Modbury Harriers
Flete Park
Saturday 1st May 2010
by Lucy Johnson
Glorious Flete Park stages its second meeting of the season
FLETE Park near Ermington in South Devon is the venue for Saturday’s point-to-point meeting in the Devon and Cornwall area. The course has been watered since Tuesday to offset the effects of the long dry spell .
A maiden race at 2pm kicks off the first of six races where the country’s reigning ladies’ champion Polly Gundry has entered Tara Whale . The seven-year-old has run six times this season, finishing in the frame on three occasions. Most recently she was third in a 12-runner race in Warwickshire. Moonchrome has clocked up a couple of third places in maiden races this season and is improving and Josiah Bay finished second at the course two weeks ago.
He was beaten by Gorgeous Girl who scored a convincing 12 lengths success and is bidding to follow up in the restricted. She’ll face Miss Nosey who is trained by Flete’s clerk of the course Mike Weir and won nicely at Trebudannon in Cornwall earlier this month and Therecessionbeater and Will Scarlet who gained a well deserved success at Black Forest Lodge in March.
The ladies’ open is over the marathon trip of four miles and Long Night will be a popular choice having clocked up a couple of wins this season for his rider trainer Suzy Berry. Double Honour is a devout stayer who finished second in the race last year and both Dutch Bill and Blue Business are consistent open horses.
Entries in the two and a half mile maiden race include Rockjumper who was second in a maiden at Cothelstone earlier this month.
Come What Augustus scored his fifth success of the season at the course’s first meeting and he’s entered again in the men’s open. He’ll be a short price in the betting. An interesting runner is Kitley Hassle who has won twice at the course and showed a marked improvement in form when second at the Axe Vale with Ben Robarts on board. Paddy The Piper has quickly bonded with his new novice rider Michael Heard and he comes into it as well.
A confined race concludes the card and on form the Becky Kennen-trained Print The Money will be hard to beat. He’s won all four starts this season and is in contention to win the Devon and Cornwall area’s leading novice horse award.
The course is situated about two miles west of Modbury, Ivyrbidge and with plenty of trade stands, catering, a licensed bar and bookies as well as good viewing its the perfect venue for a family day out. Entrance is £20 per car or £10 per car with one occupant. Pony racing begins at 1pm.
