PREVIEW:
THE HAMILTON BLOODHOUNDS – HIGHAM
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 7th
Author: Graham Bishop
The East Anglian season continues with racing taking place at the popular Higham racecourse, situated on the Suffolk/Essex border. The Hamilton Bloodhounds host this February meeting for the first time, replacing the Waveney Harriers and Saturday’s timetable begins with three pony races from 11am with the first of six steeplechases commencing at 12 midday.
This is the first of two meetings being held at Higham this season, the other is on Good Friday, and offers an excellent opportunity to enjoy a day out in the countryside with exciting racing, trade stands, refreshments and a public bar. The fixture has attracted a respectable 67 entries which is increase of 26% on the corresponding February meeting at Higham, last season.
The fixture commences with the first of the new initiative, Hands and Heels Conditions Races (Level 2) for Novice Riders, jointly sponsored by The Jockey Club and Point to Point Authority, Amongst the 10 entries are two horses that have won this season. Hubrisko and Cerys Sheehy have won two races for novice riders, prior to falling last time out at Ampton, whilst Shentri, a Higham course winner in 2024, won the Ladies Open race at Ampton after the leader, Loughan, fell at the last. Paint The Dream, who has run at the highest level under rules, has not won since gaining his third victory around Newbury in November 2022. A return to pointing this season has seen him finish a close third to Midnight River at Chaddesley Corbett on his most recent start and has changed hands since.
The second race of the day is a Level 3 Conditions race being run over the extended trip of
3½ miles. The ratings are headed by Senior Citizen, who has yet to run this season but won around this course on his first start last season. Pillar Rock, who won four consecutive races last season, got his season underway at Revesby Park finishing third. East Street, who must carry a 10lb penalty for his victories under rules, stayed on well on his most recent start to finish a close 4th. Petite Mike has yet to run this season, ran consistently last season, winning twice around Parham.
The Ladies Open race has 11 entries, whilst the Men’s Open race has 9, however 5 of the entries appear in both lists, namely Aramax, Famous Clermont, Home Free, I K Brunel and Janika. Aramax has run twice this season, finishing runner-up at Horseheath last time, Famous Clermont has run once, finishing 4th at Larkhill over 2 ½ miles, whilst I K Brunel was left solo for most of his last race around Ampton, last month. Home Free and Janika both hail from the yard of Edward Turner and have yet to run this season. Home Free, a newcomer to pointing, was last seen running for Dan Skelton in November 2024. The winner of two races over two miles in October 2024 included the defeat of this year’s National Hunt revelation, Thistle Ask.
Other entries in the Ladies Open race are Hardline, Paint The Dream and Shentri who are all entered in the first race, whereas Somptueux, Loughan and Jimmy The Digger have no alternative engagements. Somptueux has run three times this season, finishing runner-up twice, Loughan won first time out over 2 ½ miles at Garthorpe, but last time out at Ampton fell at the last when being challenged by Shentri.
In addition to the five entries mentioned above, the Men’s Open race also includes three fascinating entries. Beacon Edge, having previously been in the care of Gordon Elliot when running primarily in hurdle races against the likes of Anzadam and Kitsbuhel, made a winning start to his pointing career at Wadebridge for Joshua Newman. Sambezi, who has also been running in hurdle races under rules, finished a respectable 4th in a Mixed Open race at Revesby Park on his first outing in a UK point. That leaves Fier Jaguen who has yet to run this season but has won over the Higham course and distance in 2022. Last season he ran twice at Garthorpe, winning both which took his tally to 11 wins in points.
The Restricted race has 16 entries, 7 of whom have won races this season. Ask Elli comfortably won the Restricted race at Horseheath a fortnight ago, whilst Couer d’Alene won a Restricted race at Chaddesley Corbett in early December, and was in the process of winning an Intermediate race over 2½ miles around the same course later in the month, when unseating his rider at the second last. Monrocco Moonlight won a 2½ mile Restricted race at Charing in December, at that same meeting Cadillac Ranch won a Maiden race that was also run over 2½ miles. French Symphony won a Maiden race at Dunsmore in November as did Woodstock Octo who won the Goffs GB Pointing Bonus Young Horse Maiden Series race for 4 & 5 year-olds on the same card and a week earlier J’Envoievalserenki won a 2½ mile Maiden race at Badbury Rings.
The Maiden race that concludes the action has attracted 15 entries. Trainer Christopher Barber who has Famous Clermont and Couer d’Alene entered in earlier races has the sole 4-year-old and debutant, in Guts And Glory. As a mare, she will receive the maximum 28lb total allowance, from some of her rivals and will only carry 10st. Of the remainder, Master Force finished 2nd last time at Horseheath in the Maiden Conditions race, whilst in the Open Maiden race on the same card, Rounditoff finished 2nd with Reel Much Fun behind in 4th. Andrew Pennock has entered both Tiger Talk who finished 2nd at Sheriff Hutton and the ex-Irish trained Lightspeedahead who finished 4th, at Curraghmore in October, before crossing the Irish Sea. Leopard d’Irlande , with Gina Andrews, ran a race full of promise at Horseheath on New Year’s Eve. He was likely to be in with a chance of victory only to find that his path was blocked at the second last and with nowhere to go was brought down, so deserves better fortune in running.
It promises to be a good day of racing with the course preparation under the watchful eye of Higham’s new Clerk of the Course, Roderick Duncan, who brings a wealth of experience to proceedings. Gate prices are Adults £20 CASH ONLY. Accompanied Children 16 and under free. Dogs welcome on short leads.
Early-bird discounted tickets priced at £18 are available via website – www.highamraces.co.uk.
Discounted price tickets can be purchased up to midnight on Friday February 6th together with racecards.
The popular Higham racecourse is situated midway between Ipswich and Colchester and fully signposted from the A12 using the B1068 ( SatNav CO7 6NG )
