It was another hectic weekend for East Anglian Pointing as on Saturday the rearranged Thurlow meeting took place at Horseheath. Despite intermittent hail it proved a highly enjoyable fixture even though only the opening Maiden Race resulted in a locally-trained winner.
The horse responsible was Germany Park, trained within a couple of miles of the course by 29-year-old farmer, Will Stone, and giving a first winner between the flags for jockey Matt Smith, 21, from East Harling in Norfolk.The rest of the card largely belonged to two Shropshire residents – the reigning National Champion Jockey, Richard Burton, and trainer Sheila Crow.This dynamic duo teamed up to win with all three of their representatives, most notably the brilliant six-year-old, Fane Counsel, who clocked much the fastest time of the day when beating the Kemp-trained Cantarinho in the Intermediate Race.Burton’s treble took him to second place in this year’s jockeys’ standings, but he was immediately relegated back to third when Philip York, from Surrey, raised his 2004 total to 13 when guiding Algan to victory in the closing Confined Race.This was a remarkable story as Algan, who is trained in the suburbs of London at Mill Hill by Irishman JJ Ryan, is now 16 years of age and is the same horse who won one of Britain’s greatest races, the King George VI Chase, way back in 1994.
Finally, sheepskin cheekpieces continued to work their magic on Macfin, who seems completely transformed and repeated his February victory in the Ladies’ Open under his Peterborough trainer, Louise Allan.
Results
Race One (Open Maiden Race):
1 C Stewart’s Germany Park (Worcestershire) (M Smith),
2 P Rackham’s Round The Isles (Pytchley) (R Cope),
3 D Hilton & S Hector’s Just Lute (Puckeridge) (G Wrigley).
Also: Barry Lydon (pu), Daisy Duke (pu), Divine Mist (pu), Inching Brook (pu), Jumping Jeffrey (ro), Northall Lad (f), Sleeping Panther (pu). Twenty lengths, three lengths. 6.41. W £1.60. DF £7.60. SP 4-6 fav.
Race Two (Intermediate Race):
1 C Hitchings’ Fane Counsel (North Shropshire) (R Burton),
2 Mr and Mrs Harrison & D Kemp’s Cantarhino (Suffolk) (D Kemp),
3 C Cundall’s Princess Derry (Holderness) (owner).
Also: Prologue (f), Valman (pu). Two and a half lengths, a distance. 6.18. W £1.30. DF£1.10. SP 1-4 fav.
Race Three (Ladies Open Race):
1 T Fowler’s Macfin (Cottesmore) (Miss L Allan),
2 J M Turner’s Spring Gale (Suffolk) (Miss Z Turner),
3 D Marriott’s Borrow ine (CUDH) (Miss L Marriott).
Also: General Confusion (4), Mister Audi (5), Dook’s Delight (6), Pele Mele (pu). Neck, one length. 6.30. W£3.30. DF £1.70. SP 2-1 (Spring Gale evens fav).
Race Four (Men’s Open Race):
1 R French’s Templebreedy (North Shropshire) (R Burton),
2 Mrs J Tice’s Teeton Priceless (Pytchley) (R Cope),
3 J M Turner’s Militaire (Suffolk) (J Owen).
Also: Be My Dream (4), Exclusive Air (pu), Weavers Choice (pu). Two lengths, two lengths. 6.37. W £1.20. DF£9.60. SP 4-5 fav.
Race Five (Restricted Race):
1 D Hey’s Pristeen Spy (North Shropshire) (R Burton),
2 Mrs J Tice’s Teeton Fizz (Pytchley) (N Pearce),
3 A Howland-Jackson’s Present Moment (Suffolk) (N Moore).
Also: Camden Loch (4), Granny Dick (5), Agua Ardente (ur), Broad Edge (pu), Ical (pu), Jerome Jerome (pu), Lord Montagu (pu), Mister Ringa (pu), Mr Moonbeam (pu), Run Monty (pu), What A Charmer (pu). Twenty lengths, 25 lengths. 6.34. W £25.40, DF £14.40 winner with any horse. SP 12-1 (Agua Ardente 7-4 fav).
Race Six (Confined Race):
1 Miss R Heikkola’s Algan (CUDH) (P York),
2 Mr and Mrs J Ridge’s Bard Of Drumcoo (Suffolk) (D Kemp),
3 J M Turner’s Leatherback (Suffolk) (J Owen).
Also: Artic Snip (4), Lord Euro (f), Persian Bandit (pu), The Glen Road (pu). Twenty-five lengths, a distance. 6.46. W £16.50. DF £7.40. SP 7-1 (Bard Of Drumcoo 4-7 fav).
