The Brocklesby at Brocklesby Park – Report

The Midlands Pointing season continued with a very successful meeting at Brocklesby Park on Saturday. The weather was kind, there were a good many spectators and the 58 runners provided some excellent racing, including a double (and two second places) for local favourite Tom Strawson.

The Brocklesby Members, Subscribers and Farmers race (kindly sponsored by DDM Agriculture) gave us a great finish as Somethingwonderful (Tom Strawson) was beaten on the run in by Starlight Court and Claire Pickering. A breathless winning jockey explained, that as an accountant, she relies heavily on her Father Adair for his training skills, for which she is very grateful. She will follow up this maiden victory with a run at Revesby Races, if everything goes according to plan.

(Photos are available for purchase from here: Brocklesby at Brocklesby Park)

Starlight Court (Claire Pickering)

Ten runners contested the PPORA Club Members Conditions Race (Clark Weightman) which followed, and they kept us interested to the line. The race was led more or less throughout by Kings Lodge (Will Easterby) but the twelve-year-old was stalked by several of the other runners, notably Chipmunk (Sam Davies-Thomas) and Maguires Bridge (Tom Strawson). The former survived a mistake at the tenth but recovered and looked well placed and making a move when falling at the second last. Maguires Bridge tried to challenge Kings Lodge on the run in but couldn’t overhaul the impressive winner, which was clearly helped by having a run at Thorpe Lodge in January.

Kings Lodge (Will Easterby)

The feature Mixed Open (Baillie Haylage) included five runners with ratings over the hundred mark and didn’t disappoint. Eight runners went to post with much of the running being made by Arthur’s Secret (Abi Banks). Stuart Morris-trained Volnay De Thaix (Jack Andrews) moved up through the field until second with a few to jump and a great finish between the two best-rated horses looked likely. Sadly for Abi, she was unseated two out, leaving Volnay De Thaix at least twenty lengths clear of the steady Corrin Wood (Louise Bannister) in third. Argot (Rory Bevin) was third. Claire Hardwick announced subsequently that Palypso De Creek, pulled up here, will retire at the age of 15 years with a 66% win ratio. He has provided much pleasure to the Dawson family and all who have had the pleasure of watching him race and we all wish him the very best in retirement.

Volnay De Thaix (Jack Andrews)

The Connolly’s Red Mills Intermediate race attracted seven runners and gave Tom Strawson’s mount Duhallow Tornado (owned by The All For The Craic Partnership) his third win from three outings. The Chris Pimlott-trained six-year-old hit the front with three left to jump and ran on to beat Dynamic Island (Rory Bevin) and Bingo Star (Jack Andrews) in third place.

Duhallow Tornado (Tom Strawson)

Singleton Birch sponsored the Nine-year-olds and over race which was fifth on the card. Only four lengths covered the first three here, with Lucy Horner’s winner, De Blacksmith (Aaron Anderson) hitting the front with two to jump and pushing a three-length winning margin over Peter From Paris (Jessica Gillam), with Hand Act Or Part (Emma Todd) a length behind them.

De Blacksmith (Aaron Anderson)

Two maiden races closed the card, the first being The Jockey Club and St. Hugh’s Hospital sponsored mares and fillies race. Tom Strawson completed his double (as well as two seconds) on Rene Regina for Jane Kent and the owners, the BDS Pointers Partnership. Second, by a couple, was the impressive-looking four-year-old Hattie Hopkinson (Tommie O’Brien), owned and trained by the Laceys, which had started as favourite. Third place went to Dina Maker and Will Biddick.

Bene Regina (2) (Tom Strawson)

If the Laceys were unlucky in the mares maiden they did not have to wait very long to make up for it, as their Port Of Mars (Tommie O’Brien) scored a victory over eight other runners in the open maiden (Nunns Mitsubishi) at the end of the day. The four-year-old moved into the lead three from home and went on to beat Redmond Hall (Will Biddick) by three lengths, with Jamars Star (Sam Burton) some way back in third.

Port Of Mars (Tommie O’Brien)

The Midlands season moves straight on to the Cottesmore meeting at Garthorpe on Sunday 25th February, for which e-tickets are available from the Midlands Pointing shop.