jason Maguire has his two entries of Barney Dwan or One for Rosie with the last named the winner at Garthorpe on his last outing. Sam Loxton has entered My Way who may find this race easier than some of the races he has contested earlier this season. Monsieur Gibraltar has yet to find his form this season but has now been switched to Christopher Barber’s stable .The veteran Tempelpirate has yet to run this season and may find others with a better turn of foot. Sumkindofking holds an entry and this looks an easier task than the Mixed Open race and is the selection.

Race 1:            Conditions (Level 3) 

1^st         First Preference

2^nd        Cheltenham Mati

3^rd        Creadan Grae

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

Race 2:            Maiden 

1^st         Hatchet Jack

2^nd        Dorset Diamond

3^rd        Stopbeatingourgums

Runners:          6                      Distances:        13/4 l, nk                     Time: 6m 22s

Race 3:             Mixed Open   

1^st         Southfield Theatre

2^nd        Dawn Sunrise

3^rd        Jack Dillinger 

Runners:          5                      Distances:        25l, 15l                        Time: 6m 10s

Race 4:            Maiden Conditions 2m4f 

1^st         Must Have Hope

2^nd        Famoso

3^rd        

Runners:          3                      Distances:        1l, l                              Time: 5m 26s

Race 5:            Restricted 

1^st         Gouazec

2^nd        Cuzzicombe

3^rd        Between You and Me 

Runners:          5                      Distances:        nk, 20l                         Time: 6m 19s

Race 6:            Conditions (Level 2) Novice Riders 

1^st         My Way

2^nd        Right of Reply

3^rd        

Runners:           5                       Distances:        30l                                Time: 6m 13s

N/A

Age is just a number – this expression was certainly borne out as the New Forest Hounds held the final meeting at Larkhill this season. There were victories for a veteran horse, a double for a veteran rider and at the other end of the spectrum a first win for a seventeen year old rider. At the conclusion of the day there was some excellent news about the future of the course which had been seriously in doubt as the season began.

The ground had benefitted from the recent heavy rainfall and the jockeys reported it to be ideal for the six point to point races.

First Preference ridden by James King and trained by Luke Price turned the Conditions race into a procession and once in front after the third last the result was never in doubt. Acquired from Ireland where he won three races he had already won his Hunt race at Howick by a similar margin for his enthusiastic owners The Glass of Port Racing Club. This had been founded by the late Jason Warner and his memory is being continued by the Club whose members include Jason Rees and Graham Garland. The gelding looks to have a bright future based on his exploits to date and his likely target will be the Dunraven Bowl Hunter Chase at Chepstow at the end of next month. 

The Maiden race had a dramatic outcome with the result changing on the run in. Hatchet Jack had made most of the running under Philip York but when he was headed his chance appeared to be gone as both Furioso des Bordes ridden by George Hiscock and Stopbeatinyourgums ridden by James King swept by. However Philip persevered  and getting a tremendous leap from his mount  at the last he landed running and he found himself in front again and managed to hold off the late challenge of Dorset Diamond. Owned by Georgie Hawkings and trained by Jenny Gordon he had been ridden in his four previous outings by Georgie without much success so had turned to the most experienced rider in the weighing room and the switch had immediately paid off. Bought by Georgie’s father Ed as a four year old he had been placed under rules when trained by Paul Henderson but never managed to win a race.  

There was a highly popular winner in the Mixed Open race when the fifteen year old Southfield Theatre ridden by Lily Bradstock made all to leave his four rivals trailing in his wake. Jumping fast and relishing the going the further they went the partnership drew right away and had twenty lengths at the line in hand. His owner Angela Yeoman sadly missed the victory as she was in America but her proud trainer Sara Bradstock praised her stable star saying ‘ he is a real enthusiast and loves going racing despite his age’ . Recording his seventeenth pointing victory to which should be added nine wins under Rules Lily has established a real partnership with him adding that ‘ you could put a kid on him as he knows what to do around Larkhill’ 

There was a close finish to the Maiden Conditions race when Must Have Hope ridden by Philip York narrowly defeated Famoso ridden by George Hiscock by a length. Placed in an Irish point before joining Tim Underwood’s stable, he had already been placed four times this season so was not winning out of turn. Philip despite being into his fifties shows no signs of slowing up and still sets a great example to his weighing room colleagues. Recalling that although he started at a young age he did not really ride regularly until the mid-1990s and has been a stalwart of the South East area ever since. 

There was another close finish to the Restricted race when Gouazec ridden by James King beat Cuzzicombe ridden by Chloe Emsley by a neck. There then followed an objection and a lengthy stewards enquiry into possible interference approaching the last fence but eventually this was overruled and the result stood. Supplementing his previous course win from February the winner who is owned and trained by Callum Griffiths at Haverfordwest is next likely to be seen in an Intermediate at Lydstep and might then be aimed for the Intermediate Hunter Chase at Cheltenham in May.

The final race the Novice Riders Conditions proved to be a front running duel between Right of Reply ridden by Emma Freeman and My Way ridden by Alfie Shalliker. Eventually the latter asserted from the third last and drew clear from the last to record a twenty five lengths victory. Alfie, 17, was only riding in his second point to point race and was delighted to have achieved the victory in the colours of Paul Nicholls who Alfie has been working for the last two seasons. Originally from Cornwall Alfie said ‘ I always wanted to ride from a very young age and am very grateful to be able to ride such a good horse’  Trained by Sam Loxton the gelding had recorded two wins under Rules when owned by Chris Giles including over fences at Kempton in 2021 and he should be able to give Alfie more success in Novice Rider races this season. 

The opportunity was taken after the end of racing to ask for an update on the issue of the new lease from the Ministry of Defence. It was confirmed that the Heads of Terms for a new lease for 25 years had been signed by both parties and all of the paperwork was now with solicitors. There could not be a better way for the Larkhill season to finish and we should all be grateful to the intervention of  the Rt Hon Ben Wallace MP