POINT-TO-POINT PREVIEW

NORTH NORFOLK HARRIERS, HIGHAM, SUNDAY JANUARY 27th 2019

Trainer Alan Hill could be the man to follow at the North Norfolk Harriers Point-To-Point at Higham, between Colchester and Ipswich, on Sunday (January 28th).

Hill, who regularly plunders East Anglian venues from his base at Aston Rowant in Oxfordshire, is responsible for a number of the leading fancies among the 52 horses engaged at this six-race fixture, which gets under way at noon and runs through until 2.55pm.

Broken Eagle, one of nine potential runners in the Mens Open Race, is arguably the pick of the Hill contingent. He has been successful at this meeting for each of the last four years and suffered his only reverse from seven Higham outings when brought down at the first fence here last April.

He bounced back from a reappearance defeat to score at Ampton a fortnight ago and should have conditions in his favour on Sunday. The pick of his rivals could be Petrou, runner-up to the top class Hazel Hill on his latest start.

Hill is also set to saddle the admirable veteran, Start Royal, one of just three entries for the Skinner’s Pet Foods Ladies Open Race.

Now 15 years of age, Start Royal has the incredible record of having won at least one race in every year since 2008 and, should he go one better than on his comeback race down in Cornwall last month, he will be registering the eighth course win of an amazing career that has already gleaned no less than 28 victories.

The other two entries are Sa Kadoun, himself a three-time Higham scorer but highly unlikely to be fully fit for this, his seasonal debut, and Sand Blast, who would have finished a fair third but for a late fall at Cottenham last time and should appreciate this return to a left-handed track.

Another Hill success is in the offing in the concluding Conditions Race where Hawkhurst may bid for his third triumph of the season, and eighth overall from just ten Pointing starts. However, he could be given plenty to do by either of the two representatives of Nick Wright among the 14-strong entry – Butredgipandgump or In A Blue Dust.

One Fine Morning could give jockey Charlie Clover a third lifetime success in the ten-entry Novice Riders Race while the Andrew Pennock trained Bullsempire may prove the answer to the nine-entry Maiden Race which gets proceedings under way.

Higham is just to the west of the A12 between Colchester and Ipswich using the B1068 turn-off towards Stoke-by-Nayland, post code CO7 6NG.

Under 16s are admitted free while advance tickets for adults, priced at £13 per head, are available from www.highamraces.com – a £2 saving compared with what you will pay on the gate on Sunday.