A LOOK AHEAD TO THE WEEKEND’S POINT TO POINT
Tipster DONNA HARRIS makes her best selections ahead of racing at Upcott Cross
HOSTING duties will fall to the Eggesford Hunt this weekend for the latest instalment of point-to-point racing in the Devon and Cornwall area.
Racing at Upcott Cross on Sunday, May 9 is set to get underway at 2pm, with 110 entries having been received for the seven-race card.
Once again the meeting, taking place in the heart of Devon near Okehampton, will be held behind closed doors, but can be watched online via the increasingly popular live-streaming service.
The Eggesford Champion Mixed Open, sponsored by Simpkins Edwards, looks to be the feature of the day. With over £600 in prize money, entries include former National Hunt and multiple pointto-point winners Chameron and Virak, for trainer Sam Loxton. Virak also holds an entry at Holnicote tomorrow, so connections may choose to run him there. Navanman would be a popular winner at this track for trainer John Heard and could follow up on his hunter chase spin around Cheltenham at the end of last month, when he finished a creditable one-and-a-half length third. The well bred Galileo-sired Los Alamos, for Welsh trainer Luke Price, could go close if turning up here and follow up on his Men’s Open win at Trebudannon two weeks ago.
In the opening Chris Hodgson-sponsored Conditions, Raddon Top could go well for trainer Les Jefford and Conor Houlihan if reproducing his impressive win at Wadebridge. The Roestone also catches the eye in this for trainer Robert Chanin, on the back of his Cherrybrook win last month. Trainer Camilla Scott holds an entry with The Mulcair, who ran second in a hunter chase at Leicester in March and is another who could go well if defying top weight under jockey Finn Muirhead. Unioniste will run an honest race and should be in the frame at the finish for father and son team, Mike and Will Biddick.
The Totnes & Bridgetown Races Company-sponsored Intermediate holds a strong entry from the Heard family in Cottage Rose, who was a worthy winner at Flete Park last month. They could come up against outside raider Ahead Of The Game, a winner at Higham and Edgcote for trainer Jason Warner; Danny Archer for the Jefferson family, a progressive sort with recent winning form; and Where’s Wilma, another highly rated entry who could improve on her recent second at Flete Park for jockey Matt Hampton.
The C & R Construction and Bowen Equus-sponsored Open Maiden has already been divided. Those catching the eye in the first division are Everon (Neil McLean), Loodeen (Charlie Dando) and Whatabug (Sarah Prouse), all having had the benefit of a run this season and gaining place form. Suggestions for the second division based on their previous form are Jasmin Des Bordes (Teresa Clark), Jimmy Tew (Janet Akner) or Thursdayateight (Annabelle Bacon).
Will Biddick could ride and train the winner of the Waie Inn and Ford Fuels-sponsored Restricted race if Florrie Webb, who was a winner at Cothelstone last month, doesn’t take up his entry at Holnicote instead. Also catching the eye is Party Tunes for trainer Dean Summersby, who could follow up on his impressive 20-length win at Trebudannon two weeks ago under Darren Edwards.
Rounding off the day’s action will be the Totnes & Bridgetown Races Company-sponsored Conditions. Attracting plentry of talent, The Last But One, owned and trained by Tom Malone, will be looking to reproduce the form of his Trebudannon Ladies Open victory last month. He does hold entries in earlier races on the card, as well as at Holnicote. Cloudy Music (Dean Summersby) will run a sound race under young jockey Charlotte Summersby, while The Mulcair could opt for this race over his entry in the earlier Conditions.
The meeting will be live-streamed, with a complete programme of race commentary and interviews led by former BBC racing correspondent, Cornelius Lysaght, who will be joined by former top National Hunt jockey Lizzie Kelly and betting expert, Simon Nott. To register for the livestream, which costs £10 plus a small admin fee, you will need to log on to Eventbrite which can be accessed through the Devon and Cornwall Point-to-Point Association website pointingdc.co.uk.
For those spectators wanting to bet, the contact numbers to register are 07711 298746 for Richard Pittard and 07810 775119 for Dave Phillips. For further updates, follow the Devon and Cornwall Point-to-Point Association on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter