Classically-bred Bells on Aintree trail

The Vaughan family will be at Aintree this evening hoping to win the year’s second and final point-to-point bumper with a horse who is bred in the purple.

Trainer Tim Vaughan and son Ed (pictured above with Tim’s wife Abbi) run Bells Of Ufford, a son of legendary sire Galileo out of the Oaks winner Dancing Rain. The four-year-old joins a field of 12 for the two-mile race (8.40), which is sponsored by Pendle Capital and worth £4,400 to the winner. Dancing Rain, who won the Epsom fillies’ Classic when trained by William Haggas, was bought at Tattersalls in Newmarket by Godolphin for 4,000,000gns when she retired from racing in 2013, and she has since produced five successful foals including Gr.2 winner Magic Lily and Gr.1-placed Jalmoud, who are three-parts siblings to the Vaughans’ horse.

Yet when Bells Of Ufford was offered among a draft of Godolphin horses at Tattersalls in August as an unraced three-year-old he was knocked down to Tim Vaughan and Select Racing for just 20,000gns. He has since had one run in a JRL Group point-to-point flat race at Ystradowen, which he duly won comfortably, with Pink Eyed Pancho – who is also running in the Aintree race – just over seven lengths behind in third.

Other runners in the Aintree race include the Leslie Jefford-trained Prophesea, who won the Exeter point-to-point bumper held last month and is now chasing a four-timer. Prophesea carries a 5lb penalty, but rider Anna Johnston – who is in contention for point-to-pointing’s novice women’s championship – claims 7lb.

Prophesea (Callum Pritchard, nearest camera) is now chasing a four-timer (Ce)

The Phil Rowley-trained Bear Market made a winning start in a Bangor flat race in March, while Anariza, trained by licence holder Tom Ellis, scored in a similar race at Brafield-on-the-Green with Zloty and Modder River – who reoppose this evening – taking second and third.

Modder River has since won a maiden point-to-point over two and a half miles at Overton when ridden by Ellis’s wife Gina Andrews, although the five-year-old is reunited with trainer Jack Teal for the Aintree test. Stablemate Callmesusie is the mount of Teal’s sister, Lois.

Modder River with trainer Jack Teal in the saddle (Ce)

Others to note include Miami Magic, who made a winning debut at Charm Park for trainer/rider Dale Peters following two runs in Irish point-to-points, and Wake Up Hadley, who was third on debut at Kimble in March and who represents the stable of Bradley Gibbs. He won the race last year with Saunton Surf.

Point-to-point bumpers are restricted to horses who have finished in the first three in a point-to-point flat race or maiden race, they cannot have run under rules other than in one of the two point-to-point bumpers, but they can be stabled with point-to-point or licensed trainers.

A third such race held at Stratford in recent seasons and due to take place on the final Friday of this month will not be held.