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 23rd February 2026 12.30pm

Races:   Maiden, Mixed Open, Restricted, PPORA Conditions (Level 2), 4&5yrs Maiden (M&F) (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 when the South and West Wilts holds their fixture on Sunday. Since the last meeting the fences have all been moved to the unused inner of the course, the bends have been moved and the ring roller has been employed, The current going is good to soft and there is rain forecast before Sunday to maintain. The South and West Wilts wish to thank their existing sponsors for their continuing support and for the new sponsorship of the Jockey Club for Race 5 and Maclachlan Solicitors for the final race.

Racing starts at 12 noon with a six race card and early bird tickets for £15 up to 6.00pm on 28^th February and £20 on the gate can be obtained from GB pointing.co.uk with under 16s free. There will be food and drink outlets available, trade stands to browse and the bookmakers to have a bet with. 

The PPORA Conditions race.. Highstakesplayer was runner up for his rider Ivor Herbert on his last outing whereas his brother Milo’s mount Yippee Ki Yay was runner up at Sheriff Hutton. There will not be much between them with slight preference given to Yippee Ki Yay. Hidden Heroics won his first two race for his Novice rider  and was not disgraced when fourth at the last meeting. Tara Storm brings good form for his owner/rider Eve Hobbs but he missed last season and may need this race. Boys Will Be Boys is probably the best chance of a local winner and was a good third in January and is an each way choice.

The Open Maiden. . Tom Lacey won both divisions of a similar race at the last meeting and his representative Seven Kites should be noted. Chris Barber has the 5-year-old Idaho gelding Hang Out whereas former NH jockey Max Kendrick has another Idaho gelding in the form of I’ve Got a Friend entered. Of those with form Lime Burner was a good second on debut whereas Breathless Bishop trained and ridden by Hugo Hunt was third on his seasonal outing. With his weight advantage Seven Kites will be expected to make a winning debut.

The Mixed Open . This should go to the ultimate course specialist in Grace A Vous Enki who will be seeking his eleventh consecutive win at the track. He has looked in fabulous form this season with his win in the Coronation Gold Cup his best performance to date. It is very hard to see him being beaten but no doubt there will be some of the other ten entries who will try. Sam Loxton has entered both Duc de Bourbon and Histrionic and his chosen representative will certainly have place possibilities with the last named already successful on the course this season. Dalamoi was narrowly beaten at Charing at the end of January with Crawter being pulled up and must have a chance. Crawter trained within sight of the course has yet to repeat his excellent form from last season but a return to Larkhill might bring about a change and he is selected to chase home Grace A Vous Enki

The Restricted race. This looks to be  between Woodstock Octo an impressive winner at the last meeting , Carrillo another winner at the course this season and third on his last outing and Clonagoose the winner of two races this season at Wadebridge for trainer Emma Summersby. Dorset Dazzler has won two races at Larkhill and Easy Rider has also captured two races this term. Woodstock Octo is held in high regard by his trainer Josh Newman and is the selection .

The Jockey Club Mares Maiden . This  race may be another race that is won by a Tom Lacey representative. Madam to You is a 4 year old filly by Poet’s Word who is a half sister to The Lord Maid already the winner of three hurdles for Tom so she has a good pedigree. Ed Walker has the unraced Glancing Past for owner Julian Selby out of Miss Gotaway. She was successful in nine point to point races so if she has passed on some of her ability she ought to be competitive. Walkingtheline has not shown much in two races so far and this ex-Tom Lacey mare now with Chris Barber will need to step up to . challenge the two mentioned above. Madam to You is the choice.

The Flat race over two miles. .  Ruling Planet was second on his debut for Tim Vaughan in a similar race and is likely to have come on for that run. Wise Garden is trained by Gina Andrews and was third on her debut. There is very little other form to review so it is best to inspect the runners in the paddock. Cherry Lane trained by Josh Newman, Down Below Decks trained by Leslie Jefford for Tom Malone, Oxo Called trained by Tom Scidamore and Lunar Tricks trained by Michael Kehoe are four to consider. Ruling Planet is the tentative tip.

Race 1:            PPORA Conditions (Level 2) 

1^st         Highstakesplayer

2^nd        Cape Vidal

3^rd        Sublime Heights 

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

Race 2:            Maiden 

1^st         Seven Kites

2^nd        Roxhill

3^rd        Lime Burner 

Runners:          10                    Distances:        2l, 3/4l                         Time: 6m 29s

Race 3:            Mixed Open 

1^st         Grace A Vous Enki

2^nd        Crawter

3^rd        Uno Mas 

Runners:          6                      Distances:        9l, 12l                          Time: 6m 17s

Race 4:            Restricted 

1^st         Woodstock Oxo

2^nd        Lough Owel

3^rd        

Runners:          4                      Distances:        4l, l                              Time: 6m 24s

Race 5:            Jockey Club Mare Maiden 2m4f 

1^st         Madam To You

2^nd        Walkingtheline

3^rd       

Runners:          6                      Distances:        3/4l, l                           Time: 5m 27s

Race 6:            Flat 4 & 5 yrs Old Div 1 

1^st         Lunar Trix

2^nd        Moorhead

3^rd        That’s Where Its At 

Runners:          7                      Distances:        4l, 38l                          Time: 3m 55s

Race :              Flat 4 & 5 yrs Old Div 2 

1^st         Island Jetaway

2^nd        Timmie Two

3^rd        Fashion House 

Runners:          7                      Distances:        1/2l, 8l                         Time: 4m 0s

N/A

Under grey but mostly dry skies the South and West Wilts meeting took place last Sunday at Larkhill watched by a decent crowd who witnessed some competitive racing. More history was made with the success of Grace A Vous Enki and the other highlights were a double for owner Tom Lacey and riding doubles for Sean O’Connor and Josh Newman.

Grace A Vous Enki secured his eleventh consecutive Larkhill victory when winning the Lycetts sponsored H R H Prince of Wales Mixed Open race. Always prominent, he had more of a battle with main market rival Crawter than in his previous races but he still had ten lengths in hand at the winning post. James King his regular pilot reported that ‘he was a bit flat in his racing but his class told at the end and that perhaps his victory in the Coronation Gold Cup had taken more out of him than had been perceived’  Watched by his proud owners Clive and Joan Hitchings he is now likely to be given a short break and his next target is going to be the Lady Dudley Cup at Chaddesley Corbett. Clive said that ‘The Lady Dudley Cup is a race I have tried to win for many years and hope that 2026 will be our year’

The opening race, The Pat Awdry Memorial PPORA Club Members Conditions, proved to be the closest finish of the day with a short head being the judge’s decision between Highstakesplayer ridden by Ivor Herbert and Cape Vidal the mount of James King. Approaching the final fence James looked to be in command but Ivor managed to get a final effort from his willing partner to put his head in front on the line. Owned by his parents who sadly missed the victory as they were on holiday Ivor was recording his second career winner and said ‘ I am thrilled to ride this horse to win a race and was not sure that I had got up on the line’ . Ivor, 20, in his second year at Exeter University studying politics, paid credit to his trainer Eamomn O’Donnabhain for the training of the gelding who had previously been running under Rules for Tom Lacey for whom he had won four chases and two Hurdles

His brother Milo, who had last been seen riding Famous Clermont at Badbury  Rings will be partnering that gelding for the remainder of the season according to his trainer Chris Barber having been leased by his owners to Milo with the aim being an outing in the Aintree Foxhunters Chase on 9^th April.

Tom Lacey is a regular visitor to Larkhill and has a long history of starting off his newcomers at the Wiltshire course. His first representative Seven Kites who ran in the Milton Indoor Storage Services sponsored Maiden race had to overcome a faller at the fifteenth fence and was badly hampered as a result. Ridden by Sean O’Connor he explained ‘ I had nowhere to go when the horse fell in front of me and had to gallop over him which caused me to loose lengths but he overcame this and stayed on well from the last fence to win going away’  Bought by Tom as a 3 year old store at the Tattersalls Derby Sale for 65K Euros he described him as ‘ still green and will come on greatly  for the experience’ . By Poet’s Word out of a Shantou mare who won two Hurdles he is a half brother to Land of Punt who would have won a Maiden at Larkhill in 2025 for Tom but for falling at the last. He is next likely to be seen in a forthcoming sales ring. 

The Woolley and Wallis sponsored Restricted race only attracted a field of four headed by the highly regarded Woodstock Octo who impressed when winning his first Restricted race last month. Sent off a short price favourite he and Lough Owel ridden by Ed Vaughan had a good battle over the final fences before his rider and trainer Josh Newman was able to draw clear on the run in , Watched by his proud owners John and Sonia Gardener who had made the long trip from Bude, Cornwall  he will remain pointing as his owners are strong supporters of the sport and John reminisced that ‘ I have been involved for some 58 years firstly training horses myself and then with the late Richard Woollacott and more recently with Josh Newman  at Woolminstone near Crewkerne and through pointing I have made so many friends’

Tom Lacey and Sean O’Connor’s double came in the Jockey Club Mares and Fillies Maiden race in the form of Madam to You. Sent off favourite she chased her market rival Walkingtheline for much of the race until staying on well to lead close home. Another by Poet’s Word out of  a Heron Island mare she was bought by Tom at the Tattersalls Derby Sale for 30K Euros and is a half-sister to The Lord Maid already the winner of three hurdles for Tom. She is also for sale.

The concluding race, the MacLachlan Solicitors sponsored flat race over two miles received fourteen entries and was divided into two races of seven each. The first division was won by Lunar Trix owned and trained by Michael Kehoe and ridden by Chsrlie Case. Bought by Michael as a yearling he had been showing good form at home and connections had been hopeful of success. The race turned into a match over the final couple of furlongs between the winner and Moorhead trained by Charlie Sprake and ridden by Darren Andrews. They both appear to be good prospects for the future.

The second division proved to be a close battle between Island Jetaway ridden by Josh Newman and Timmie Two partnered by Anna Johnston with the former prevailing by half a length. Trained by Myles Osborne who was delighted with the success of the filly who had been bought by Paul Webber for 20K at the Goffs Store sale last May. Paying credit to Tom Broughton who had played a major role in breaking her in and for Josh for giving her a very positive ride Myles  was welcoming his first training victory this season and this was his twentieth pointing success plus one Hunter Chase victory in his career to date.