PREVIEW – YORKSHIRE AREA POINT TO POINT (SUNDAY 18TH JANUARY)

Following a week’s delay due to the wintery weather, the curtain rises on the new Yorkshire season on Sunday 18^th January with the ever popular and much anticipated Yorkshire Area Point to Point Club fixture at Sheriff Hutton, held by kind permission of Mick Easterby. The meeting always attracts a large and enthusiastic crowd and an entry of  111 drawn from far and wide should ensure a great day’s racing. All proceeds raised are once again being donated to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and the organisers hope to take the total raised and donated to them by this meeting past the quarter of a million pound mark this year.

The first race, due off at 11.45am, is the Racing TV Conditions (level 2) Five Year Olds And Over and having received a bumper entry of thirty two it would be no surprise if this is divided on the day. With a host of decent pointers in the line up who are all closely matched on ratings, this should be a cracking contest and will really give punters something to think about. Alice Dawson’s The Village Way is a progressive youngster  who won on his seasonal debut at Alnwick last month when Wallace Olinger, who could reoppose here, was brought down at the last when in contention. Another potential rival, Emir Sacre, was beaten eight lengths into second in that race and that puts The Village Way firmly on the shortlist. Wallace Olinger’s trainer Dale Peters has another good chance with the seven year old Largy Pearl who suffered his only defeat last season when a good second in a Stratford hunter chase.

Gina Andrews’ leading yard has Fumet d’Oudairies, Arctic Oscar and Mumbo Jumbo entered. The former is a prolific winner in points but has been very lightly raced of late so the pick of the three looks to be Mumbo Jumbo should he make a quick reappearance after last weekend’s easy Ampton win which took his tally to five wins from seven outings. Other useful pointers who could make the long trip north include Yippee Ki Yay who comes here on the back of a win at Larkhill on seasonal debut, Coolagh Park from the leading yard of Alan Hill who is a capable sort with a good record and  Skandiburg who ran very well on his first appearance since making the transition from a successful rules career when a good second a Chaddesley Corbett last month.

The locals have a few others in with a shout thanks to the Jack Teal pair of Courting Flow and Diamond Flush, Cherry Coward’s course and distance winner Zhiguli and Will Easterby’s Morozov Cocktail and Benefact. With two wins from four outings last season and still being only five, Diamond Flush will likely progress again and may be the pick of these.

Race two is the KCM Waste Management Restricted Open and the key here could be Ideal Du Tabert who romped to an impressive success in the maiden at this meeting last year where he beat the reopposing Line Em Up by seven lengths. He was perhaps a shade disappointing on his reappearance at Chaddesley Corbett a fortnight ago but can come on for the run. Line Em Up has thrived since and won on his reappearance at Alnwick in December where he beat Hugo Moss by a length. With Ideal Du Tabert and Line Em Up both now carrying five pound penalties it may be Alice Dawson’s Hugo Moss who could come out on top. He was only having his second ever run there and being half brother to several winners he has a great deal of promise. Others who are very much on the shortlist are Bradley Gibbs’ Briskalo who won narrowly at Chaddesley Corbett last month, Gina Andrews’ Call Me Early who has won three from five and has the benefit of a recent run when third, beaten four lenghts at Chaddesley Corbett and Jack Teal’s Lets Go Harry who who won both his points last spring before running third in an Aintree bumper.

Also worth a look are Driveondonn who was a good second at Garthorpe, Easy Rider who lost his maiden tag a fortnight ago at Chaddesley Corbett, Millena Agent who won a Hexham Maiden in late November,William Easterby’s Rue Galilee who has won his last two outings but reappears after a long absence and Getupearly who makes his pointing debut after several placed efforts under rules.

Race three is the Labiana Ladies Open and at first glance looks to be at the mercy of Barton Snow who rapidly climbed the ladder in a stellar 2025 which culminated in hunter chase wins at Cheltenham and Stratford. Those were over distances short of the three mile trip here and he has to concede weight all round thanks to his five pound penalty but he is very much the one to beat here. Master Templar is the clear danger and a win to run ratio of over 50%, thanks to twelve wins from twenty one outings, speaks for itself. With his stamina assured should there be any weakness in Barton Snow he can exploit it. Ballydonagh Boy also has the most admirable record and goes well at Sheriff Hutton and is sure to give his many supporters another good run for their money although he may find the aforementioned pair a bit hot.

Of the others, Kelly Morgan has the useful pair of Dusart and Go Go Geronimo and the latter is a good each way bet. He is seldom out of the places but usually finds one too good. Get With It did well last season when winning twice in lesser company but may prefer quicker ground than he will encounter here. Champagne Noir is a useful pointer with a good winning record but has to overcome a long absence whereas the pair of Major Dundee and Tag Man both have the benefit of a potential fitness edge from a recent run. The former was second at Charing whilst the latter looked a good recruit from Ireland when an excellent second at Alnwick last month.

Race four is the Labiana Mens Open and Monmouthshire raider Grandads Cottage catches the eye here after his easy win under Milo Herbert in a decent contest at Garthorpe last November. A repeat of that will make him hard to beat. Camdonian and Red Opium both won at this meeting last year and will find conditions here suitable once again. Surprise Attack swept all before him around the Yorkshire Area last season when he won five times and though he may find this the sternest competition he has faced to date but he can step forward once more and is sure to go well. Tag Man and Major Dundee hold alternative entries here and have the benefit of their good recent outings whilst there are also some interesting newcomers to the pointing scene entered. The Story So Far has joined William Easterby from Ireland where he has winning form under rules whilst Sam Magee has joined Charles Clark with a similar profile. Last but not least, Albert’s Back won five times over hurdles. He has a near two year absence to overcome but would be a very popular winner in the colours of host, Mick Easterby

Race five is the Resdev Resin Development Maiden (no weight for age allowances). There are lots here with racecourse experience and who have bits and pieces of form without any one really standing out. The most obvious candidates appear to be Welsh raider Another Notion who was beaten six lengths into second at Lower Machen for Tim Vaughan in November, Instinct d’Ainay who ran third in an Ayr hurdle a year ago and is now with Dale Peters’ successful Huntingdon stable, Myfanwy’s Magic who also has placed form over hurdles and whose mother was a prolific winning pointer together with Jack Teal’s Miss Tele who has been placed in two of her four pointing runs.

Of the remainder. Belpasso and Eleventh Day are a pair who will be worth watching with an eye to the future whilst the debutante Hard To Know comes from a yard which has already made the winners enclosure this season so may be ready first time out. The final race is the Tattersalls Cheltenham GB Pointing Bonus Young Horse Maiden Series For Four And Five Year Old Maiden and some future stars may be on show here. Of those with previous experience L’Hybris Is Born and Barito dead heated for third place in a blanket finish in a similar contest at Chaddesley Corbett a month ago . With the benefit of that experience they must both go close here. Farfromaway, Jack Wooley and Laudable also have some racecourse experience and all three have shown some promise for the future however the dangers could come from the newcomers. Gina Andrews has a superb record with her youngsters and won this race last year with Edith Pelham who went on to break records in the sale ring. As well as L’Hybris Is Born Gina has the pick of two debutantes: Slay Girl a daughter of Blue Bresil from a very successful family and Percy De Courcy a son of Poets Word. Both are sure to be ready first time out. Thomas Easterby’s Rye’s Words and Chris Dawson’s Hydromatic are two other interesting newcomers and will be worth keeping an eye on for the future.

Entry for spectators is £15 on the gate with under 16s free and is cash only, as is the bar. The popular hog roast is on the menu again and there will be a few trade stands to peruse. Well behaved dogs are welcome on leads. There is ample car parking on the grass bank affording great viewing of the racing with a downhill exit onto hard standing. The course is located ten miles north of York and four miles west of the A64 and the postcode for travellers is YO60 6TN