REPORT OF THE THURLOW MEETING AT HORSEHEATH ON TUESDAY DECEMBER 31ST

By MIKE ASHBY

There was a superb start to the first meeting of the 2024/25 East Anglian point-to-point season, held at Horseheath on New Year’s Eve. A huge attendance witnessed some first-class racing with several close finishes and an outstanding riding milestone achieved by ten-times National Ladies Point-to-Point Champion, Gina Andrews.

Gina now based near Rugby but has always held an East Anglian riding certificate and has been very supportive of the fixtures, held in the region. Her first pointing winner came, just a week after her 16th birthday, in February 2008 at Cottenham and on the Sunday, prior to this meeting, she rode her 400th pointing winner. Here at Horseheath, when successful on Fairly Famous in the Ladies Open race, Gina was notching up her 500th career victory with her tally boosted by her successes when riding on professional GB racecourses and in Ireland. Those of us who have been privileged to watch Miss Andrews through the pony racing ranks, to that first pointing winner on Moving Earth then followed her continual haul of pointing winners, Cheltenham Festival success and a wonderfully impressive attempt in the Grand National. We in East Anglia, Gina, are proud of your fantastic achievements.

Fairly Famous had only two other rivals and although there was never any significant distance between the trio, it always looked as though Gina could make her move on the 1/4 favourite as and when required, which is how the finale of the contest materialised. Gina explained post-race that she didn’t want to give her mount a hard race and the 1½ length victory over Go Go Geronimo with Back Bar another 6 lengths behind was totally satisfactory, in the circumstances.

FAIRLY FAMOUS and GINA ANDREWS ( centre)

Gina is now responsible for the training of her pointers and in addition to her victory, her brother Jack completed a first and last race winning double on All Is True and Call Me Early respectively to land a treble for the stable. Jacks’ effortless but confident ride on the latter was highly acknowledged by the enthusiastic crowd. Having been stone last, obviously by design, until after the 5th last obstacle, the pairing made smooth but swift progress past their rivals to jump clear at the last fence and go on to comfortably win by 2 ¾ lengths. Call Me Early victory completed a winning owner’s double for the Signy and Marriage Families, who also own Fairly Famous.

CALL ME EARLY and JACK ANDREWS (far side)

All Is True’s victory was summed up by Jack as “Plain sailing. Jumped and travelled well and loves this ground.” Having jumped alongside the early leaders Paper Mill and Ocean Drifter, at the final open ditch the winning combination were always in control and had 1¼ lengths to hand to quell the late challenge of Champagne Glory.

ALL IS TRUE and JACK ANDREWS

Newmarket trainer Jenny Owen enjoyed victories by Aramax and Allmankind. The former, partnered by Cian Murphy came with a perfectly timed run to take the spoils in the Novice Riders’ race whilst the classy Allmankind led all the way, with Alex Chadwick, in the Mens Open race.

Aramax  jumping was slightly sub-standard in the earlier part of their race, according to Murphy, but “the ones in front came back to me “ which allowed the partnership, made favourites, to swoop late after the last fence, and overtake Master Malcolm who had led from 4 fences out and Drop Him In who looked the likely winner when jumping the last. Cian who has accumulated 6 wins from 16 rides is joining Paul Nicholls, on a full -time basis after the Ampton meeting in January and we will watch his progress with interest.

 

ARAMAX and CIAN MURPHY (far side)

The classy Allmankind’s pointing debut was of particular interest and with Tim Gredley in attendance the former Dan Skelton inmate having won 9 races under rules, made a winning start against two highly-rated opponents in What A Glance and three -time course winner Ragnar Lodbrok. Alex Chadwick employed Allmankind’s normal front-running tactics and despite not jumping fluently at some the fences, especially the open ditch second time round, continued to find more and still held  a 2¾ length lead at the winning line, over What A Glance with Ragnar Lodbrok, eased after the last, another 8 lengths adrift.

ALLMANKIND and ALEX CHADWICK

In the Restricted contest, the grey Chabichou Dupoitou cut out the early running but appeared to fade when facing the uphill finish, due to her early exertions. This allowed Bradley Gibbs on Premier Fantasy to seize the opportunity and take command at the last fence but the dual-winner still needed to be driven out to hold the renewed challenge of Chabichou Dupoitou and James King who only failed by a short-head to pull back the deficit. Gibbs acknowledged that the intention was to challenge late but found themselves in front, sooner than they wanted and agreed ”it was tight in the end”. With over 240 pointing career wins to his name this was Bradley’s first success at Horseheath but by his own admission he has never brought that many runners to the course but now with his and his partner’s base near Welwyn Garden City, it’s likely  his visit could be more frequent. The odds-on favourite for the race, Cheytac, was pulled up by Gina Andrews, just before completing a circuit, having bled.

PREMIER FANTASY and BRADLEY GIBBS (far side)

Current national champion male rider, James King, was involved in another tight finish, earlier, in the second race on the card when snatching victory on the winning line, on Jullou De Grissay in the Open Maiden contest. Just a head separated the winner from the runner-up Taghadoe with the favourite, Always Groovin, another head away in 3rd place. Taghadoe gave Seb Mead an exhilarating ride with some spectacular fencing from the front and is one to note for the future, as is the third placed horse, and as the final distances suggest the run to the last fence and throughout the run-in, it was difficult to assess who, of the first three home, had secured the judges verdict. King was “quietly confident” his mount had won and was pleased to secure the win for the owners, who sadly missed the winning performance having travelled to Higham racecourse, in error. Max Comley was however present to accept the trophy as his partner, Elen Wylie, is now responsible for the pointers in his yard as Max has now taken out a professional trainer’s licence.

JULLOU DE GRISSAY and JAMES KING

 

What an encouraging start to the new season and there was richly deserved praise from many participants for Clerk of The Course, John Sharp ‘s, endless hours of course preparation which had showcased Horseheath in the very best light.

 

Photos courtesy of Graham Bishop ( www.gdbphotography.co.uk )