Rupert Stearn was the main man of a hectic weekend’s Point-To-Point Racing, following up his riding double at the East Essex meeting at Marks Tey on Saturday with another winner at the Granta Harriers fixture at Higham on Sunday.
The Abrey-Stearn combination was successful again at Higham 24 hours later as Another Dude responded well to an aggressive front-running ride to hold off Northall Lad in the Mens Open.
And Stearn nearly made it a four-winner-weekend on a second Cooper-trained youngster in the Higham finale, the second of two Maiden Races there. But Foulstons Ruler was denied by half a length by Royal Tender, who was a first pointing winner for Exning, near Newmarket, trainer Hugh Collingridge, better know for his exploits on the flat.
Kelly Smith and Harry Fowler, who used to both live in Newmarket before Smith moved to Timworth, near Bury St Edmunds, a couple of years ago, fought out a stirring finish to the other Maiden. Their respective mounts, Ten Horse Power and Mountain Emperor, flashed past the winning post locked together but Smith, aboard the Sussex-trained Ten Horse Power, was awarded the verdict by a head.
David Kemp, from Kilverstone, near Thetford, drew a blank from three rides at Marks Tey but kept his recent good run going when forcing Viceroy Close up in the dieing strides to catch Master Rex in the Hunts Club Members Race at Higham.
This was a thrilling contest of fluctuating fortunes as Viceroy Close jumped moderately and looked beaten both when the eventual third, Pouilly, kicked ten lengths clear with four to jump and when Master Rex forged ahead after the final fence.
The other East Anglian victory over the two days came in the Higham Ladies’ Open when Emma Bell guided Iberus, trained at Biggleswade by Mike Burman, to an eight length defeat of River Pirate, who is trained at Sutton, near Ely, by Martin Ward, and was ridden by his daughter, Becky.
Results
Race One (Members’ Race):
1 The Oak Partnership’s Viceroy Close (N Norfolk Harriers) (D Kemp),
2 Ms A Embiricos and Mrs S Embiricos’ Master Rex (Essex and Suffolk) (J Bailey),
3 F Duffin’s Pouilly (Waveney Harriers) (M Smith).
Also: Viciana (4), Hibernian (5), Astral Presence (pu), Bosco’s Tune (pu), Feathered Storm (pu), Gillinghamminnabeg (pu), Magic to Do (pu), Rocja (pu). Half a length, half a length. 6.08. SP 4-7 fav.
Race Two (Men’s Open Race):
1 R Abrey’s Another Dude (Suffolk) (R Stearn),
2 G Cook, Miss J Johnston and Miss J Harbinson’s Northall Lad (Grafton) (J Ducker),
3 Mrs M Moody’s Kjetil (Pytchley) (R Barrett).
Also: Ange de Villez (4), Dark Thunder (5), Kadount (pu), Teeton Bollinger (pu), Wicked Nice Fella (f). One and a-half lengths, half a length. 6.08. SP 3-1 (Kjetil 11-10 fav).
Race Three (Restricted Race):
1 S Nash, A Hill, Mrs H Nash and M Avery’s Start Royal (V of Aylesbury, Garth and S Berks),
2 Mrs S J Humphrey’s Prince Car (Essex) (M Smith),
3 M Gorman’s The Tailor Carey (Crawley and Horsham) (Owner).
Also: Captain Marshall (4), Lord of the Knar (5), Ski Dazzle (6), Parakeet (7), Lyric Maestro (8), Carvilla (pu), Nomadic Blaze (pu). Five lengths, half a-length. 6.01. SP 6-4 fav.
Race Four (Ladies’ Open Race):
1 Mr and Mrs W Brown’s Iberus (Cambs with Enfield Chace) (Miss E Bell),
2 Mrs W Ward’s River Pirate (Granta Harriers) (Miss R Ward),
3 Mrs J Tice’s Teeton Prince (Pytchley) (Miss E Harris).
Also: Columba (4), Assassino (ur), Major Jon (pu), Make Haste Slowly (pu). Eight lengths, three lengths. 6.11. SP 7-4 (Assassino 5-4 fav).
Race Five (Countryside Alliance Club Members’ Race):
1 Lady Connell’s Needs Time (Grafton) (T Lane),
2 The R Triple H Partnership’s Foxspur (Ohid, Lec and Cowdray) (P Hall),
3 A Schofield’s Itallupintheair (Waveney Harriers) (R H Fowler).
Also: Ballyrainey (4), Basic Fact (pu), Funny Money (f), Native Performance (pu), Sironi (pu), Took My Eye (ur). Fifteen lengths, neck.6.11. SP 4-5 fav.
Race Six (Open Maiden Race, Division One):
1 C Buckley’s Ten Horse Power (E Sussex and Romney Marsh) (Miss K Smith),
2 Mrs P Bevan’s and Mrs S Williams’ Mountain Emperor (Waveney Harriers) (R H Fowler),
3 The Mirage Prince Group’s Mirage Prince (Fernie) (P Millington).
Also: Bridgham (4), Huggle (5), Thelaughingmagpie (6), Rakaman (7), Best Deal (pu), Grand Symphony (f), Lucy’s Star (pu), Lusus (pu), Run Doctor Run (ur), Unfair Dismissal (pu). Head, eight lengths. 6.17. SP 8-1 (Bridgham 6-4 fav).
Race Seven (Open Maiden Race, Division Two):
1 H J Collingridge’s Royal Tender (Thurlow) (Miss G Andrews),
2 G I Cooper’s Foulstons Ruler (Essex F and Union) (R Stearn),
3 B Dowling’s Si Anthony (Puckeridge) (Miss K Smith).
Also: Morning Moment (4), Monashee Grey (5), Alfie Atkins (pu), Executive Mist (pu), Forelands Sands (pu), Free to Appeal (f), Mister Worthington (pu), Porto Vechio (pu), Vera Card (ur). Half a length, two lengths. 6.16. SP 11-4 fav.
