HARBOROUGH RACE CLUB point-to-point

For the joint third last meeting of the season, the bulk of the meeting was of a very respectable standard indeed, the mean lowered only by a so-so restricted and a couple of poor maidens. At the entry stage, the open maiden possibles had an alarming prevalence of Ps in their form, and the division, which turned up a really weak second part, thinned out the limited promise even further.

Living In The City Members

1: Limerick Leader     2: Ungaretti     3: Agua Ardente

Winner owned: Mrs PJ Hutchinson, trained: Patrick Hutchinson, ridden: Gemma Hutchinson

The clear paddock pick was Ungaretti in this instance, but he eventually had to work hard to hold on to second, as the in-form Limerick Leader skipped clear from the third last for his fourth win of the season. Once he had negotiated two out, the margin gradually got wider, and not for the first time today, the placed horses played out the finish in slow motion. Agua Ardente finished least fatigued, but also still a length or two down.

Corby Motors Restricted

1: Newnham Baby     2: Seize The Moment     3: Glenmorren

Winner owned: Mr GR Kerr, trained: Jackie Hunt, ridden: Hannah Watson

Predictable, consistent, reliable. Just three of the adjectives not really appropriate to the runners that lined up for this and it was exactly the sort of race that promised an upset. The happiest person will be the one who held the only tote ticket and scooped the £140 pool. Newnham Baby had pulled up both runs this season, but the connections reported to the enquiring stewards that those two runs had been in Ladies’ Opens and this was that teensy bit easier. Seize The Moment had picked his time for glory as early as the fifth, and it was five out that his premature attackulation was foiled. To his credit, Seize The Moment kept niggling away at the winner, but Newnham Baby never seemed likely to cave in. The same determination was shown by Glenmorren but under the Millington windmill, he did no more than gnaw slowly at the gap to Seize The Moment. By The Hokey was set for a place approaching the last but did not get home and ended up fourth. Back in fifth, Strolling finished strongly and after two falls will have benefited from the clear round, which seemed the first priority of the rider.  

Newnham Baby - SP about 3/1, Tote return 139/1

Cristal Glass And Glazing (Leics) Ltd Ladies’ Open

1: Narciso     2: Euro Bleu     3: Trooper

Winner owned & trained: Mrs CA Coward, ridden: Jacqui Coward

As implied in the intro, this was a very decent race and when favourite Watchyourback weakened quickly at the second last, there was a gaggle of competent performers ready to take advantage. Narciso has come to grief twice, but now has won won his last four completed starts. Clearly talented, but not one to be lumping on a short prices, there should be more honours to come as he is only seven. He almost threw away the win with a very slow jump at the last, which Euro Bleu pinged, but had the dour, stamina-driven grindability that is becoming a bit of a trademark for German-breds. Euro Bleu eventually went down by a head, a long way clear of Trooper, who weaved through labouring rivals like a hot knife through ear wax. One to perhaps be cautious about is Free, who seems not at all right now. Prominent early, he dropped well off of the pace six out, only to sail on for fourth in the last quarter mile. His ten wins are an impressive tally, but there are too many recent places for comfort. Perhaps he is ready for love and peaceful world.  

Narciso gets back to unsaddle as altitude sickness strikes his rider

Racesafe Men’s Open

1: Emperor Roscoe     2: Tanager     3: Petrouge

Winner owned & trained: AA Day, ridden: John Day

Having taken a while to get into stride this season, Emperor Roscoe won his second on the spin, kicking on in the middle of the far straight. His task was made easier when Razer Blade blundered and pulled up four from home. Tanager was just giving up the vain struggle when he barely clambered over the last but the danger to second was coming from Tanager, who had not travelled well throughout and seemed to perk up when those around him perked down – or is it unperked? Deperked? In fourth was Jumbul Sale. He lost his place with a lap to go, was briefly niggled to try and recover. After this he tailed off, only to fly home, under fairly unvigorous handling, for fourth. The stewards took a dim view and fined both trainer and jockey, but it appeared from afar a case of raising the white flag too soon rather than something nefarious.

Budworth Brown Intermediate

1: The Hookie Bookie     2: Eaton Hall     3: Sandy Gold

Winner owned: Mrs M Upstone, trained & ridden: Jimmy Tarry

Quite out of the blue, this became the biggest event of the day, as Jimmy Tarry recorded his career win number 200 in it. The race was quite a nip and tuck affair and the hero of the hour was somewhat knackered when the horse clambered up the hill to a rapturous reception. Or was it that the plan was to make the milestone on a previously unraced teenager somewhere? Lightly raced Eaton Hall was only narrowly foiled and he looks up to winning at this level and perhaps a bit better when he has gained more experience – they were both untidy at the last and had Eaton Hall been fluent he could have spoiled the party. In the excitement, my notes on the rest of the field are sparse, in the sense of being non-existent.  

The sun brightened further at an inopportune moment as the applause rang out for Jimmy Tarry

The Old Barn, Glooston Open Maiden (Div I)

1: Edie McCredie     2: Mistress Kaytee     3: Green Collar

Winner owned, trained & ridden: Patrick Millington

Although the stronger half of the division, this race was still nothing special, and after a very cautious pace, there were six still in contention leaving the far side. Overall the pint-sized Edie McCredie came out on top by seeing out the race strongly as others plodded, but she almost threw the prize away with a perilously slow jump at the last. Fortunately she got a bit of momentum back and she held the late flourish of paddock pick Mistress Kaytee, who looks an out and out stayer, but needed some attention after the race due to the heat. Watch for her in winter next time. Oreli also kept on well, putting a fall on her pointing debut behind her – and was apparently disqualified from third long after the final race had finished! Although a regular finisher, Alfloratta is usually well beaten, and was surprisingly prominent in the betting. A quick look in the preliminaries suggested she only just failed to qualify for pony racing, which is not ideal for the job in hand.

The Old Barn, Glooston Open Maiden (Div II)

1: Stanley Park     2: Sandy Lie     3: It Might Bounce

Winner owned: Mrs S Robinson & Mr D Wilkinson, trained: Sylvia Robinson, ridden: Michael Morley

The little form to go on said that looking beyond Stanley Park and Sandy Lie was a wild goose chase. The result agrees but Stanley Park was so far clear of Sandy Lie that it really was no contest. It Might Bounce (pulled up and refused in two runs, did not cover three miles in aggregate) actually threatened to pinch the runner-up spoils. Don’t know about bouncing but it might not manage third again. The tall, leggy but not terribly substantially built Return Fire was running a good race in second when he fell four out – not his first error. This brought down The Footballresult and left things rather easy for Stanley Park. Only three finished, but Banners Flying would have been fourth but for stopping at the last – pulled up – and Bally Abbie should have been pulled up there but fell trying to refuse as she was too tired to jump it.

The very lanky Return Fire leads Stanley Park into the final lap of the final race of the final day of the season east of Devon