Banner - Jumping For Fun

Home

News

Classifieds

The Pointing Forum

Archived Reviews

Links

Cambridge University Draghounds at Cottenham
Saturday 13th February 2016
by James Crispe

It Was Me prevailed in a blockbuster Ladies Open at a top quality Cambridge University Draghounds Point-To-Point at Cottenham, near Cambridge, on Saturday.

At a time when many professional courses are suffering from small fields and are staging just two steeplechases per meeting, this fixture proved that the amateur branch of the sport is alive and kicking – a relatively modest crowd was able to enjoy no less than eight contests over fences with an average field size of almost ten horses per race.

As billed beforehand, the highlight of the fixture was the Ladies Open where It Was Me, under a masterful waiting ride from Carey Williamson, provided a popular local victory for owner-trainer Nick Wright, from Badlingham, near Newmarket.

The four-time hunter chase winner, Drom, set a furious pace which may have contributed to Khyber Kim depositing his jockey, Camilla Henderson, on the turf at around the halfway mark.

Coming to the penultimate obstacle, Drom still had his head in front but was being stalked by both Dabinett Moon and It Was Me. Jumping proved crucially here, as Dabinett Moon crashed out and It Was Me conjured a fabulous leap which saw him take a lead he was never to relinquish.

The race also saw witnessed another step forward in the progress of the Olympic gold medal-winning cyclist turned jockey, Victoria Pendleton, who finished fourth aboard According To Sarah. She is set to ride her top horse, Pacha du Polder, at Fakenham on Friday.

The Mens Open was similarly dramatic as the odds-on favourite, Now Ben, folded suddenly after the third last fence. The Buckinghamshire-trained Brackloon High then moved past the front-running Consigliere on the home bend only to idle on the run-in and thus have just a length and a half to spare over Never Complain at the winning post.

The Subaru-sponsored Restricted Race brought a second career success for 21-year-old jockey Charlie Buckle, from Semer, near Hadleigh, as his mount, Nightscape, defied odds of 16-1 to hold off Hill Of Gold by six lengths.

A fine turn-out of eight runners for the opening Hunt Race was spearheaded by Play The Ace. Owned by Susan Stevenson, from Little Henny, and Julia Turner, from Wickham St Pauls, and trained just outside Bury St Edmunds by Andrew Pennock, Play The Ace returned to something close to his best to beat the gallant front-runner, Picaroon, by five lengths.

The Cheshire raider, Lilbitluso, so impressive at the opening Cottenham meeting back in November, again looked like a horse with a big future when shrugging off a late jumping blunder to score an easy success in the Intermediate Race.

And Midlands-trained geldings dominated the closing three Maiden races. Bingo Star, representing Northamptonshire handler, Stuart Morris, showed admirable battling qualities to outgun Celtic Silver in a tight finish to one; Ypsilanti, a visitor from Worcestershire, went one better than at New Year here to take another; and the third saw Superior Fire, from Fred Hutsby's Warwickshire yard, get off the mark.

stop spam

Jumping For Fun - The FIRST dedicated Point-to-Point site on the www

Established 1998

info@jumping4fun.co.uk

Disclaimer

© Jumping For Fun - All Rights Reserved