Charing Pony Racing 24th Feb 2008
After a nip and tuck battle to the line, Charlie Marshall and Little Tinker beat Elliot Pickering and Newoak Second Thought in the first race, the pair well clear of Charlotte Cheeseman on
Rivenhall Playboy.
Elliot's stirrup leather broke just after the line but he soon recovered from his tumble.
There were a large number of entries for the Novice Combination race and, with the consent of the Jockey Club, the organisers kindly agreed to dividing the race. Division 1 was for ponies 138cms and under and 5 runners went to post. A blistering pace was set by Elliot Pickering on Newoak Second Thought and Charlie Marshall on Little Tinker and these two went quickly away from Freddie (Megan Wrenn), Pippin (Poppy Hole) and Rivenhall Playboy (Charlotte Cheeseman). Throughout it was almost impossible to separate the two but with Elliot holding the inside line he went on a length at the final bend. But Charlie Marshall was not to be defeated and the pair rode a very impressive finish with Little Tinker prevailing by a neck in a time of 2 minutes. Charlotte Cheeseman rode a determined race to finish 3rd only 12 lengths off the pace on her new pony, with Megan Wrenn in 4th and Poppy Hole 5th.
In Division 2 for ponies 148cms and under 8 runners went to post. Huttons Ambo Nemesia (Toni Silverton) was a non runner in this race owing to transport problems. This race was difficult to call with all but 1 of the entries making their racecourse debut. Little Quaker (Chloe Willet), Fleeting Image (Ossie Wedmore) and Chuckka (Hector Worsley) opened up an early lead with the remainder of the field well bunched 6 lengths behind. As Chloe stepped up the pace the field became a little more strung out. Chloe was an easy winner in a time of 1min59secs with Ossie 2nd by 10 lengths and Hector 3rd.
With the wheels on her wagon fixed, Toni Silverton arrived at Charing and joined the Open Race to make it 9 runners at post. Gemma Cobb (Cherubino) was eager to take up the running and coming down the hill went on by 10 lengths from TLBM (Hector Wosley) Flash IV (Lizzy Norman), and Kylemore Shiloh (Tom Cheesman) who was held up mid division. The smaller pony Goldsborough Moonlight Mist (Tabitha Worsley) was also well up with this main group. As the bottom corner approached Cherubino started to tire allowing TLBM to sneak the advantage. Hector Worsley looked to have the race in the bag until his stirrup leather was lost at the second last and from seemingly nowhere Lizzy Norman bypassed them all and drove Flash to cross the line first in a time of 1min 51 sec. TLBM finished 2nd by half a length with Cherubino in 3rd and Shiloh in 4th. Goldsborough Moonlight Mist ran a very game race to finish 5th (first 138 cm and under pony). Elliot Pickering, who suffered a broken stirrup leather as he crossed the line, was none the worse for his fall.
