Point to point season starts
Surrey trainer and rider Phil Hall, who regularly rides winners at the meeting, had a double started by Ringa Bay, which he trains, in the Open Maiden, followed by Dante’s Storm in the Club members conditions race, both odds-on favourites.
Ringa Bay was running without a penalty, since the horse was disqualified after coming home first at Cottenham earlier in the month. Dante’s Storm denied Stuart Robinson and Control Man a victory by 17 lengths. Control Man, now 13, had won eight races with Martin Pipe under rules and went on to win a further three point-to-points- but he had not raced for four years and should benefit for the run.
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Hide AdAnother making a comeback was Noakarad De Verzee, whose year out hunter chasing brought him two wins and a run at the Cheltenham Festival. Owned and ridden by David Maxwell he was a 3-1 winner of the Mens Open, coming home two lengths clear.
In the Restricted Race, In The System was ridden to a comfortable win by Tom Cannon, and in the Club Members’ Conditions Race for novice riders, three 4-1 shots filled the frame. The winner was Jack’s Present ridden by Bridget Andrews, with Sole Agent ( Wayne Russell) in second and Top Ram ( Neil Henderson) in third.
For full story see Sussex Horse World, West Sussex Gazette January 26