Fife Hunt Point-to-Point 2018

BALCORMO MAINS (Fife Hunt Point-to-point) – Saturday April 28^th 2018

Going: Good, Good to Soft in places

This meeting has struggled with field sizes in recent years but, with decent ground prevailing, this year we were blessed with better field sizes and competitive contests. The weather was fine, if a just a little chilly, and an excellent attendance. There were notably more non-racing attractions present than in previous years, giving my wife a chance to spend a bit of money!

For those that don’t know the Balcormo circuit it has 7 fences per circuit with one open ditch, the terrain rising and falling gently. The standard race distance is around 3m 2f.

2.00 3m 2f NPPA Conditions Race

Seven runners from nine entries in the first was a promising start to the afternoon, and of the two non-runners one ran at Perth on Friday and other later in this card.

This contest gave locally trained CHANCEITON a good opportunity to build on a sound performance when second in the Buccleuch Cup at Kelso. Consistent all season, the 7 year old gelding recorded a third win racing prominently and kicking on from three out to win with a bit in hand. Lucinda Russell could keep this one as her pointer, but he suggests sufficient ability to make a mark in moderate company under Rules.

FRANKIE’S PROMISE was a hurdles winner in 2014, rather disappointing since but showing a bit more zip on this occasion. He made one or two slow jumps but was up there most of the way, unable to match the winner from three out but not disgraced.

WHITEABBEY race up with the pace early but couldn’t match the first two from three out. She won three small field races in 2015 but finds one or two too good in more competitive company.

ANOTHER DARK RUM struggles these days but was in touch until predictably left behind in the last half mile.

Veteran CRAZY DIAMOND was coming off a two year break. At his best he would have been bang there but lack of sharpness told one the last circuit and he came home in his own time.

ROYAL CHATELIER struggled to keep in touch after the first few fences and was pulled up before three out. He would be better with more cut though is another now at the veteran stage.

MILANS WELL won handicap chases in his younger days but looks a back number these days. He was struggling down the far side for the last time and pulled up before three out.

2.30 3m 2f Restricted

This looked a weak contest, the winner having shown very little this term.

EXIT TEN harried the leader from two out and got in front close home. He won on good ground at Corbridge suggesting this is his surface.
AFTERCLASS  led or disputed all the way but was run out of it in the final 100 yards. This was a significant step up on recent efforts.

LEFT BACK proved slow under Rules, but has progressed in the pointing field. On that basis third was a tad disappointing, not helped by his tendency to go left at his fences and wide round the right-handed bends. He was disputing two out but gave that one a thump and couldn’t get back to the first two after that. He does have age on his side.

SOUND BARRIER was outpaced from the fourteenth and has been out of sorts this season.

POETIC PRESENCE has been well held in moderate Rules contests (hurdles rating of 79 at best) and found this company too tough from four out.

3.00 3m 2f Intermediate

Unfortunately this was declared ‘no race’ as two entries had run in earlier contests and the third didn’t turn up.

At a meeting which is always going to be battling against a comparatively small horse population in the area. With Gemma Cochrane now working in Ireland there’s only  Nick Alexander training a string of pointers in Fife along with the odd one or two that Lucinda Russell keeps on the go. In general field sizes are dependent on runners from the Southern Counties of Scotland and any English raiders. It’s a struggle to provide six races with conditions sufficient different to guarantee they will fill, so it’s probably a bonus that the other five races filled well enough.

3.30 3m 2f Mixed Open

A race sponsored by Pentland Land Rover providing the biggest prize purse ever for an Open at a Scottish point, so a field of 6 was disappointing from what looked a strong initial entry.

Despite some slow jumps, hurdles winner NICKI’S NIPPER was produced late by Aimee Waugh to win this contest on pointing debut. Rated 102 over fences at best she probably ran near that mark here in conditions which suited.

THOMOND was on my Horses To Follow list under Rules this season but has been disappointing since a move to Fife from Noel Meade. He was sixth in the 2017 Topham Trophy but hasn’t matched that since and should have won this if he was near his best. He has become frustrating and couldn’t resist the winner from two out.

VIACOMETTI was outpaced going to two out and could only stick on at one pace. He came here off a break awaiting the ground and might be one to look out for in a similar event in the last few weeks of the season.

ALLTHEKINGSHORSES led and kicked on from the tenth, but was headed four out and weakened. He’s been out of sorts this season but does seem to raise his game a bit when visiting Balcormo.

SAFARI JOURNEY struggles to see out the trip and was feeling the pinch when depositing Aaron Anderson on the turf three out.

ROLLING THUNDER, a chase winner for Donald McCain, was in the mix when falling heavily two out. After a minute or two he rose to cheers from the crowd. He clearly retains ability and, assuming the fall has no lasting effect, can win an Open.

4.00 2m 4f PPORA Club Members’ Conditions Race

The biggest field of the day pitched up for the ‘short trip’ Conditions Race, those not standing their ground from the original 15 having either run in other races here or at Perth.

TAMBOUR MAJOR led or disputed, pushed on from the eighth and resisted a stern challenge from the last fence. Ground and trip suited well here as the winner returned to his best from after a couple of lack lustre runs this term.

NINE ALTARS played up at the start and was left well adrift. Charlotte Dun let him ease his way into the race on the second circuit but he didn’t have enough in the locker to get past the winner. This looked a missed opportunity.

ROSSINI’S DANCER would have taken this comfortably at his best, but he just lacks the pace these days though keeping on for third from two out.

THE ICE FACTOR was outpaced from three out but probably ran to his form.

UP TO AL disputed for much of the way but gave way from four out.

I didn’t note the finishing order but MR ROBINSON and ALLERTON never got seriously involved and finished well behind, while ROSKEEN BOY was well behind in the final mile.

RAFTIERI is desperately slow and should have been pulled up. As it was he tried to refuse at the last but was forced to jump almost from standstill, just clambering over against the wing. He hasn’t been competitive for ages and ‘racing’ him serves no purpose these days.

430 3m 2f Open Maiden

Difficult to know what to make of this race as the leaders hared off in front and the first three were waited with.

TRELIVER MANOR raced most prominently of the first three to finish. Age is not on his side but he might conceivably step up a grade. Settled third, he disputed at the fifteenth and held off a late challenge.

ROYAL FLUSH looks basically a non-stayer but benefitted from a canny ‘super-waiting race’ under Aaron Anderson, making rapid progress through tiring rivals to challenge the winner on the flat. I suspect this just fell for him and I would be wary of expecting a repeat.

FLOWER BALL kept on steadily for third. He’s only six, there is reason to expect better in time and he may be favoured by softer ground.

BURNETTS JOINT is a big old boat who gets around in his own time. He doesn’t truly see out three mile trips.

CAHERELLY was a long way behind from halfway. He has shown glimmers of ability on occasion, but this was not encouraging.

CARRICKCROSS BOYE is headstrong and led at too quick a pace for his own good. The petrol ran out with a circuit to go and he pulled up before the fourteenth.

CHOIX DE L’AMOUR was the only one to try to match the leader and disputed from the sixth into the final circuit. He faded quickly from the fifteenth and was pulled up.