PREVIEW: COLLEGE VALLEY & NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND (SATURDAY 21st FEBRUARY)

The Northern Area Point-to-Point season continues on Saturday 21st February with the College Valley & North Northumberland fixture at the Ratcheugh Farm course near Alnwick.

It has received 61 entries (comprising 55 individual horses) for a six-race card which starts at 1,00pm, and takes place on fresh ground with all fences moved to the inner racing line since last month’s Percy meeting.

The opening 2m4f Goffs-sponsored GB Pointing Bonus Young Horse Maiden Race has potential long distance travellers from the yards of Tom Scudamore, Chris Barber, Francesca Poste, Louise Bevin and Gina Andrews among the 11 entries along with Yorkshire raiders trained by Jack Teal, Alice Dawson and Thomas Easterby.

L’Hybris Is Born (Gina Andrews) is the pick of the quartet already seen in action, having been narrowly beaten on debut by Briskalo and Hoo’s The Jet when dead-heating for third with Barito in a blanket finish at Chaddesley Corbett and the form was franked when Barito won next time out at Sheriff Hutton. 

In that Chaddesley Corbett contest, Tom Scudamore-trained Admiral Oxo weakened three out to finish eleven lengths 6th. Hang Out or Titi Montmartre would be a first Alnwick runner for Chris Barber, Francesca Poste can choose between debutants Just For Sport and Short Sell, while the pick of the Yorkshire trio is Jack Teal-trained debutant Good Moon Rising who is a half-brother to 122-rated winning hurdler I’m A Lumberjack.

Recent Maiden winners High On The Hill, Paddy Moans, Phantoms Cave and William Crump are set to meet in the 3m Womble Bond Dickinson Restricted Race (8 entries).

After a string of placed efforts, home-bred High On The Hill beat Where’s Willy by a short head in last month’s 3m Percy Maiden and has scope for further improvement, the step up in trip should not inconvenience Phantoms Cave who beat Hurricane Harmony by three-quarters-of-a-length in a fast time at Friars Haugh, lightly raced Paddy Moans was always prominent when landing a slowly run Berwickshire Maiden two weeks ago, while William Crump gradually warmed to his task on debut here last month before getting the better of Claramount on the run-in.

Of the others, Irish Maiden winner Mickthesoldier doesn’t have the benefit of a recent outing in his locker, while Rockhamton and Theoldboggroad finished five lengths 3rd and ten lengths 5th respectively to the progressive Sharing Is Caring in the Berwickshire equivalent.

Warwickshire raider Fumet d’Oudairies (Gina Andrews) boasts a career strike rate of 90% between the flags and is the one they all have to beat in the 3m Lycetts Mixed Open Race (10 entries). He looked as good as ever when beating Yippee Ki Yay on his comeback outing at Sheriff Hutton five weeks ago and handles soft ground well. Of the others, Lucinda Russell-trained Whatdeawant faces his stiffest test to date as he bids for a four-timer, hat-trick seeking Eastern Storm likes plenty of cut but is unproven over this trip, Eagles Rock finished four lengths 3rd to Whatdeawant at Alnwick in December and should again be in the mix, while South Wales raider Dalamoi, a half-brother to Don Poli, was only headed on the line by Al Gasparo in the Charing Men’s Open last time out.

The quartet to concentrate on in the Bedmax-sponsored 3m Northern Area Conditions Race (10 entries) are Courting Flow, Annie Magic, Harjo and So They Say.

Courting Flow boats form figures of 2112 at Alnwick and will be looking to go one better after chasing home Brandy McQueen at Friars Haugh last time. Both of Harjo’s best efforts this season have come at Alnwick. He was beaten under a length by Whatdeawant in December and appeared to be in command when unseating three out in the Percy equivalent. His departure in the latter contest left the way clear for Annie Magic and So They Say to fight out the finish, with the former rallying well to lead close home and score by a head.

Wottinger is joint top-rated in the 2m4f Alncom Conditions Race (8 entries). 

John Dawson’s mount landed an above average Alnwick Restricted over this trip in January 2025 in which the minor placing were filled by Call Me Early and Slaney Opera, and a repeat of that effort would make him hard to beat. Of the others, Largy Shark still held every chance when falling at the last in the Ratcheugh Racing Club equivalent won by The Village Way, former Henry De Bromhead-trained 121-rated chaser Potters Party is of interest down significantly in grade on his second start for Kelly Morgan’s yard, while Doyen For A Gin will be a first ride for Kai Wood who works full-time for Rebecca Menzies.

Where’s Willy and Kings Cowboy are joint top-rated in the concluding 3m Charles Stanley Maiden Race (14 entries).

Nick Oprwood’s mount Where’s Willy has been placed on his last six starts and must go close again, but will need to jump more fluently than he did in a slowly run affair at Friars Haugh last time, while the form of Kings Cowboy’s third placed effort at Chaddesley Corbett eight weeks ago has worked out well.

South Wales raider Celtic Harmony has been absent for 357 days since finishing runner-up at Didmarton, Claramount did little wrong when finishing third to Azlad and runner-up to William Crump over a shorter trip at Alnwick earlier this term, Pip Pirrip should come on a lot for his first start in ten months at Horseheath on December 31, while it wouldn’t be a surprise if the promising Jack Wooley bounced back from a below-par effort at Alnwick last month.

For the first time at Alnwick, the main action will be preceded by pony racing from 12.10pm, with 9 entries for the Bedmax 138cm Open Race sponsored by the Northern Area Pony Racing Team and 9 entries for the Bedmax 148cm Open Race sponsored by Equine Products.

The Ratcheugh Farm course is about 3m NE of Alnwick and is signposted from the A1. The post code is NE66 3AD and the What3Words address is tractor.kiosk.juices.

Admission is £15 per person (Cash only), with under 16’s free.