Secretary:   Robert Webb-Bowen

Address:   Sycamore Farm, Stoke Trister, Wincanton, Somerset BA9 9PE

Contact Details  Mob: 07919 884895

E:   robert@webb-bowen.co.uk

Entries to:   The Point to Point Racing Co Ltd

Entries close:   Monday 24th February 2025 12.30pm

Races:   Maiden, Mixed Open, Restricted, PPORA Conditions (Level 2), Conditions Ladies,(Level 3) Grass Roots (2m4f), 4,5 years Flat

First Race:   12.00pm

ENTRY FEES  £50 per entry per race   2nd entry same horse £30 

Larkhill hosts its sixth scheduled meeting next Sunday when the South and West Wilts hold their annual fixture. The majority of the fences have been moved as well as the bends since the last meeting and following the recent rain the going has eased to good to soft with some rain forecast this week. There will be the usual array of trade stands and food outlets including fish and chips to enjoy as well as the bookmakers to support. Entry costs are £15 per person with under 16s free and easy parking. A total of 70 horses have been entered over the six races so there should be some competitive racing on offer so do come racing!

The meeting begins with a Conditions race sponsored by the Point-to-Point Owners and Riders Association. Paloma Blue ran a race of great promise at MIlborne St Andrew on his return to racing and this classy individual will be fancied to go one better. His main rivals are likely to be the ex Gary Moore chaser Larry who won five chases in his career and will be making his debut pointing for his new owner George Gorman and Premier D’Troice a promising third at the last meeting and the locally trained Sake of Secrecy. Paloma Blue is the selection.

The Maiden race has attracted fourteen entries with At Mangan Bridge looking to atone for his unseat at the Royal Artillery meeting with Charlie Case. Tom Malone has entered Celtic Harmony who was brought down at the third last in December and should be on the short list. Easy Rider was third in a similar race at Brocklesby and another placed third this season is O’Hallorans Castle. African Lady was placed at Chipley and seems to appreciate a drop to pointing from Hurdling. However, the only unraced entry is the four year old gelding Land of Punt owned and trained by Tom Lacey. With Tom having a very good record of training 4 year olds to win at Larkhill he would be the choice particularly with the weight concession.

The Prince of Wales Mixed Open race is the feature race of the day with My Drogo heading the eight entries. Already the winner of a Mixed Open at Larkhill in January he subsequently won the prestigious Walrus Hunter Chase at Haydock and looks back to his best. Of his rivals Switch Hitter found the winning ways at the last meeting in the Ladies Open whereas Duc de Bourbon who has already won two races at Larkhill was pulled up in the Coronation Gold Cup so is on a retrieval mission. Paper Mill is the model of consistency but may have to play second fiddle to My Drogo.

The Restricted race may see another victory for Crawter who was impressive at the last meeting. Despite now having to carry a 5lb penalty he is on the upgrade and may be too good for his potential rivals. Two in Tune is clearly talented having won at the last meeting and the two winners of the shorter Maidens at MIlborne namely Bulletofexpression and Jewel in The Park may take each other on. Royal Defender and La Vega Moon were second and third in a similar race at Chipley and may finish in the same order. If Crawter is in the same form as his last appearance he will be hard to beat.

The Ladies Conditions race over two and a half miles is for Grassroots Riders who have ridden less than 20 winners. Precious Bounty won easily at Badbury and was then runner up at Chaddesley Corbett and could give Marina Bealby a second career victory. Edison Kent was a distant third behind My Drogo but he does not meet anything of the same calibre in this race. Inisfree Lad is now at the veteran stage but this six times winning chaser may find this drop in class to his liking. Ask Nile won a similar race as this last year but has not been seen for more than a year. Precious Bounty is the choice.

The meeting concludes with a two mile flat race for which nineteen entries have been received. It is possible that this race may be divided on the day  and with so many unraced horses an inspection in the paddock and a check with the bookies is recommended. Of those with form South Sands and The Last Warrior finished second and third in December at Larkhill and Lily My Girl finished runner up at Revesby Park. Of the newcomers note should be taken of Blue Skies Ahead trained by Graeme McPherson, Maximus Oxo trained by Tom Scudamore, and Will to Power trained by Josh Newman. Blue Skies Ahead has a number of winning relatives and is a tentative selection.

Race 1:            PPORA Conditions (Level 2) 

1^st         Paloma Blue

2^nd        Sake of Secrecy

3^rd        Premier d’Troice 

Runners:          7                      Distances:        5l, 1/2l                         Time: 6m 13s

Race 2:            Maiden 

1^st         O’Hallorans Castle

2^nd        Lucarne

3^rd        African Lady 

Runners:          11                    Distances:        3/4l, 31/2l                   Time: 6m 15s

Race 3:            Mixed Open 

1^st         Viva Lavilla

2^nd        Larry

3^rd        

Runners:          2                      Distances:        1l, l                              Time: 6m 18s

Race 4:            Restricted 

1^st         Crawther

2^nd        Two In Tune

3^rd        Bulletofexpression 

Runners:          7                      Distances:        hd, 22l                         Time: 6m 9s

Race 5:            Ladies Conditions (Level 3) Grass Roots 

1^st         Ask Nile

2^nd        Blagthebookies

3^rd        Doctor Doyen 

Runners:          8                      Distances:        21/4l, 10l                     Time: 5m 14s

Race 6:            Flat 4&5 yrs Div 1 

1^st         Amatchmadeinheaven

2^nd        Lily My Girl

3^rd        My Lovely Horse 

Runners:          8                      Distances:        8l, 3/4l                         Time: 3m 48s

Race :              Flat 4 & 5 yrs Flat Div 2 

1^st         Maximus Oxo

2^nd        Trigger The Light

3^rd        Caracara 

Runners:          7                      Distances:        8l, 21/2l                       Time: 3m 52s

N/A

A bright sunny early Spring Day greeted racegoers who attended the South and West Wilts point to point at Larkhill on Sunday. On going described by many riders as perfect a decent crowd enjoyed an afternoon of seven races with the highlights being a riding treble for the current leading male rider in the country Josh Newman, a riding double for Martin ‘Fly’ McIntyre ,  a first success for Brook Lovegrove – Fielden and a dramatic conclusion to the Mixed Open race.

Josh began his day by steering Paloma Blue to a comfortable success in the Conditions race run in the memory of Pat Awdry. A prolific winner in 2023 he only had one race last season after which he had a touch of a leg and the decision was made to give him time off. Returning in his Hunt race at Milborne St Andrew he showed all of his old enthusiasm and as one of his owners Stephanie Jones described ‘he is still a racehorse’. Taking it up after the fourteenth fence he was too good for Sake of Secrecy ridden by Jake Bament. Watched by his main owner Simon Clare, a Public Relations Director of Corals, this was his first win at Larkhill having previously been behind Viroflay on his only other visit to the Wiltshire course.

The Maiden race looked to have been won by the four-year-old Land of Punt owned and trained by Tom Lacey and ridden by Will Biddick. The gelding had cruised into the lead in the last mile of the race and was in command by some eight lengths at the last when overjumping and falling leaving O’Hallorans Castle ridden by Brook Lovegrove-Fielden to hold off the late challenge of Lucarne ridden by Fred Phillipson-Stow. Related to Bob’s Worth he had been purchased by Jonathan Lovegrove-Fielden at Doncaster in 2023 and was giving his son Brook, 26, his first riding victory. Trained by Russell Teague at Welshpool Brook has been riding for eight years but had two years off with a bad injury. Brook lives and works in London but rides out at weekends and has been taking the gelding hunting with the Teme Valley and South Shropshire when he can. Describing him as ‘a very genuine horse who tries his heart out and does seem to enjoy running at Larkhill’

There were only two runners in the HRH The Prince of Wales Mixed Open race but Larry ridden by George Gorman and Viva Lavilla ridden by Martin ‘Fly’McIntyre matched each other for most of the race . At the second last Fly took it up only for George’s horse to rally and lead at the last. In a driving finish George regrettably mistook the winning post and allowed Fly to drive his gelding past him. A winning Hurdler when with Dan Skelton Viva Lavilla is now with Anthony Ward-Thomas and was recording Fly’s first victory for Anthony after many years of trying. Recalling his first ride for Anthony arranged by Richard Bandey Fly said ‘ I rode Starkie in the Aintree Foxhunters in 2019 and have been trying to ride a winner for him ever since’  That race is under consideration for the gelding and the same race is the target for My Drogo  who had an entry for the Mixed Open but is now reported to be heading straight to Aintree.

The closest finish of the day came in the Woolley and Wallis sponsored Restricted race with the judge needing to refer to his iPad to separate Crawter ridden by Josh Newman and Two in Tune ridden by Charlie Sprake. Already twice a winner at Larkhill this season Crawter had been jumping right in the later stages and nearly lost Josh at the last with a violent leap. However, in a driving finish he held off the challenge of Two in Tune with a short head being given as the margin of victory. Delighted joint owners Stan Rawlins and Harriet Waight both thought that ‘he has improved again since his last appearance in February despite having to carry a 5lb penalty’  Josh was back on board him having missed his last victory as Harriet said ‘ he is Josh’s ride when he is available’

 The Ladies Conditions Race for Grass Roots Riders who have ridden less than 20 winners was a competitive race run at a fast pace with the favourite Precious Bounty ridden by Marina Bealby leading until the top of the hill. Doctor Doyen ridden by Tanisha Little took over but was headed by Ask Nile the mount of Heidi Palin at the fourth last. Heidi maintained her lead over the challenging Blagthebookies ridden by Iola Sankey with two lengths between them at the winning post. Owned and trained by Tim Underwood who reported that ‘the gelding always runs well fresh but had been off for 13 months since winning a match in January 2024’. The significant booking of Heidi had been arranged through Nick Pearce and the return to point to pointing by Heidi is a welcome addition to the female riders. She was recording only her fifth pointing career victory, the last two coming in consecutive weekends. Better known as Dan Skelton’s amateur, she has already ridden six Hunter Chase winners and four other winning rides under Rules. She added that ‘this is my first ever visit to Larkhill after I had ridden five lots at home this morning’

Fly secured the second leg of his double when partnering the home bred Schiaparelli gelding Amatchmadeinheaven for owner/trainer Amber Jackson-Fennell. A bright chestnut gelding he set off in front in the first division of the Bumper and was never headed and stayed on strongly. Amber who rode him when he ran at the schooling bumper day that Larkhill held recently said that ‘he went well that day and we were hopeful of a good run today’ The dam, Heaven Scent, won a Maiden at Godstone under Daniel Kyne after giving birth to this winner having previously won on the flat and over Hurdles. Connections are now considering the Aintree Bumper later in the season.

Josh brought up the final leg of his treble when partnering the Tom Scudamore owned and trained Maximus Oxo in the second division. Travelling powerfully, he took up the running with less than five furlongs to run and drew clear of his six rivals with the winning margin recorded as ten lengths. Bought by Tom and Ed Bailey at the Derby Sale for 35K Euros as a 3-year-old he is a half-brother to winning Hurdler Kaituna River in training with Alex Hales. Margot Scudamore representing her father who was on duty at Charm Park where his charge finished runner up said that ‘ I ride him every day and we were hopeful he would win on his debut’  Josh described him as ‘ quite raw but when I got him into a good stride he ran on well’ He is likely to have an entry at the Cheltenham Festival Sales on 13^th March.