Jack Bloom became the fourth successive generation of his family to win a race in the saddle at Fakenham (and broke his own riding duck in the process) by landing the Members Race at the West Norfolk Foxhounds Point-To-Point on Sunday. 19-year-old Bloom, from Wymondham, has a hard act to follow as both his father, Nigel, and grandfather, Mike, are former National Point-To-Point Champion Jockeys.
But you have to start somewhere and as far as family tradition is concerned there is no better place to do so than Fakenham. So Jack gained a terrific reception after he guided Rock Alliance, trained by his father, to a four length defeat of Captain Marshall in the Members Race.
Carey Williamson was the other riding star of a shower-swept afternoon during which 42 runners (almost two-thirds of the 68 entries) contested the six-race card. Williamson, who is based at the Cowlinge, near Newmarket, yard of John Ferguson, notched a double aboard Bach To The Wall in the PPORA Club Race and Baltic Blue in the Maiden.
Bach To The Wall continued the fine season being enjoyed by his owner-trainer, Nick Wright, from Badlingham, near Newmarket, while Baltic Blue is trained near Ware in Hertfordshire by Brian Dowling.
2012 has also been an annus mirabilis for the trainer/jockey combination of Andrew Pennock, from Timworth, near Bury St Edmunds, and Ben Rivett, from Sharrington, Norfolk. They enjoyed their eighth victory of the year together (Rivett has also scored once for another yard) when Milled got up on the run-in to deny Realt Ag Leimt in the Restricted Race.
The Rodeo Clown – Ferguson’s big hope for the day – had to settle for second place in the Mens Open behind the outsider, Walkin Aisy. This was another popular result as not only was it a first victory of the campaign for Sutton, near Ely, handler Martin Ward, it was also some measure of compensation a week after Ward lost a horse following a High Easter racefall which saw his daughter, Becky, suffer a broken ankle.
The closest finish of the day came in the Ladies Open as the Oxfordshire raider, Balladeer,proved just too strong for Kells Castle and Prince Louis.
Results
Members Race
1 Rock Alliance – Jack Bloom 14/1
2 Captain Marshall – David Kemp
3 The Piper’s Son – Stuart Higgins 2/5f
Time 6 mins 50 secs Dists: 4L, 6L 6 ran
PPORA Members Conditions Race
1 Bach To The Wall – Carey Williamson 7/4f
2 Native Bob – Ed Turner
3 Mister Tibus – Dicky Collinson
Time 6-42 Dists: 8L, 8L 9 ran
Restricted Race
1 Milled – Ben Rivett 4/1
2 Realt Ag Leimt – Dale Peters 5/4f
3 Dancing Dawn – James Ferguson
Time 6-44 Dists: 1L, 20L 7 ran
Men’s Open race
1 Walkin Aisy – Dicky Collinson 14/1
2 The Rodeo Clown – James Owen 4/5f
3 Carapuce – Dale Peters
Time 6-45 Dists: 1 1/2L, Dist 6 ran
Ladies Open race
1 Balladeer – Emily Harbour 2/1
2 Kells Castle – Annie Bowles
3 Prince Louis – Georgie Thorogood
Time 6-45 Dists: Nk, 3/4L 6 ran Defying Gravity 7/4f (4th)
Open Maiden
1 Baltic Blue – Carey Williamson 2/1f
2 King’s Performance – David Kemp
3 Dooneen The Brave – Dicky Collinson
Time 6-58 Dists: 5L, 20L 8 ran
Pony Racing
138cm
1 Jazz – Patrick Robinson 3/1
2 Charlie – Charlotte Ingleton
3 Sebastian – Honor Whyte 4/5f
Dists: 2L, 20L 7 ran
148cm Area Final
1 Gwen – Jack Gilligan 7/1
2 Doppio Moviemento – Jack Andrews 2/5f
3 Fitzwarren Field Of Dreams – India Taylor
Dists: 1/2L, 20L 10 ran