Secretary:   Mrs Rachel Stamp 

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E Mail: rachelstamp30@yahoo.co.uk

Entries Secretary:         Sue Francis

Address: - Teal Farm Sand Wedmore Somerset BS28 4XD

T: - 01934 710198      

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Entries to:   The Secretary or The Point to Point Racing Co Ltd

Entries close:   Wednesday 3th May 2023 12.30pm 

Races:   Wessex Area Conditions (Level 2) - CA Members Conditions 7yo+ (Level 1) Nov Rdrs, Ladies Open, Maiden, Mens Open, Restricted - Maiden 2m4f

First Race:   4.30pm

The final meeting of the Wessex Area Point to Point season takes place at Cothelstone on Wednesday when the Weston & Banwell hold their traditional evening meeting.  Always well supported, it has attracted a bumper 127 entries and the first race is at 4.30pm. Early bird tickets are £12.50 per person (under 16s admitted free) via www.pointingwessex.co.uk until the weekend or thereafter at £15 on the gate.  The two Wessex Pony Racing Finals kindly sponsored by Brean Country Club, RW Prince Ltd and Paul Nicholls Racing precede the evening racing. 

The Alec Jarrett Ltd sponsored Conditions race includes Montanna who won 5 times under Rules for Peter Bowen and opened his pointing account nicely at Larkhill in February. He then just got beaten at Woodford under a 7lb penalty and he could well resume winning ways here. His biggest danger could be the unbeaten Ihandaya trained by Sam Loxton who is three from three this season and won impressively at Buckfastleigh before being gifted his last win at Eyton. Fiston des Issards won at Dunsmore and Wadebridge early this season but kept running into the improved Dr Rhythm including last time at Holnicote. Sumkindofking and Glancing Glory who finished first and second at Didmarton could renew their rivalry and trainer Ed Walker’s mare may reverse placings having progressed nicely including winning at Ston Easton while the former hasn’t shone in three starts since. Champions Hill won nicely under Callum Pritchard at Holnicote last time while Between You and Me slightly disappointed on the same card having won here nicely at Easter.  

There are 18 in the shorter Maiden sponsored by the Westminster Society and Olive Nicholls looks likely to be on Amenon who had some fair placed form for both Guillame Macaire and also Paul Nicholls under Rules. He looked likely to win first time out for Olive before fading at Buckfastleigh but this likely quicker ground could help him and provide Olive with another winner. Ed Walker’s nicely-bred Miss Ghillie was going well when she came down at Garthorpe and should be forgiven that run.  The remaining form of those who have raced is not overly inspiring and it may pay to look at those unraced youngsters including Potter’s Magic who is a half-brother to the three time winner, Rouge Devils. Sweetlikechocolate is a half-sister to the prolific sprinter Militia who won eleven times on the Flat but is by Yeats who ought to impose some stamina. Lavida Adiva is a half-sister to Born By The Sea who finished 6^th in this season’s Grand National so any win would make her a valuable broodmare proposition. Kneel Diamond is out of a half-sister to prolific Snoopy Loopy and is also of interest. 

Briarwood Products sponsor the Novice Riders Race and among the 18 entries several have other entries on this card. Ed The Red has been most progressive this season winning 4 out of 5 and does have winning form under novice rider Callum Pritchard although he does hold multiple entries elsewhere. Beau du Brizais resumed winning ways last time at Holnicote and he looked on great terms with himself there.  Molly Landau currently vying for the Ladies Novice title has four possible rides to choose from with Commanche Red possibly being the pick. A winner here last season under Freddie Gordon, he has won two for Molly this term latterly at Godstone.  The David Brace trained pair, Looksnowtlikebrian and Classic Concorde are also entered here (see below) while Max Comley could pick this race if opting to travel here with Wagner. 

The Ladies Open is sponsored by the Clifton Club and has attracted 18 entries headed by veteran Southfield Theatre who looked like he might head back here after taking a Conditions race at Easter from subsequent winner Palmaria. Another crowd favourite, Rolling Dylan splits his time between pointing and Military races and last time took the Mixed Open at Holnicote under Ella Herbison. Minella Encore bumped into a useful type in Voodoo Doll last time but had previously beaten Tom Barton at Badbury Rings.  Molly Landau again has four possibilities with Commanche Red, Highway One O One, Ballotin and Captain’s Bucks entered.  

The Maxwell Chartered Accountants Men’s Open also has 18 entries including David Brace’s Looksnowtlikebrian who won here easily in March. He unseated in a match race last time at Bonvilston when stable companion, Classic Concorde won on the same card. He had previously been third here behind the consistent Dr Rhythm.  The likeable mare, Country Legend needs good ground or quicker to show her best form and took this race last year. Josh Newman has two entered and Sixteen Letters looks his more likely runner. He won at Cotley easily beating Field Exhibition before falling at Aintree. He showed himself none the worse for that when winning on Bank Holiday Monday at Vauterhill.  Luke Price has Rose Iland entered who showed steady improvement last season winning five times. She clearly also enjoys quicker ground and may have needed her only start this season when third behind the classy Macklin at Cotley. Wagner holds entries elsewhere but had two good hunter chase wins to his name last season and a win at Higham this. Tigerbythetail is unbeaten but may opt to run at Kingston Blount on Sunday instead. 

The 15 entries in the Luff Family Restricted, run in memory of Frank Luff, include Coolattitude who won a maiden at Cotley in March before just failing to get the better of the useful Between You and Me here at Easter.  He could make amends while Breffni Brave impressed a few last time at Chilfrome when he beat Millstone by 6 lengths. Hearts Corner looked a nice type when taking a maiden last time at Cotley and could also improve as could The Sumba Island who wasn’t knocked around on his confidence building round here in March following a fall the time before and subsequently dead-heated at Cotley. Chris Barber’s four year old Move With the Beat looked to hold every chance when blundering at the last at Holnicote (with Miss Benjo, back in 4^th), having previously taken a three-runner maiden at Ston Easton.  

Junction 24 & Thorne Farm Racing sponsor the finale, a Maiden Conditions race which has 20 entries including the cleverly named Uncle Frankel (his sire Bullet Train is a full-brother to Frankel) has had three runs in Ireland and could well leave that form behind on his UK debut for Will Biddick. Max Comley also has a former Irish pointer under his care in Burtown who slipped up on his debut there before finishing 2^nd in February. He should definitely be noted in the paddock.  Millstone has some fair placed form this season while Conor’s Gift went into a few notebooks on his UK debut when second to Hearts Corner at Cotley. Frontieres Lad ran well when second here in April (Our Dylan back in 3^rd) to Ping Pong Paddy who has gone on to win since.

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The curtain came down for the season on the Wessex Point to Point Area on Wednesday evening when the Weston & Banwell and West Somerset Vale held their meeting having survived a biblical style deluge the day before.  However the ground held up remarkably well and racegoers were treated to some good racing with a Welsh training double for David Brace and a riding double for champion elect Will Biddick. 

The first of the Brace winners went to Looksnowtlikebrian who repeated his win back here in March when taking the Novice Riders race under Callum Pritchard coming home in his own time after sole rival Commanche Red cried enough before the last. With the winner surviving a mid-race blunder in front of the crowd due to “a miss-communication problem” according to the jockey, Looksnowtlikebrian was always just doing enough in front and when he extended his lead and kicked for home, Molly Landau wisely called it a day on Commanche Red.  Fellow Welshman, Callum, has known the Brace family for many years and started his career in hunt service with the Ystrad in Wales before eventually quitting and moving to Philip Hobbs’ yard.  Trainer David Brace was absent due to flying out on holiday to Spain but always enjoys his forays to the Quantock course. 

Classic Concorde duly completed a double for the Welsh yard in the Men’s Open when outstaying his 3 rivals including the useful Sixteen Letters who was sent off favourite following a good win at Vauterhill. The winner had been beaten here in March by Dr Rhythm but with Will Biddick now on board, he employed the same tactics used by Bradley Gibbs successfully on the horse at Bonvilston by making all and using the horse’s abundant stamina. Unsaddling the diminutive gelding Will remarked, “he’s just so game. The more I stoked him up, the more he gave.”  This was the first of two wins on the night for Will which took him to 46 winners for the season making him 9 clear of rival Jack Andrews in the Men’s Title. 

Will’s second winner of the evening was in the last on his own Uncle Frankel, a nephew of the great Frankel and while his breeders may not have had a Somerset point to point in mind for his first win, the tall 4 year old travelled well throughout the race before drawing 5 lengths clear of the gallant Millstone who had made much of the running and will surely find a race soon.  The winner won with the minimum of fuss and Will who also trains the winner explained that he would now be for sale.  He had purchased him through Cormac Doyle following three runs in Ireland and this attractive son of Bullet Train looks a decent prospect. 

The opening Conditions race produced the best finish of the day as Montanna and Ihandaya matched strides for most of the race landing over the last together. For a second it looked like Ihandaya and Natalie Parker would prevail but Chloe Emsley found a drier strip of ground along the rail which allowed Montanna to pick up when needed and nose a head in front on the line.  A delighted owner Reg Hopkins explained they thought he had won last time at Woodford only to be denied so it was a relief the verdict had gone their way this time. He had purchased the 9 year old at Ascot sales from the Peter Bowen yard a year ago having noticed he was only being sold as his previous owner had passed away.  The plan had then been to run him before Christmas but he had thrown a splint and they had been surprised when he won at Larkhill in February that he was quite ready. 

Seven horses went to post for the Ladies Open with Fern O’Brien looking determined to make use of Not A Role Model’s stamina, she set off in front and never got headed to win by 3 lengths from Back Bar who tried hard to rally, with Starsky back a further length away in third. Fern’s mother Jelly Nolan trains the horse and remembers winning a PPORA race here as a jockey some 24 years ago. Owner Caroline Mackness is godmother to Fern and she and Jelly bought the horse from the Sam Thomas yard so that Fern could have a nice horse to ride pointing. This was a second success for the combination following a win at Eyton at the beginning of the month. 

The Sumba Island was a popular winner of the Restricted race for trainer/rider/owner Lucy Mager and she put her knowledge of the course to settle the formerly keen mare in behind her two rivals before looming upsides going into the open ditch on the last circuit. Her class proved too much and she won nicely by 5 lengths.  Lucy owns the mare in partnership with Kim Tripp and Edward Kenny-Herbert. Kim explained that Edward was absent due to his job with Tesla which meant he is now based in California but he used to ride for her when she was training including winning twice on Duxy Hill Lady.  Lucy had now taken over training the horses and combines it with her day job as a newly qualified Chimney Sweep! 

The first maiden on the card was won by Amenon ridden by Olive Nicholls for her father Paul.  Surprisingly despite connections he was not sent off favourite but he was still too classy for the remainder and won readily by 15 lengths. A smiling Paul remarked afterwards “Well it’s only taken me until he’s 8 to break his maiden!” He added that he was in two minds whether to send him to Doncaster Sales as he was an ideal horse for a novice rider to continue pointing with or he may retain him for Olive to ride next season, but it would probably be the former.   

Paul was also there in his capacity of joint Wessex Area Pony Racing Association Sponsor with the Pony Racing Finals which were individually sponsored by Brean Country Club. The first pony race was won by Finn Murphy riding The Jobs Not Straight in a close finish from Louis Burke on Little Replacement and Myla Coppins on Maesteg Ruth. The second race went to a strong finishing Hold Me Back ridden by Nicole Connors from Tom Hutsby on O’Flynn’s Daughter with Zendaya back in third under Lowan Mills. Paul kindly sponsors the Area Pony Racing with Richard Prince and the Area are particularly grateful for their support of the riders of the future.