REPORT – OLD BERKSHIRE (MONDAY 6TH APRIL)

Easter Monday, 6th April, saw the usual huge crowd for the Old Berkshire point-to-point, held at Lockinge near Wantage. The warm, sunny weather seemed to bring out even more racegoers than usual, and it is several years since I have seen so many cars parked on the bank overlooking the course. After a disappointingly low number of runners last year, organisers took advantage of a new rule, introduced this season, where Bank Holiday meetings are permitted to run five – rather than six – point-to-point races, as long as other contests are included alongside the jumping action. They structured their race programme innovatively, with two pony races taking place after the second race, to keep the large crowd entertained throughout the afternoon. As it turned out, a respectable number of horses took part, with 26 facing the starter in the five races over jumps, and each-way betting available in four of the five. The racing itself saw a treble for up and coming 16-year-old jockey Lucas Murphy, a double for local trainer Katie Croft, and ride of the day awarded to Molly Armytage.

All the winning jockeys had hunted with the Old Berkshire in their childhood – all hail from within ten miles of the course – and local celebrations were to the fore after Murphy completed his treble on Castletown, at 14 only two years younger than his jockey, in the concluding Dubarry of Ireland Old Berkshire Hunt Members Race, which attracted five runners. Left in the lead after six out, and his task eased by the early fall of odds-on favourite Arthur’s Sixpence, the veteran horse and his youthful rider held on to score by a length from the only other finisher Stranger Danger, a victory more comfortable than the distance suggests. It was a real family affair, with the horse owned by Murphy’s grandfather Raymond Anderson Green – a long-time owner under rules – and trained by his mother Verity near Lambourn.

“That’s my 506th winner and has given me as much pleasure as any,” said a proud Raymond – whose victories include the Scottish Grand National and races at the Cheltenham Festival – afterwards, “I bred him myself, he had his first run for me aged three in France and he’s now a schoolmaster for Lucas – we never thought he’d win a race. You can’t beat the feeling of watching Lucas ride in a race.”

“He’s not only my first winner, he’s my first horse,” was a delighted Verity’s reaction to

Castletown’s win. “We keep him at home at Seven Barrows, we’re between Nicky Henderson and Charlie Hills and they let us use their gallops. Henry Main (who rode the runner-up) comes in to help during the week when Lucas is away at school. He’s just a pet at home – I ride him one-handed as I’ve bust my arm – and he’s my pride and joy. He never knowingly makes an effort but, because he’s old, he keeps going! He’s loving life and enjoying the drop in class to pointing.” Castletown was led up by Murphy’s younger brother, and fellow star of the pony racing circuit, 14-year-old Finn, who aspires to follow his older brother into pointing, and Verity said, “Finn’s the reckless one – he was clocked at 44mph down a ski slope last week!”

As for Lucas, now four clear of his nearest rival in the national novice riders championship on nine winners, he admitted, “I’d be lying if I said winning that isn’t at the front of my mind. But I just want to keep riding well, and as often as possible.” As the son of former leading professional jockey Timmy, turning conditional is obviously on his radar, but the youngster is staying grounded for now, telling me, “I wouldn’t mind, but I’ll stay pointing for at least one more season after this as I’m focusing on school. I’m in the lower sixth form at Marlborough College, doing A-Levels in Business, Politics and Sports Science.”

Murphy had also taken the preceding contest, the five-runner Arkell’s Restricted Race over two-and-a-half miles, on favourite Taghadoe for trainer Chris Dennington, a chance ride. Normally a front-runner, Murphy held up the seven-year-old before taking it up from long-time leader Tellmesomethingood at the 12th fence. Despite clouting the second last, he kept up his momentum to win by five lengths, with My Lucky Star running on late for third, 18 lengths behind.

“He’s a very smart kid,” said Dennington afterwards, “And gave the horse a great ride.” Explaining the booking, Dennington told me, “Seb Mead was due to ride, but he’s stood down at the moment, and Lucas gave me a ring.” He confirmed my opinion that Taghadoe – whose previous win was last May at Kingston Blount – is a spring horse, saying, “He ran well at Larkhill first time when I thought he was a bit short of work, but didn’t go well at Higham, so we left the next run until now, with the sun out and on drier ground. I thought he might need it today, as he hadn’t run for eight weeks.” As for the tactics, Dennington admitted, “We’ve tried dropping him out before and getting him to settle, but he didn’t like it and his best runs have been from the front. I thought he’d sulk out the back today, but he didn’t. Lucas was very patient and kept plugging on, despite Taghadoe making mistakes.”

Taghadoe is the only horse Dennington and his wife Fiona train at their Maidstone base, although he said, “I’ve just bought a new one from David Phelan and, though he won’t run this season, he’ll be ready for next year and it helps to work the two of them together. There’s no pressure to run Taghadoe again soon and we’ll see how he comes out of the

race. He’ll potentially go back to Kingston Blount.”

Murphy had started the day by winning the Charles Russell Speechlys Maiden Race, which had eight runners, the biggest field of the day, on pointing debutant Kasanova’s Dream. Given another patient ride by Murphy, the ex-Irish six-year-old made gradual progress through the field despite some novicey jumping, taking the lead three out and being untroubled to score by 12 lengths from Standupanddeliver. Ballinoulart ran well to be another two lengths back in third. “They went quite quickly early doors,” advised the winning jockey, “So I was happy to sit and bide my time.”

“We (Croft and her partner David Fehily) picked him up from ThoroughBid via Jerry McGrath,” Croft confirmed afterwards. “He came from Gordon Elliott, and we were expecting him to go well today, as he’s been working like a 130-rated horse at home.” Croft and Fehily, who train at nearby Eastbury, also manage syndicates for Nicky Henderson as well as doing pre-training and breaking for professional yards, have, “A handful of pointers – just three or four. We try to buy maidens, and Kasanova’s Dream might be for sale.”

Croft completed her double in the Kidson-Trigg Auctioneers Keeper-Jockey Conditions Race (Level 2), which was limited to keepers and jockeys who have not trained or ridden more than three winners this season and saw six go to post. Nine-year-old Baunmore Jet and Molly Armytage came home to the biggest cheer of the afternoon from the horse’s owners, the 40-strong Jet Setters syndicate – “It feels like 38 of us are here today!” one of them exclaimed afterwards. Mid-division early, Armytage stalked leader French Piece down the back straight, jumped into the lead at the last, and kept going to win by two-and-a-half lengths. Favourite Ask Nile was four lengths third.

Croft was naturally all smiles afterwards, answering my question as to whether it was her first double with, “We’ve only ever had one winner before today – Steal The Moves at Chaddesley Corbett!” Baunmore Jet had been well-beaten in Restricted company this season and, explaining the apparent improvement in form, Croft said, “He probably enjoys the spring weather. He came alive at this time last year and ran his best race when second at Maisemore Park. We’ll probably give him one or two more runs in points and maybe then send him summer jumping, although you’d have to talk to Molly about that.”

“He loved the track,” beamed Armytage, while watching a rerun of the race with her father, former top amateur and Grand National winner Marcus. “He often needs a breather in his races, but it’s a helter skelter course and he kept staying on.” The 20-year-old was largely responsible for getting the syndicate together and explained, “I didn’t ride much last year, or have any outside rides, so I decided to get some friends involved and it’s snowballed into a lovely big syndicate!” Her efforts have paid dividends, as it was her fourth win of the season, including one in a Hunter Chase, and she was quick to give praise to her father, saying,

“Dad’s a big help. Being a racing journalist, he’s seen it all before, and I think that’s actually more valuable than if he was a trainer.”

Another local 16-year-old, Freddie Fletcher, got off the mark on only his fourth ride by taking the Luck Greayer Shipping Bloodstock Mixed Open Race, which was a match. His mount, eight-year-old Farnoge, who he owns and trains himself, led throughout from the odds-on Bass Rock and – despite being joined at the last by the favourite, who was probably unsuited by the slow page, just held on by half a length in the closest finish of the day.

Fletcher, a regular on the pony race circuit – he was second at this same fixture back in 2022 – said afterwards, “That was very good! He took a hold, but then relaxed out in front, and I was a little bit nervous whether he’d stay.” Talking me through their season together, Fletcher said of Farnoge, “I didn’t think he’d be fit first time (when a close second at Larkhill on debut), then I probably ran him too quickly back at Larkhill, and he didn’t like the ground. So, I gave him six weeks off and we were second again at Larkhill last Saturday. The plan is to run him again, but I’ll see how he comes out of the race before deciding where and when. Hopefully I’ll buy another one at Doncaster to keep him company next season – I’ve been saving up!” While Fletcher is another local, from Steventon, he works for Noel Fehily near Trowbridge.

The two pony races, sponsored by Pinewood School, had five and six runners respectively The first was won by Nell Greatrex, daughter of trainer Warren and bloodstock agent Tessa, on Mysterious Lady, repeating their success of last year. The second went the way of She’s A Corker, ridden by Chloe Fox-Pitt, another from a famous equestrian family, her father being world-class eventer William and her mother former point-to-point jockey turned television racing presenter Alice Plunkett.