Course winners back for more at Flete Park races
POINT-TO-POINT enthusiasts will be heading back to Flete Park tomorrow for the second and final meeting of 2021-22 at this picturesque parkland track.
Flete Park Races (Totnes and Bridgetown Races Company) will be hoping for another bumper crowd, following the sell-out Dartmoor meeting on Easter Saturday.
A total of 50 entries have been received for the six-race card, due to come under starters’ orders at 2pm.
Racing will be headed up by the Francis Clark-sponsored Maiden, which has attracted a healthy 16 entries. Call Me Simon (Rob Chanin) will be looking to improve on his third at Dunsmore, while Gunner Vic (Hugh Thomas) was forced to settle for second place at Kilworthy but is progressive and deserves to win soon. Hold Me Tight (Ed Walker) is another with consistent place form.
In the Restricted, sponsored by Hassall Law, Champions Hill (George Beilby) won his Maiden at the previous Flete Park meeting under Conor Houlihan and Say About It (Roy Smith) came home seven lengths in front to shed his Maiden tag at Great Trethew back in February, before finishing six lengths second behind Nobody does it better at Buckfastleigh (March 13) and four lengths behind Transition Period at Stafford Cross last Sunday.
The Totnes and Bridgetown Races Company sponsor the four-mile Ladies Open in which Virak (Sam Loxton) would be a popular winner for young jockey Olive Nicholls, who is also booked to ride Rhythm Is A Dancer for Georgie Nicholls. Rhythm Is A Dancer does hold an entry at the Cattistock meeting in Chilfrome, so may head there instead. Ottery St Mary-based trainer Ed Walker has two entries in the mix, Board Of Trade and Danseur Du Large. The former won the four-mile race here last year beating Southfield Theatre, while the latter finished second to Chameron at Buckfastleigh and holds an entry for the hunter chase evening at Cheltenham today.
The first of three Conditions races, sponsored by Marchand Petit, could see Minimalistic trebling up for the season under Josh Newman. The Darke family-owned gelding is another to hold a provisional entry for Cheltenham. Previous hunter chase winner Llancillo Lord (Megan Bevan) has the potential to go well here if recovering from his fall at Stratford. However Field Exhibition (Ed Walker) looks to be the main danger, having notched up some decent place form this season but he will need to have recovered from his fall at Cothelstone.
In the Brewin Dolphin-sponsored Novice Riders, Alternatif (Annabelle Bacon) holds the highest rating and won the Conditions at the last Flete Park meeting under Otis Morgan.
The 17-year-old also has the option of riding Skylander for his mother’s Dartmoor Racing Club, who was also a winner at this track when finishing alone in the Hunt Members race. Miltown Bridge (Gordon Chambers) could go close if improving on his third here two weeks ago.
Closing the day at 4.55pm will be the Veteran Conditions, sponsored by Olympus Plant and Tool Hire. Open to horses aged nine years and over, previous course winner Board Of Trade (Ed Walker) should go close for Chloe Emsley if not competing in the Ladies Open. Alternatif and Field Exhibition must also be considered, if connections choose to take up their entries in this race rather than those earlier in the card.
Flete Park (PL21 9NX) is located at Ermington, just north of Ivybridge. Entry is £15 per person, including a race card, with a maximum fee of £60 per car load. Under sixteens enter free of charge and dogs on leads are welcome. Facilities include hot and cold refreshments, bar, bookmakers and a variety of trade stands including Farmers Friend, The Oyster Shack and Surfing Cow Ice Cream.
Live-streaming of this meeting will be available via the EventBrite link at www.pointingdc.co.uk/Live. For more information and the latest ground updates, please visit the website www.pointingdc.co.uk.