Peper Harow hosted the final meeting for the South East area point-to-point season on Saturday. The opening race of the day for Veteran and Novice riders was won comfortably by Stage One for owner / jockey Daniel Cherriman finishing ten lengths ahead of Moscow Blaze. Elysia Vaughan and Provincial Pride finished third with Head Spin and Bertie Symonds in fourth.
The following restricted race saw one of the outsider’s of the four runner affair take the victory as September Fields and Rupert Stearn who were priced at 6/1 to win followed up on their Easter Monday maiden victory at Aldington with a three length triumph over Tim Underwood’s Bluebell Sally and Phil York. York and Bluebell Sally had looked like they were going to challenge September Fields who had led from the start of the race at the penultimate fence but as they turned back up the centre of the course towards the finishing line September Fields pulled clear again. Mark Bradstock’s Damby’s Star finished third.
The men’s open saw five runners make their way to the start including Franks A Million, Strollawaynow and Timmie Roe but it was Alan Hill trained The Gunner Brady who came away from the race as the victor with Charlie Case the victorious jockey having led from the fall of the starter’s flag. The Gunner Brady had crossed the finishing line before his nearest rival Strollawaynow had jumped the final fence with Franks A Million a further fifteen lengths behind Strollawaynow. Celebrations however were muted as news filtered through that Timmie Roe had been fatally injured in a fall at the open ditch.
The ladies open saw the start of a double for trainer Martin Wanless as Big Man Doe ridden by leading jockey Gina Andrews took up the running at the final fence from Ed Turner trained Kriss William with Tim Underwood’s Streets Of London and Rilly Goschen a further two lengths behind in third.
The second part of Martin Wanless’s success was nearly spoiled by the horse in the open maiden race. Fab Vinnie under jockey Jack Savage had been held behind the early leaders On Parole from Francesca Nimmo’s yard and Pam Tetley’s Flaggan but was asked to take up the running at the penultimate fence. Coming into the final fence Fab Vinnie looked to run out and having been pulled back to face the fence tried to refuse. With Jack Savage performing a miraculous display of horsemanship to get back into the saddle having looked as if he’d be unseated as the pair negotiated the fence, Fab Vinnie was urged on again and was able to deny On Parole and Alice Stevens who thought their luck had changed, by a length.
Wanless came close to picking up a training treble in the concluding conditions race but was deprived of this by a front running performance by Nigel Padfield’s Knockedoutloaded under Gina Andrews who still had a three length advantage over Lake Balaton and Jack Savage at the winning post. Alex Vaughan-Jones and Bardista were the only other finishers in third as Cowards Close and Shaoule Wood pulled up and Cheltenham Mati fell.
