The Kemp family was the toast of Horseheath on Saturday having won with both their runners at the Thurlow Point-To-Point. And, after David Kemp won a case of claret as the fixture’s leading jockey, three generations of the clan Kemp will doubtless have been doing plenty of celebrating over the weekend!

Cantarinho should have a bright future having got off the mark at the first time of asking in the Open Maiden Race. Trained at Kilverstone, near Thetford, by David’s parents, Malcolm and Celia, this was a particularly significant success as Cantarinho is the first ever horse owned by Malcolm’s mother, Maureen Harrison, who lives just a stone’s throw away from Horseheath at West Wratting.

Kemp, 23, rode a race belying his youth to land the spoils for his grandmother. He had the confidence to make the running despite Cantarinho never having seen a racecourse before and a series of flying leaps allowed the partnership to come home a length clear of the less fluent Fine And Dandy.

The jockey described his mount as “the best jumper that I have ever ridden” while his father has great hopes for the five-year-old gelded son of the 1995 Champion Hurdle winner, Alderbrook, and may even throw him in at the deep end in a Fakenham Novice Hunter Chase next month.

Mrs Harrison exclaimed: “This is such a surprise – I was just hoping that Cantarinho would get round safely.” Her daughter, Tessa, bemoaned: “I’m never going to be able to keep up with this in terms of gaining brownie points off Mum!”The Kemp double was completed when Bard of Drumcoo, owned by Royston businessman John Ridge, justified favouritism in the Restricted Race. Again Kemp junior adopted forcing tactics in the saddle and Bard of Drumcoo battled on gamely to hold off Call The Tune by a length and a quarter.

Owner Derek Harding-Jones was left hoping that lightning would strike twice at Aintree after Gallant Glen landed the Men’s Open Race by 15 lengths.

Trained at North Weald in Essex by Harding-Jones’s son, Perry, and ridden by Stuart Morris, Gallant Glen was already getting on top of the favourite, Endeavour, when that rival unseated George Cooper at the last fence.

An excited winning owner, who had helped force in Gallant Glen’s price from 7-1 to 3-1, said: “We won the Aintree Foxhunters once with a no-hoper (the 100-1 shot Double Turn in 1991) and this horse would have a bit of a chance so that’s where he will go. He will have one more run beforehand.”

Hugh Hodge, from Braughing in Hertfordshire, achieved a notable training feat when Sense of Adventure returned from a 25-month injury lay-off to lift the Intermediate Race under a virtuoso ride from Wymondham’s Nigel Bloom.Delivered with a perfectly-timed challenge at the final obstacle, he stayed on strongly to beat Millennium Way by a length. “Still green but possessing bags of ability” according to Bloom, Sense of Adventure is another horse worth following in the coming weeks provided he stays sound.

Jockey Zoe Turner, from Ampton near Bury St Edmunds, notched her first victory of 2003 the previous Saturday and her season continued on an upward curve when Spring Gale easily disposed of his three rivals in the Gerrard Ladies’ Open Race.

Finally, Parsonhumphrywebber made light of a sleet shower to sprint ten lengths clear of his opponents and lift the closing Members’ Race for jockey Andrew Braithwaite and Biggleswade trainer Mike Burman.

Results

Open Maiden Race:

  1. Mr and Mrs R Harrison and Mr and Mrs M Kemp’s Cantarinho (Suffolk)(D Kemp).
  2. J M Turner’s Fine and Dandy (Suffolk)(J Owen).
  3. Mrs J Lewin and Mr S Andrew’s Gunner Be True (Aldenham Harriers)(N Bloom).

Also: Present Moment (4th), Count Frederick (Pu), Erin’s Surprise (Pu), Table for Four (UR), The Lord of Mystery (Pu), Wicklow Chase (Pu). Distances: One length : Six lengths. Time: 6m 49s. Tote Win £4.30. DF £28.10. SP 7/1 (Fine and Dandy 5/4 fav).

Intermediate Race:

  1. H B Hodge’s Sense of Adventure (Puckeridge)(N Bloom).
  2. J M Turner’s Millennium Way (Suffolk)(J Owen).
  3. The Its My Job Partnership’s Early Morning Call (Avon Vale)(R H Fowler).

Also: Society Lad (4th), Border Burn (5th) New Ross (6th), Castle Road (F), Holmby Copse (F). Distances: One length : Two and a half lengths. Time: 6m 37s. Tote Win £3.60. DF £3.40. SP 3/1 (Millennium Way 2/1 fav).

Ladies Open Race:

  1. J M Turner’s Spring Gale (Suffolk)(Miss Z Turner).
  2. Mr and Mrs A Howland-Jackson’s Gatchou Mans (Suffolk)(Miss A Stennett).
  3. N Fyfe’s Borrow Mine (CUDH) (Miss N Barnes).

Also: Thurles Pickpocket (4th).  Distances: Eight lengths: Neck. Time: 6m 34s. Tote Win £1.40. DF £1.40. SP 4/6 fav.

Men’s Open Race:

  1. D Harding-Jones’ Gallant Glen (Puckeridge)(S Morris).
  2. A G Chinery’s Royal Action (East Essex)(P Chinery).
  3. B Kennedy’s Minino (Essex Farmers and Union)(C Ward-Thomas).

Also: Corston Joker (4th), Ruperts Choice (5th), Ballad (Pu) Endeavour (UR), Storm Forecast (Pu), Top Note (F). Distances: Fifteen lengths : Three lengths. Time:6m 25s (estimate). Tote Win £5.50. DF £3.10 winner with any other horse. SP 3/1 (Endeavour 6/4 fav).

Restricted Race:

  1. J Ridge’s Bard of Drumcoo (Suffolk)(D Kemp).
  2. S Smith’s Call the Tune (E Sussex and Romney Marsh)(S Gordon-Watson).
  3. J M Turner’s Westfield John (Suffolk)(J Owen).

Also: Carlton Brae (4th), Marmalade Mountain (5th), Glad All Over (6th), Act on Impulse (Pu), Annabee (f), Paper Prince (Pu) Stick or Bust (Pu), The Burglar (UR). Distances: One and a quarter lengths : Four lengths. Time: 6m 36s. Tote Win £3.40. DF £56.90. SP 7/4 fav.

Hunt Members Race:

  1. Home Farm Racing Club’s Parsonhumfrywebber (Cambridgeshire with Enfield Chase)(A Braithwaite).
  2. S Harrison and T Burrows’ Wrekengale (Thurlow)(N King).
  3. Whitestick Racing Partnerships’ Kingfisher Star (Cambridgeshire with Enfield Chase)(P Taiano).

Also: There We Are Then (4th), Blue Monk (Pu), Brave the Waves (Pu). Distances: Ten lengths : Five lengths. Time: 6m 51s. Tote Win: £7.50. DF £1.70. SP 2/1 (Wrekengale Evens Fav).