PREVIEW: THE OLD SURREY, BURSTOW & WEST KENT (SUNDAY 12TH APRIL)

Racing starts at 2pm with the maiden race for horses who have never won a race being run
over the shorter distance of two miles, four furlongs. This race has attracted eight entries, and
Ashford based trainer David Phelan has two entries, Carrickfergus and Wait At The Gate. Wait
At The Gate finished third at Parham but was subsequently promoted to second after second
placed Knocknagappagh was disqualified. Wait At The Gate had some good form in the early
part of last season but then unseated in his final start last year. His first race this season also
saw him slip up and he pulled up in his next start but then ran well at Parham and should be one
to watch here. Carrickfergus has completed on two of his four starts but pulled up on his most recent start at Howick four weeks ago, but may benefit from better going. Phil York trained Noir du Tay finished fifth in the maiden at Parham so finished behind Wait At The Gate, but this was his first completion and he will have learnt a lot from that run. Karen York also has Can’t Buy Time entered who has failed to finish on five of his six starts including at Parham two weeks ago. Luke Price trained Lady Bee Great was previously running under rules in Ireland in hurdle races for Ross O’Sullivan and was placed once in eight starts. This would be her first start in a point-to-point but that does not rule her out. Andrew Pennock’s Indie Rocknroll was third in a maiden at Ampton in January but has struggled in recent races and has pulled up in his last three starts. However, Michelle Bentham trained Constitution Grove has been placed in five of his nine starts in point-to-points including finishing second at Kimble last weekend, however he was thirty lengths behind the winner. However, over the shorter course distance there is every possibility that he will be involved at the finish. The final entry here is Admiral Bonzo for Luca Morgan who would be making his racecourse debut if he makes the journey to Penshurst. The Level Three Conditions race follows and will also be run over the shorter distance of two miles and four furlongs. Verity Green trained Castletown may be fourteen years old but he has had sixty two starts under rules in his career which resulted in four victories and thirty other finishes in second or third. He has had five starts in point-to-points and has been placed twice in those five starts including in his latest start at Ston Easton three weeks ago. David Phelan trained Carrolls Cottage finished second in a level three race for novice riders at Parham two weeks ago he finished ahead of Phil York trained Happy Larry who also has an
entry here. Happy Larry did finish third but was subsequently disqualified when his jockey failed
to weigh in. Harriet Etheridge trained Mister Tickle also ran at Parham two weeks ago and was third in a
level two conditions race won by Imperial Esprit, but he was in contention until the penultimate
fence and has every chance here. The final entry here is Nigel Padfield trained Penniless, who
has yet to race this season but was third over this distance at Charing in February 2025 but
pulled up in her next start at Kingston Blount in May 2025. The Mixed Open will be the first race to be run over three miles and has attracted six entries, which all come here with a good chance of victory. Jennifer Owen trained The Big Lense has won five on his six starts in point-to-points and was second on his other start and looks the one to beat if he lines up. He has also been placed in two of his fours starts in hunter chases. Rob Varnham trained Imperial Esprit won a level two conditions race at Parham two weeks ago and could be a threat to The Big Lense as he has also been placed in two hunter chases in the
past year. Slipway trained by James Luck, has previously ran under rules trained by Ben Pauling where he
won five of his twenty four starts. He ran in a hunter chase at Warwick in January and finished
fifth but was second in a ladies conditions race at High Easter at the beginning of March
finishing three lengths behind I’m Spellbound and won a level three conditions race for novice
riders at Siddington three weeks ago. Nigel Padfield’s Padjoes Legacy has won both of his starts this season, his first victory this season was a two length victory in a level two conditions race at Ampton and then he dead-heated with Commander of Ten in a level one conditions race at Parham two weeks ago.
Sarah Ashby trained Hand Over Fist was previously with Henry de Bromhead and won on four
starts whilst at the yard but has only had two starts in a point-to-point. He ran out early in the
race on his first start but was in contention in the Mixed Open at Parham two weeks ago until
the closing stages of the race. The final entry here is Connor Baker’s East Street who was previously trained by James Owen where he won three consecutive national hunt chases at the end of 2024. He has had five starts in point-to-points this season and has finished on all five starts but had always finished some way behind his rivals until he finished third ahead of Hand Over Fist in the Mixed Open at
Parham and only two lengths behind the winner Larry. The Restricted race follows and this is an option for Karen York’s Can’t Buy Time. Hannah Hickman-Jones trained Creapapy is a course winner having won a maiden race at the course in March 2025. He won the Restricted race at Parham two weeks ago by five lengths beating Catch Me Quick and will be looking for another victory here to add to his name. Nigel Padfield trained Validation is also entered here and he finished third, six lengths behind Creapapy at Parham. Validation won a maiden race at Dingley last year and has had two other starts this
season finishing three and a half lengths second to The Dancing Tree at Charing at the end of
January and fourth again behind The Dancing Tree at Kingston Blount at the end of February.
Luke Price has two entries, Rhythm of Life and Galudon. Rhythm of Life has five starts under
rules in Ireland where she was trained by Gordon Elliott without any success, but she found the
winners enclosure on her first start in a point-to-point maiden race at Higham on Good Friday.
Galudon has also won both of his starts this season, winning a maiden race at Buckfastleigh six
weeks ago and then winning a restricted race at Cotley two weeks ago and both could be in with
a chance of further success here. Alan Hill trained Nice To See You won a maiden race at Garthorpe in November but then struggled in his next two starts in restricted company at Horseheath and Brocklesby Park, but he finished second in his latest start, a match at Kimble last weekend. Luca Morgan trained J’Envoievalserenki won a maiden over the shorter two mile four furlong distance at Badbury Rings in November and was then third in the restricted race at Charing in December. He was then placed third in restricted races at Horseheath and Cocklebarrow, but then pulled up at Didmarton at the beginning of March but was still in contention in his latest race at Cothelstone four weeks ago when falling at the penultimate fence. The final entry in this race is Cossack Dancer from the Grissell Yard in East Sussex who was previously with Chloe Mills. He pulled up in his first start this season at Horseheath in December where Creapapy finished fifth but finished fourth in the restricted race at Parham two weeks ago behind Creapapy and Validation. The Level Two Conditions race is an option for Imperial Esprit, Slipway and Mister Tickle. If they choose this option they may have to face Luke Price’s Inchidaly Robin who has won eight of his ten starts in point-to-points and has finished second on his other two starts including his most recent at Paxford on Easter Monday where he lost by a head to Malinas Glory.
Andrew Pennock has Grand Soir entered who is another who has previously run under rules in
Ireland where he was placed in five of his thirteen starts. He has had one start in point-to-points
where he finished third behind Commander of Ten having been prominent until the penultimate
fence. Elen Wylie has Au Fleuron entered who also previously ran under rules in Ireland and was
trained by Gordon Elliott and has been placed in five of his twenty starts under rules. He ran in
two hunter chases in 2025 and has had two starts in point-to-points this season finishing second
in his latest start in a ladies open at Ston Easton three weeks ago. The other entries here are Phil York trained Happy Larry who was sixth at Charing in December but pulled up in his next start at Charing in January and was disqualified after finishing third at Parham two weeks ago when his jockey failed to weigh in, and Gardie Grissell trained Goudhurst Star. Goudhurst Star was previously with Harry Fry and had two starts last season in point-to-points finishing third and sixth. The racing concludes with the Level One Conditions race for novice riders which is an option for Slipway, Happy Larry, Padjoes Legacy and Carrolls Cottage. The other two entries here are Rob Varnham trained Count Simon and Elen Wylie’s Jay Bee Whiskey. Count Simon finished second in the Mixed Open at Parham two weeks ago finishing one and a half lengths behind Larry. Prior to this he pulled up in a ladies open race at Charing in January
and was fifth in a mixed open at Larkhill in January. Jay Bee Whiskey has been placed in nine of his twelve point-to-point starts and has five victories to his name. However, he was fourth on his first start this season in a Ladies Open at Friars Haugh and he pulled up in his latest start in a 0-110 rated series race at Kingston Blount having weakened in the closing stages of the race. However, he cannot be discounted.

The course is a left-handed course and can be found three miles southwest of Penshurst and
twelve miles from exit 5 of the M25. The postcode is TN8 7DD