A COLD DAY IN HEREFORDSHIRE GETS THE HEART STIRRING

(The following article was originally published on the Point-to-Point Racing Company website on March 15th 2013, having been submitted by me for free.  Long since deleted from that site, it was retrieved from my archives and added to That Racing Blog on March 13th 2025 in good faith.  I will remove it in the unlikely event of being bidden by the PtPRC to do so).

Scene & Heard: North Hereford - Whitwick Manor

by The Clipboard

The victory of Over The Phone in the Confined Hunts race at this rearranged North Hereford fixture was a result that could literally have been described as a heart-stirring one - as well as being the first part of a four-timer for rider Tom Weston on the day.

The Rachel Hobbs-trained eight-year-old had looked a young horse going places when running up four consecutive victories in 2011, including hunter chase wins at Leicester and Newton Abbot. Five starts last season produced no further additions to the win tally, however, and pulled-up efforts as favourite at Garnons and Upton-on-Severn the last twice gave particular grounds for alarm.

A cause was sought, and found. "The vet diagnosed a heart irregularity", explained Clive Hitchings, husband of owner Joan, "and he was taken to Newmarket for an operation that required it to be stopped and started again. It needed two goes, and worked the second time. We've brought him along quietly since then, but he has looked back to his best at home and couldn't wait to get on with it today".

Over The Phone's 7l defeat of a race-fit Noble Ben was all the more meritorious, as the Heron Island gelding had found himself out in front after just four fences - "we wouldn't have wanted to lead" - and had to reassert after being headed by that rival at the start of the run-in.

"He'll definitely come on for it", continued Hitchings, whose wife Joan was too anxious to attend and had readily accepted the alternative offer from their children of a Mother's Day outing elsewhere. "We'd like to go back hunter chasing, but there are no fixed plans - it was a case of suck it and see today".

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Clive Hitchings, Rachel Hobbs and Tom Weston teamed up for a second winner later on the card, when Beth's Star, hitherto placed six times out of six without winning, found a three-runner first division of the Open Maiden (which had been split at entry rather than at scale) too good an opportunity to miss.

"It's a shame there were only three in it, and we wouldn't really have wanted him out in front", advised Hitchings, after the Kayf Tara nine-year-old had set off in front of his two rivals at flagfall and was left solo by the last of these pulling up two out. "Andy [Hobbs, trainer's husband] said somebody backed it at 2-1 to finish alone".

A double here continued a splendid March so far for the Hitchings, directors of AGA distributors Hills of Ledbury and owners also of the Paul Nicholls-trained Toubab, an all-the-way winner of a Doncaster class 2 handicap chase eight days earlier. The 140-rated chaser is likely to take his chance in the Red Rum Chase at Aintree next.

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"You've cost me the trophy!" smiled Clive Hitchings on greeting Tom Weston and Beth's Star in the winner's enclosure. In the event Weston's easing up close home did no such thing, with the time of division two winner Cracker Smile - also ridden by Weston - adjudged slower by both the official timekeeper and the Point-to-Point Racing Company's duty racereader.

"Definitely my first one. I've had a few trebles, but never four", confirmed Weston after that win on Cracker Smile completed a day without precedent for the Hindlip-based 26-year-old. His partner this time, a Blueprint nine-year-old, didn't see a racecourse until seven and was managing just a third racecourse outing all told - so no wonder his former trainer Helen Needham spoke in terms of a triumph of perseverance afterwards.

"We're delighted. We've had him forever and a day, but it's just been one problem after another", smiled Needham, whose work commitments had prompted her and father/owner Jim Callow to send the gelding to Chris and Ann Hooley.

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The Jockey Club/PPORA Mares' Maiden was subject to a lengthy delay whilst the horse ambulance got back into position, and the very slow start once the race began in earnest was perhaps understandable as the sextet of competitors would have frozen stiff whilst waiting.

The mare to warm (relatively speaking) to her task the most effectively proved to be Durban Gold, an earlier constituent part of Weston's four-timer and a success for owner Emma and trainer Robert Chugg.

"I've not run her since Barbury, as she came back with sore shins", explained Robert Chugg, referring to a 2m4f Maiden event back on December 9th. The homebred Flemensfirth six-year-old's training regime since then appears to have consisted of a mixture of TLC and pep talks. "Her mum Kohinor was a head second in a bumper. I keep telling her that. I keep telling her she has to do better than that!", the handler continued.

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"Bunny Girl is already struggling. To be fair to her, the weather's not really right for bunny girls" - commentator Edward Dingle raised a gentle laugh at the expense of the Con Rutledge-trained Mares' Maiden runner, as the temperature continued to plummet.

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The accuracy of number boards in the Welsh Borders Area can sometimes leave a little bit to be desired, but the only real howler this afternoon came before the Mares' Maiden, with Over Night Bag's trainer and rider Hannah Watson rechristened as Heather. Anyone for tennis?

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"What a difference the years make - two years ago, we had to divide this race", reflected Honorary Secretary Frank Morgan after just a couple of runners had contested this year's running of the AGA Ladies Open.

As a matter of fact, the 2011 renewal of this series qualifier, of which a leg each was won by Back In Business and Kalmo Bay, remains the most recent instance of any Open at a British Point-to-Point meeting having to divide at scale.

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The thin turn-out came as a surprise to Ian Prichard, trainer of winner Prince Massini, but not an entirely unwelcome one. "We have been wanting to run here each time the meeting's been scheduled to go on, though we were worried it would be too hot a race", admitted Prichard, after the 12-year-old had survived a last-fence scare under daughter Charlotte to beat home sole rival Kirbybroguelantern (Annabel Dalton) by virtually the length of the home straight.

Prince Massini had got no further than the eighth in last season's AGA Final before decanting Charlotte Prichard on the Prestbury Park turf, but father remains adamant that the partnership has something to offer in this year's equivalent at its new venue. "I'd love another crack at the Final, so long as the ground isn't too firm. He stays, so the longer trip at Stratford will be ideal", Ian Prichard advised.

That could make Friday, June 7th a busy day for him, if - as is likely - he is also required to deliver a report to the AGM of the Point-to-Point Owners' and Riders' Association earlier the same day, in his capacity as its treasurer.

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Annabel Dalton did not have the most satisfying of spins on Kirbybroguelantern, who hasn't shaped as if able to last more than half the full Pointing trip at racing pace on either of his two starts this season now.

The day had got off to a great start for the Childs Ercall-based 17-year-old, however, as victory aboard Joanne Priest's stalwart History Master opened her account for the season, whilst creating a new small chapter of family history for the Daltons in the process.

"It's exactly 20 years since her mother rode the winner of this race on Ah-Rule", confirmed Annabel's grandfather Neale Dalton, chairman of the Albrighton Point-to-Point committee, "though of course she was Heather McCaull then". Those of you with your 1994 editions of Hunter Chasers and Point-to-Pointers immediately to hand can see a photo of McCaull and Ah-Rule taking the final fence of that contest in unison (page 506).

Still eligible for novice riders' contests, a concerted crack at the national title is very much in the plans of Dalton this term and should gain momentum as the Areas most local to her crank further into gear. For History Master, meanwhile, this was the third Hunt Members victory of his life, following wins in 2009 and 2010 for Joanne Priest at Eyton-on-Severn's currently dormant Tanatside fixture.

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"Two wins in two weeks - this is getting scary", laughed Sue Rimell after the Restricted victory of Following Dreams. The hard-earned half-length success for the Beneficial gelding, jointly owned by Sue's husband Phillip and trainer Alastair Ralph's mother Di, followed on from the victory for the same owner and trainer team of Prof De L'Isle in the South Herefordshire Restricted at Garnons seven days earlier.

Both Rimells were fulsome in their praise of Alastair Ralph's efforts with their charges. "He has a very holistic approach to horses", explained Sue Rimell of the techniques applied by the assistant to Henry Daly, "We wouldn't be with him otherwise".

Plans open up with this success for the six-year-old, who was an eight-length victor over Beth's Star in one of three divisions of the Open Maiden on this card last year. "We want to win an Intermediate with him now and then go to the [Connolly's Red Mills] Final at Cheltenham if the ground is right", continued Phillip Rimell. "Mind, he needn't have it this soft, I think. The man who sold him to us said he'd be better on good".

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On board Prof De L'Isle a week earlier, Liam Payter had the winning ride on Following Dreams too, though his partner seemed to be calling some of the shots early on. "He was so keen in behind that I thought I'd better let him go on - why not", confirmed Payter.

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"He's a lovely horse" - Sue Rimell on Following Dreams.

"Good job we own half of it, then!" - Phillip Rimell, quick as a flash in reply.

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The Ladies' Open was a match, and the Men's equivalent which preceded it was very nearly not even that, before the sporting decision was taken by connections of Openditch to bring him to the course at short notice and put him up as competition to the sole other declaration Oedipe.

A pretty decent contest ensued in the circumstances, with the Will Telfer-ridden Openditch keeping Rhys Jenkins and Oedipe up to their work until around the final ditch, at which point the latter extended to assert by an eventual 15l.

This was Jenkins' first victory on his new partner, campaigned during the previous two seasons by David Easterby and sourced after his popular veteran Strong Weld had been lost to an aneurysm during a day's hunting. "After Strong Weld we decided Rhys needed something with a bit more class, and something that would be a safe ride at his age", reasoned Matt Sheppard, husband of trainer Nicky, adding; "Anyone can ride this horse - so I never get chance!"

"We first saw Oedipe at Doncaster Sales in August with a silly reserve on", continued Sheppard. "We made a bid that was rejected, but we had the same bid accepted when he was advertised in Horse and Hound three months on".

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Sheppard was also happy to provide his own irreverent personal profile of Jenkins whilst the rider weighed in. "Let's say that Rhys is 48, and he works as a Property Manager for ATS Tyres in Birmingham five days a week - it's probably him that closes things down. I just hope that win makes him smile. He's been so bloody miserable all day!"

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"Veteran rider? More like geriatric. But Mansell's still older than me!" - Jenkins' own take on his veteran rider status.