UNITED HUNTS FOLKESTONE

SE DOUBLE LIFTS END-OF-SEASON GLOOM

Even the steady drizzle couldn’t dampen spirits as the South East point-to-point fraternity celebrated the season’s finale with a double at the Folkestone United Hunts meeting on Thursday night (May 14th).

Magnificent successes for SAY GRACE and HIGHLAND CHIEF were preceded by wins for MYSAYNOWAY, who started the season in the South East when trained by Kevin Tork, and EURO BLEU, who is trained and ridden by Philip York.

With two fences to go Richard Woollacott and Mysaynoway were 20 lengths adrift of the evergreen Paul Blagg and New Street Express in the opening Cuckoo Maiden, run this year in memory of the late Nick Mills. It was only on the run-in that the pair, well-backed favourites at 7/4, eventually took command, winning by 2¾ lengths with Nick Pearce and Reymysterio in third. Delgany Gale and Philip Hall fell at the fourth fence and Harry Fowler was blamelessly unseated at the seventh.

Phil York chooses to qualify his horses in an adjoining area but is a standing dish at South East venues. Setting off at 5/2 favourites for the Novice race over 3m2f, he and Euro Chief led from the 13th fence and held on to win by a neck from Go North. As far as a happy crowd was concerned, this counted as a home win, too, although the beaten area horses included Foxspur (Tom Cannon), who just collared Nick Pearce and Jack’s Present for third, with Change The Plan sixth and Sharlom, No Reward and Captain’s Legacy all pulled up.

There was considerable local confidence behind SAY GRACE for the 2m5f Grant’s Cherry Brandy race and Simon Tindall’s home-bred mare was backed down to 11/8 favourite. Nick Pearce was in control from halfway and beat Will Hickman and Prince Rodney by 14 lengths with Golding Hop and Philip Hall (now nursing an injured shoulder) getting up for a heroic third at 25/1.

The best the South East could manage in the 3m7f Champion Hunter Chase was sixth place for Hercules Morse and Hannah Grissell. The race was won by KNIGHTON COMBE by 12 lengths from Teeton Bollinger. Possextown and Will Hickman fell, Boy’s Hurrah and Honourable Spider were both pulled up.

The two-miler went to ORGANIZ and Sam Waley-Cohen, with Chris Lawson’s Hatsnall (Jody Sole) finishing well in second and Paul Blagg in the money again on Ilikehimmac. Ben Bentley was fifth on his father's Brigadier Du Bois.

In the closing 2m5f Open, the United Hunts Cup, punters were torn between Gary Moore’s Tikram (11/8 favourite, ridden by son Josh) and Philip Hall on HIGHLAND CHIEF, backed from 4/1 to 5/2. With darkness rapidly falling, Tikram seemed to sulk from halfway where Highland Chief had taken the lead. Despite a couple of iffy jumps Highland Chief won by just over a length from Tom Cannon on Youlbesolucky with Tikram in third and Master T (Peter Bull) in fourth. This was perhaps the best-received win of the night for popular owner Pam Wilkins and the rider/trainer Philip Hall.

A large contingent of racegoers then travelled to The Royal Oak, Brookland, run by point-to-point commentator David Rhys-Jones, to celebrate the evening’s sport.

Rain, poor light, a sustained winning streak and the lure of the Area hospitality tent put severe limits on photographic output during the evening. Apologies.