REVIEW
NORTH CORNWALL
WADEBRIDGE
Saturday 4th February 2006
by Lucy Johnson
TEARS of joy were tinged with sadness
at the North Cornwall point-to-point on Saturday when Coral Bay
thundered up the hill to win the second division of the maiden with
Will Biddick on board.
He was wearing the famous maroon colours of
the late John Weldhen, a stalwart of Westcountry point-to-pointing
for many decades, who sadly passed away in January.
Renowned for training the brilliant For A
Lark, among many other horses, from his St Columb Major home, Mr
Weldhen was a much loved character. His three horses will continue
to run in his colours this season with Sarah Tickle, Barney Simmons
and Preston Ford sharing the work.
It was the latter who has been riding Coral
Bay most of the time. He said: “He’ll try his heart
out. He’s a super horse and we are all annoyed Mr Weldhen
didn’t live long enough to see him.”
Rebecca Kennen reached a landmark in her
training career when she scored her first double, both ridden by
Bristol-based solicitor Tabitha Cave.
Sea Snipe, the Devon and Cornwall
area’s reigning champion mare, made the job look easy in the
opening members and Kestick proved Mrs Kennen’s training
regime at her home on Bodmin moor works to his advantage when he
won the confined for his owner Charlie Rush.
Mrs Kennen explained: “He’s a
horse who always seems to have a lot of niggling problems so I
never take him on the road and we have a wonderful river –
the hydrotherapy treatment is brilliant!”
Ollie Jackson, who trains at Culmstock, got
off the mark for the season when Maximize took the men’s open
under Guy Weatherly. “He’s the trainers hack and
he’s an old monkey but he’s a lovely horse,” said
Ollie who has decided to put her own race riding career on hold
this season while she concentrates on the pointers.
Ollie was back in the winners’
enclosure again when Brian Kilpatrick’s An Accordion
responded well to Weatherly’s riding on the run-in to land
the first and fastest of the two maidens.
Colin Heard was seen at his best when he
threw the works at Coffee House on the run-in to repel the
challenge of Milldalus, under Neil Harris, to win the restricted by
a neck.
Trained near Okehampton by John Heard, and
owned by his father Ken and wife Sandra, he was bought at Doncaster
Sales last year. “He’s not a very big horse but
he’s game and Colin rode a great race,” said Mr
Heard.
The brilliant Sandy Duff finished like a
power house when he won the ladies’ open under his owner Mary
McCarthy, an Exeter-based barrister.
RESULTS
Members race: Sea Snipe ( Miss T Cave) 1;
Izzywizzywoo (Mr R Quinn) 2; Amarilla (Miss L Tickle) 3. Distances:
5 lengths, 6 lengths. Time: 6 minutes 12 seconds.
Men’s Open: Maximize (Mr G Weatherly)
1; Sammy Samba (Mr R Bliss) 2; Young General (Mr D McKenna) 3. 4l,
8l, 6.10.
Ladies’ Open Race: Sandy Duff (Miss M
McCarthy) 1; Let’s Fly (Miss P Gundry) 2; Grey Ciseaux (Miss
L Gardner) 3. 3l, 2l, 6.01.
Restricted: Coffee Morning (Mr C heard) 1;
Milldalus (Mr N Harris) 2; Annie Dipper (Mr I Popham). Hd, 4l,
6.14.
Confined: Kestick ( Miss T Cave) 1; Pertmemps
Profile (Mr W Biddick) 2; Sporting Chance (Mr M Munrowd) 3. 1l,
½l, 6.01.
Intermediate: Knighton Combe (Mr J Snowden)
1; Nditlir (Mr C Heard) 2; Beachtime (Miss C Tizzard) 3. 1 ½
l, 1l 6.03.
Maiden (Div I): An Accordion (Mr G Weatherly)
1; Freemantle Doctor (Mr J Tudor) 2; Charlie Chapel (Miss R Green)
3. 2l, 1 ½l, 6.09.
Maiden (Div II): Coral Bay (Mr W Biddick) 1;
Thirtytwo Red (Mr G Weatherly) 2; Whats Up Maid (Mr M Munrowd) 3.
3l, 1l, 6.11.
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