Quorn
Garthorpe
Sunday 18th April 2010
by Emma Forman
The Quorn Point- to- Point will be held at Garthorpe on Sunday 18th April, the first race is scheduled for 1 pm. This is the third of five meetings to be held at this first class venue in 2010. Garthorpe is situated on the B676, six miles east of Melton Mowbray and seven miles west of the A1. For those with satellite navigation systems the postcode is LE14 2RS. Admission is £8 per person. There will be bookmakers, a licensed bar and a good range of trade stands. A large entry of 143 has been received to contest the seven races; the feature race is the Men’s Open race for the Quorn Gold Cup. The course is in excellent condition and will be watered as necessary.
The first race on the card is the Member’s race which has been kindly sponsored by Mr and Mrs Harold Morton and seven horses have been entered. Jack Day has a good chance of winning on Jonny Rye. This six year old Anshan gelding was third behind Monkerty Tunkerty in the Open Maiden race at Welbeck. He is trained by Helen Connors for CW Foukes. High Ron should also run well; he was third in the Young Horse Maiden at Welbeck behind Adieu Mari on his debut. High Ron will be ridden by the experienced Joe Docker and may come out on top here.
Mr and Mrs P Hewitt and Mr and Mrs J Bealby are kindly sponsoring the feature race; the Men’s Open race over three and a half miles for the Quorn Gold Cup. Eighteen entries have been received and the Ken Lippett Trophy will be awarded to the first rider past the post qualified with the Belvoir, Quorn or Cottesmore. This race is part of the Garthorpe Open Race Bonus Championship Series and looks like being a very competitive and interesting race. Richard Hunnisett has three points in the Championship with his Belvoir Mixed Open race winner Denvale. He also has The King Of Angels entered; this horse was narrowly beaten by Aztec Warrior in the Men’s Open at the South Notts meeting on Easter Monday. Aztec Warrior and George Henderson have already won twice at Garthorpe in Novice Riders races this season and hold an entry here. The Henderson family also have The Luder entered; he was third behind Denvale at the Belvoir meeting. Charlotte Covell has last year’s winner Picabo Kid entered again. This horse won a Hunter Chase at Fakenham on Easter Monday and stays very well. Picabo Kid will be ridden by Johnny Bailey and has a very good chance. Richard Armson’s mount True Friday was second in the Men’s Open race at the Cottesmore meeting and has since been placed third in a Hunter Chase at Southwell. There are a number of entries at this meeting from the Yorkshire area. David Easterby has Hunter Chase winner Pristine Condition entered, this horse will definitely stay three and a half miles and will be ridden by one of the Greenall brothers. David Easterby’s sister Cherry Coward has Lord Daresbury’s former Cheltenham Foxhunter’s winner Amicelli entered. He will also be ridden by one of the Greenall family and has an excellent chance.
The third race on the card is the Whowell and Associates Ladies Open and this race is also included in the Garthorpe Open Race Bonus Championship Series. Nineteen entries have been taken including last year’s winner Public Esteem. This horse was second behind Present Oriented at Hackwood Park in March. Jockey Anna Smith – Maxwell has the choice of either Public Esteem or Winning Counsell. Winning Counsell was also placed second in March behind Scotland Yard at Higham. Point Proven who won the Oakley Confined in quite a fast time holds an entry here as well as in the later Confined race. Gus is likely to make the running; he was placed second at the South Notts meeting recently. Kelly Morgan who rides Gus is in form having won a Ladies Selling Hurdle at Market Rasen for her father Kevin Morgan last Sunday. Jill Dawson has Vingis Park entered; he was second behind the talented Eliza Doalott at the Grove and Rufford meeting. Margaret Moody’s Pass The Parsel has won twice this season and if he runs here it will be his first attempt in a Ladies race. He is trained by Gerald Bailey and also holds an entry in the Confined race.
Gerald Bailey has a good chance of winning the fourth race; the Six Hills Leisure Park sponsored Confined race with Byways Boy. This progressive seven year old, one of twenty one entries, is owned by Welbeck secretary Jane Bowen and her husband Alan. Byways Boy will be ridden by leading Midlands Area rider Dickie Barrett. The Henderson family have the choice of Aztec Warrior and The Luder in this race. True Friday, Pass The Parsel and Point Proven hold entries here as well as in earlier races. The fifteen year old Nautical Lad who won gamely at the South Notts on Easter Monday is entered again here and will be ridden by Joe Docker. Enigma Variations is turning into something of a Garthorpe specialist having won both his Maiden and Restricted races here. Tom Ellis is likely to ride this front runner who will take some beating as he moves up a grade.
Prestwold Hall is kindly sponsoring the Restricted race which has attracted twenty four entries and looks competitive. Gerald Bailey may run his promising five year old Hardwick Wood here. This gelding by Fleetwood won a Maiden at Whitfield before going on to be placed third behind Enigma Variations at the Belvoir meeting. If Hardwick Wood runs he will be ridden by Gerald’s son Johnny. Holly Campbell’s Silver Tenor won a Maiden race in soft ground at the Brocklesby meeting. However, this race may be dominated by Yorkshire horses. Cherry Coward has Lord Daresbury’s six year old Minellity entered. This horse won the two and a half miles Maiden at the last meeting here beating Iron Cross by a length and a quarter. David Easterby has both Bangor Maiden winner Attrapeur and Middleton Maiden winner Sutton entered.
The sixth race is the William Hercock Open Maiden race for which twenty eight horses have been entered. Essenbee likes fast ground and has a chance of being placed for the Kirkby family. David Easterby may run Hunt Ball here or in the final Maiden. Hunt Ball was a good second at Witton Castle in February but has been disappointing in subsequent races. Lazzari was third at Paxford on Easter Monday when the ground was soft. The winner may well be Graham Carsberg’s Global Chaser. This Classic Cliché gelding has had a few runs in bumpers and over hurdles when trained by Caroline Bailey. He has since moved into Gerald Bailey’s Point-to-Point yard and makes his debut in the amateur ranks on Sunday.
The seventh and final race is the Quenby Hall Young Horse Maiden over two and a half miles. Twenty six entries have been taken and this race is due off at 4.30pm. The Gerald Bailey stable have a good chance again here with Margaret Moody’s Kandelin. This seven year old gelding by Beneficial has been placed third on several occasions this season and may be able to lose his Maiden status here. David Easterby may run Hunt Ball here instead of in the earlier three miles Maiden. Mark Barthorpe’s Alflora Dora has a very good chance. This mare ran well to be third at the South Wold meeting and then fell when going well at the Oakley; she may be able to make amends here.
Following the last race a Charity race sponsored by Richard Clowes Property Search and Consultancy will take place. This is a flat race over one mile and six furlongs and will be well worth staying for.
