REVIEW
MODBURY HARRIERS
FLETE PARK
SATURDAY 1 MAY 2004
by Lee Glanville

With Wendy Southcombe out of action after an accident a fortnight ago at the Seavington, her mare Ardross Gem was partnered by Rachel Green to take the feature race of the day, the ladies' four mile open at the Modbury Harriers point to point at Flete Park.

Victory had looked like heading south to Cornwall as Paul Tylor's Guru Rinpoche (Lucy Gardner) made much of the running, but Dorset-trained Ardross Gem got up to win by half a length. Alice Mills, 16, on her own South Devon-qualified Defendthe realm was third.

Gardner had earlier taken the opening Confined race on her own Bak On Board beating course winner Dennis Williams' Midnight Coup (Guy Weatherley).

No one was keen to take on John and Diane Jordan's Lady Misprint (Derek McKenna) in the men's open, after two impressive wins from two runs this season, and she made it a hat-trick, comfortably beating sole rival Dear As Saffron, partnered by Will Biddick. It was McKenna's sixth win of the season and Lady Misprint is trained by Nicky Frost at Buckfastleigh.

Another horse who has mirrored Lady Misprint - and made it a hat-trick from three starts - was Impatient Lady trained by Lucy Johnson. Impatient Lady's last win was over the same course and distance, with the same horse, Lingering Fog (Mary McCarthy) back in second place but this time she benefited from the fall of the favourite, Bodiddley (Chloe Roddick) as the field set out on the final circuit.

McCarthy went one better when taking the Pegasus Club race - restricted to members of the bar - on her own Sandy Duff - a double for trainer Nicky Frost.

There was a shock result in the Intermediate when Tabitha Cave on the favourite Raregem - also bidding for a hat-trick - was beaten by Elegant Light (Sarah Gaisford).

Results:

Confined: 1, Bak On Board, Miss L Gardner; 2, Midnight Coup, G Weatherley; 3,Silver Man, Mrs M Hand. Four ran, 4l, 15l, 6.40.

Intermediate: 1, Elegant Light, Miss S Gaisford; 2, Raregem, Miss T Cave; 3, Commander Cully, M Sweetland. Four ran, 5l, dist, 6.38.

Restricted: 1, Impatient Lady, A Glassonbury; 2, Lingering Fog, Miss M McCarthy; 3, Indiana John, T Dennis. 11 ran, 5l, 15l, 6.39.

Ladies Open (4 miles):1, Ardross Gem, Miss R Green; 2, Guru Rinpoche, Miss L Gardner; 3, Defendtherealm, Miss A Mills. Six ran, 1/2l, 18l, 8.05.

Men's Open: 1, Lady Misprint, D McKenna; 2, Dear As Saffron, W Biddick. Two ran, 7l, 6.36.

Pegasus Club: 1, Sandy Duff, Miss M McCarthy; 2, Court Alert, S Brodie. Three ran, only two finished. Dist, 6.33.

Open Maiden: 1, Cabin Boy, T Allanson; 2, Je Suis, I Hambley; 3, Abbey's Girl, A Glassonbury. Seven ran, 4l, sh, 7.03.