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A legend says goodbye, a dead heat, a first winner for a young jockey, a first training double and a Bratton triple crown thrilled the massive crowd watching late season point-to pointing at its very best at Bratton Down high up on Exmoor.
Tribute must be paid to the organisers who defied the prolonged dry spell by producing safe jumping ground thanks to the use of a mechanical “aggravator” on the track. The old moorland turf was rendered quite springy, without jar, in the words of senior jockeys.
The legend is equine in the shape of the stocky 12-year-old Monsieur Gibraltar, well known to National Hunt and pointing followers with a total of 28 career victories under both codes. He beat sole opponent Los Alamos (Molly Landau) by 15 lengths for his fourth success at this track in the Greenslade Taylor Hunt sponsored Ladies’ Open. Ella Orttewell was in the saddle in the colours of her parents Sophie and Alex as the veteran galloped on relentlessly to make all the running. ”This will be his last race. He doesn’t owe anybody anything. He will retire now to go hunting. It is nice to retire him sound,” said Ella, whose partner Christopher Barber, grandson of the legendary Richard Barber, was saddling his 21st point to point winner of the season.
Monsieur Gibraltar had been bought by Tom Malone for the Paul Nicholls yard as a four-year-old after winning twice over hurdles in France. Apart from his latest season with Christopher Barber, he has also resided over the years with the late Rose Loxton, Sam Loxton, Paul Nicholls again and Will Biddick.
The judge could not separate Hold Me Tight (Chloe Emsley) and Sparta Maestro (Martin “Fly” McIntyre) after a thrilling finish to the nine runner Maiden sponsored by the Sampson Family in memory of the much missed point-to-point enthusiast Stafford Sampson. Hold Me Tight is trained by Ed Walker at Ottery St Mary for Wendy Jarrett, and the rider remarked, “I held him up as usual and his jumping was his asset, especially over the last four.”
The Yeats gelding Sparta Maestro was sent out by Nicholas Williams for Raglan, Monmouthshire, owner Carmen Goldsworthy. Her husband Gwilyn said, “We have bred and owned pointers for over 50 years,” reminiscing that one of their best was Red Neck, who Welsh enthusiasts will recall won 11 races. “We got Sparta Maestro at Ascot sales but he hasn’t run much. He jumped into a silage pit and injured himself a while ago. Fly rode him well today.”
The Witheridge Garage Restricted run in memory of Kit James saw a first winner for 17-year-old Cheltenham College student Ivor Herbert who was partnering Chato Santana for his parents Ben and Sara. The young jockey gave a cool ride to this former Irish Maiden winner who drew right away from Businessman (Darren Edwards) and Queen Kalamba (Amber Jackson-Fennell) round the final bend.
The winner had made the three hours plus journey from Nicky Sheppard’s Hereford yard and was equipped with first time cheek pieces. “I spent a few days at Will Biddick’s yard during half term last week and Will also gave me good advice how to ride this course,” explained the Abergavenny born young rider.
The ice cream queue had stretched to over 50 yards as champion jockey Will Biddick landed his 53rd winner of the season on Brian Palfrey’s Skilful Lord. This dramatic Intermediate, sponsored by Moore Scarrott, was part of a notable training double for Dani Kenealy.
The field of five was reduced when Champions Hill unseated Callum Pritchard when hitting a marker on the bend after the ditch. He then carried out James King’s mount Hold Your Fort when running loose at the 10th fence. This left Skilful Lord and Will Biddick in front and the nine-year-old was able to shake off the sustained challenge of Steel Express.
Stoodleigh near Tiverton based trainer Danielle (Dani) Kenealy said,” This is my first double. I use Nigel Hawke’s gallops. Skilful Lord likes this track and firm going. He was hunted by Brian (Palfrey) during the winter and came to us in February.”
Humaniste had set up the stable double when left solo at half way in the Winston Pincombe Land Rovers Hunt race run in memory of Rob Pincombe. Jockey Ella Herbison, the leading lady novice rider in the area, was in the saddle for her seventh winner of the season on a horse described as “enigmatic” by his trainer. “He came to us from Ascot sales a year ago for owner Kieran Jones and went from running over 1 mile 6 furlongs on the flat to being the leading point-to-point horse in Devon & Cornwall,” said the trainer.
Callum Pritchard had not ridden a winner until seven weeks ago, but his last 19 rides have now yielded eight successes and given him pole position for the National Mens Novice Riders championship. His winning ride on Sunday in the Ucanstore.com Men’s Open was arguably his best. Jumping the last fence looking held in third, he brought course specialist Ninth Wave through on the inside to head Captain MC (James King) and Sumkindofking (Edward Walker) under a determined hands and heels ride on the climb to the post.
Peter Musgrave’s admirable gelding, trained by Teresa Clark at Aisholt on the Quantocks, has now scored at each of the three Bratton Down fixtures this season. There was conjecture whether this “triple crown” was a record, but Martin Sweetland, now a steward, pointed out that he had ridden Danny Doolittle to achieve a similar feat 21 years ago.
Altogether a very successful day of racing, illustrating that the well supported traditional end of season West Country festival fixtures have a valuable part to play in the British point-to-point calendar.
