Gold Cup the highlight in opener

WHELEHAN PUTS MAIDSTONE ON RIGHT PATH Point-to-point

The new point-to-point season opens at Charing on Sunday with the Kent Gold Cup the feature race. It will again be sponsored by Shepherd Neame and run over three-and-a-half miles and replaces the Grand National, a familiar fixture on the calendar first run at Detling in April 1983. Fears about the future of the race were allayed when it was switched to the Ashford village course in 2012. Explaining the change, meeting secretary Sally Bowman said: “We felt it was hard to expect horses to run four miles when some of them haven’t had a run yet this season.” The meeting is one of 10 in the South East, including Godstone (March 5 and April 19), Penshurst (March 26 and April 22), Ashford Valley Hunt at Charing (Easter Saturday, April 15) and the East Kent/West Kent at Aldington on Easter Monday, April 17. Eighty-eight entries have been declared across the six-race opening day South East Hunts card (noon start). Admission prices are £15, £40 for a full car, children free.