PREVIEW: SOUTH WOLD (SATURDAY 17TH JANUARY)

After the November running of the Cottesmore meeting brought an
unprecedented early start to the Midlands Pointing season, we now
brush off the cobwebs of the festive season and look forward to our
annual renewal of the South Wold’s fixture, Revesby Races.

We would like to welcome their new Secretary Bridget Crawford to the
fold and wish her all the best for what should be a very competitive
meeting, with 54 entries across six races. These include a maiden,
restricted, intermediate and mixed open races, as well as a novice
riders conditions race and one of the new series of races for horses
which have been rated up to 110 under the rules of professional
racing.

The feature race of the afternoon is the Mark Barthorpe Memorial Mixed
Open, kindly sponsored by Mrs Barthorpe and Mrs Wallis, and has very
classy entries, all of whom will be looking for qualification wins for
later in the season.

Kelly Morgan-trained Music Drive needs little introduction to Revesby
racegoers, where he beat Captain Biggles to win this race in style
last year. DJ as he is known at home went on to win at Brocklesby,
before finishing fourth in the Cheltenham Foxhunter and finishing the
season with a win in the Jonathan Neesom Hunter Chase.

The MMI Partnership’s Joe O’Shea-trained Barton Snow will present a
real challenge to Music Drive, albeit under Amber Jackson-Fennel for
the first time. The Snow Sky nine-year-old won the intermediate race
at Askham Bryan last season, before going on to win three hunter
chases over shorter distances, including the Restricted point-to-point
HC at Stratford. He will give the opposition five pounds.

Classy Eleven-year-old grey Linelee King (James King) is trained by
Camilla Murphy and will be making his debut on a point-to-point course
this time. He ran twice last season in this country, winning his debut
at Southwell in the attheraces.com Hunter Chase in March before going
on to finish second behind Autonomous Cloud in the 3m1f hunter chase
at Cartmel in May.

Master Templar, also 11, is another high class horse, trained and
ridden by Gina Andrews. Starting their season last year with victories
at Chaddesley Corbett and Garthorpe, they finished fifth behind
Linelee King at Southwell and then fell in the Aintree Foxhunters’.

The opening race of the day is a conditions race for novice riders
which has been kindly sponsored by PCS Pedersen. The Herbert family’s
Highstakesplayer is the standout based on rating, finishing second in
the 2m4f Royal Gloucestershire Hussars Hunter Chase at Cheltenham last
May under Sean O’Connor, and starting this season with a third at
Larkhill. Giving them a challenge will be Major Dundee (Clara Brewitt)
who was second on British Points debut at Charing last month. Coeur
Serein started this season with a sixth at Chaddesley Corbett having
won last year in this area in a three-runner field at Garthorpe. Seven
No Trumps also won at Garthorpe last season, but hasn’t been placed in
three runs since.

This is followed by the Robert Harriss Open Maiden, for which 13 are
entered. Sally Spink and The Why Not Partnership have some local
interest here with the appropriately named Red Letter Day. Competition
for the places will likely come from Maxfly d’Agrostis, Just A Joy or
Miss Tele, but there are some surprises ahead in this field with some
trainers making a long trip for this one.

The Spilsby NFU Intermediate follows the Mixed Open and 1.45pm
includes a choice of runners for Midlands trainer/jockey Dale Peters.
The well-rated Largy Pearl had a very successful campaign last season,
which saw them finish second behind Barton Snow at Stratford in the
Restricted Hunter Chase there, having scored three wins from three
prior to that. Dale also has Line Em Up, a winner at Alnwick in
December which may run in the last. Boley Bob, trained by Joe O’Shea,
also won on their first outing of this season in Ireland, but is more
likely to run in the last here I suspect. Champagne Glory, also
trained in the Midlands – by Stuart Morris, was second in his opening
run of this season at Horseheath. Bradley Gibbs trains Premier Fantasy
for the Swinburnes, placed on almost every occasion last season and
third in their first run of this season at Chaddesley Corbett. Others
to mention include Arctic Oscar for Gina Andrews and Andrew
Pennock-trained Trojan de Berlais.

Seven horses are entered for the next race, part of The Jockey Club
0-110 Rated Series, for horses who have been rated up to 110 under
rules, and two horses stand out in this field. Pillar Rock, trained
and ridden by Gina Andrews, won their last four outings of last
season, two at Garthorpe and two at Kingston Blount. Wallace Ollinger,
trained and ridden by Dale Peters, won twice last season – notably on
debut here at Revesby last January, and at Dingley, before finishing
the season with a second in a chase at Hexham. Their first run this
season saw them brought down when challenging at Alnwick.
Tellmesomethingood is trained by Alan Hill and will be having their
second run this season here or in the next, finishing third at
Larkhill last time out. Whosmydaddy might be one to watch, a winner of
two chases under rules, now starting a career between the flags.

The last race of the afternoon is the Restricted Race, sponsored by
The Annandale, which includes entries for Boley Bob,
Tellmesomethingood and Line Em Up, also entered in previous races but
in with good chances here. Joe O’Shea-trained Monfin Girl is another
to watch, second on British debut after winning in Ireland. Cadillac
Ranch also won on his first British trip, beating a field of twelve at
Charing.

Tickets are available online from Midlands Pointing or on the gate.
There is always great support for this meeting, and there will be
plenty to do for all the family. We look forward to seeing you on
Saturday.