PREVIEW – BEDALE (SATURDAY 11TH APRIL)

Hornby Castle next Saturday 11th April will once again play host to the Bedale point to point. The day always attracts a huge crowd and with 69 entries across the six race card there should be some exciting racing to enjoy.

The racing cracks off at 1.30pm with the DDR and Partners Conditions (Level 2). The Furness family’s Camdonian comes here with the best form in the book and he is a high class performer with a prolific winning record. He was a little below par last time out at Dalton Park however and as a lover of soft ground he may not find the conditions here to be in his favour. The Easterby brothers look to have two of the main dangers in The Story So Far and Benefact of which the last named looks the pick. The Story So Far won his only point outing thus far at Helmsley in February but looked a hard ride. Benefact was in good form at the tail end of last season winning twice on quick ground and he ran a cracker when not beaten far at Dalton Park on the good old parkland turf. With conditions likely to favour him here, he rates as the main danger.

Others to note include Getupearly who has posted two cracking front running performances where he was only caught late on both times, Imperial Imp who will be better for his fourth place on seasonal debut last week at Sheriff Hutton and Jardin Carre who won here last season and will also improve from his reappearance run at Charm Park having been kept off the track by a minor injury. Others who can go well at likely longer odds include Moonlight Flit, Liffeydale Dreamer and Second Subaltern. All three have placed form this season and could get involved if running to their best.

Race two is the Barkers Home Intermediate in which the aforementioned Benefact, Getupearly, Imperial Imp and Second Subaltern all hold alternative entries. Benefact would again be the pick of those however there are several useful sorts also set to line up of which the best may be Fayrely Fruitful who is a youngster who is rapidly climbing the ladder. The daughter of a mare who won 20 of her 28 races she looks like she could emulate her mother having already won three of her five career starts. Her defeat of a good field at Dalton Park was a super performance and she rates as the one to beat. Driveondonn posted a very impressive winning performance at Charm Park in March however he could never quite get on terms when a four length third to Fayrely Fruitful in the Dalton park race so he needs to find a little in order to turn the tables. The Village Way carried on where he left off from his successful time last season when winning first time out at Alnwick and he looked to be going places however things haven’t quite gone as well for him of late but if he can recapture his form he would be a danger to all. Finally for anyone looking for an each way bet at longer odds then Courting Flow may be the one as he usually runs a solid race which often sees him placed if not winning.

Race three is the Irwin Mitchell Conditions (Level 2) over the shorter two miles six furlongs trip. The pick here must be the Easterby brother’s Largy Shark who put up a great performance against one of the best point to pointers in the country in Largy Pearl at Dalton Park where he looked the winner until getting outstayed late on and only gave best by a couple of lengths. The drop in trip here is ideal for him. Surprise Attack was last season’s leading Yorkshire horse and one of those wins came in the Mens Open over this course. He hasn’t hit top form quite yet this year but he is another who will appreciate drier conditions and has to be respected. Elen Wylie and Aimee Jones could make the long journey north to team up with any of Au Fleuron, Jay Bee Whiskey and Shang Tang. The last named looks the pick of the three and the conditions here will definitely suit. He demonstrated his wellbeing when winning the Ladies Open at Cotley in Somerset a fortnight ago and he rates as the other main danger.

Race four is Lowes and Saltus Business Ladies Open which is also run over the shorter trip. This looks like it lies between any one of three. Daisy White’s Killer Clown will be looking to repeat his

win in this race twelve months ago and he looked better than ever when a comfortable winner of a Ludlow hunter chase three weeks ago. With conditions set to suit him again he will take all the beating. The two chief dangers are the Charles and Emma Clark pair of Summerville Boy and Tag Man. Both have shown very useful winning form this season and the last named will be looking for compensation after being demoted to second in the Ladies Open at Tranwell last time out. His previous win at Helmsley was very impressive. Summerville Boy needs no introduction and the evergreen fourteen year old never runs a bad race. He lost nothing in defeat when beaten just a length by the Northern Area’s up and coming young star Eastern Storm on the same day at Tranwell.

Of the others the wonderfully consistent Ballydonagh Boy is sure to run his usual great race. He wins plenty but is vulnerable to high class opposition. The Wylie and Jones team have the same three entered here too and depending which they opt for will hope to play a hand whilst finally Second Subaltern has posted some good efforts but has quite a bit to find on Tag Man on the Tranwell run.

Race five is the Hill Cross Furniture Mens Open and most of these hold earlier engagements on the card so it is a question of waiting to see which of them take up this race as the preferred choice. With the Clarks and Easterbys both having more than one option with Tag Man and Summerville Boy and Benefact and The Story So Far respectively the likelihood is that they will split them up and one or another will be running here. Camdonian and Surprise Attack could also take this option and perhaps the last named is most likely to appear here having won this race twelve months ago. The one who holds this as the sole entry is Will Brown’s Isocrate and he will come here in top form having won nicely a week ago at Sheriff Hutton. If he makes a quick reappearance he is likely to put up another bold show.

The day concludes with the Biker Group Concrete Maiden where the three most likely sorts look to be Blackhill King, Follow The Leader and Black Aquila. It is only a question of time before the first named gets his head in front and time may tell that he ran into a really good one when second at Sheriff Hutton behind Wotter Trotter and that would put him at the top of the shortlist for this. Follow The Leader and Black Aquila could meet again having clashed last time out at Tranwell where the former was beaten a length into second with Black Aquila a further four lengths back and they both look sure to play a big part here. Jack Teal has a trio entered who could have prospects via Talktotherocks, Tellmesam and Run Around Susie,. Whilst they haven’t perhaps shown the same level of form as yet that some of the others have the yard’s maiden horses always must command respect. Beyond those it is always worth keeping an eye on the unexposed youngsters and the likes of Gonalston Sunset who was fourth at Dalton Park on just his second outing together with the once raced pair of First Orchid and Florrie’s Promise are all likely to do better in time.

Entrance is £15 per person with under 16s free. Gates open at 10.30am. There will be a range of food outlets and trade stands some of which may only take cash and it will also be handy to carry some if you wish to place a bet with the bookmakers. For the young ones there is a kids zone and well behaved dogs are welcome on a lead. The postcode for the Satnav is DL8 1N