Witney Sport

POINT-TO-POINT: Talented youngster Martin is jubilant

5:04pm Wednesday 25th January 2012

Hook Norton teenager James Martin celebrated his first winner with an easy victory aboard Trifollet as the curtain came down on racing at Dunthrop, near Chipping Norton, writes Russell Smith.

Riding the seven-year-old mare, owned by his parents Andy and Julia, in the first division of the open maiden for six-year-olds and over at the Heythrop Hunt fixture, Martin stormed home by 15 lengths from Great Moss.

“It’s really exciting and I want to get a couple more now,” said the 16-year-old, an apprentice farrier to his father, having his fourth ride.

“I looked behind me and I couldn’t see anyone in sight. She put a short one in at the last and just flew home.”

With racing ending at the venue after 29 years, organisers reported one of their biggest gates with around 500 cars rolling up.

Another local success saw Chiquilline take the maiden conditions race for four to seven-year-olds for Pudlicote trainer Tom Lacey.

Tom Weston’s mount jumped the last alongside Shales Rock before stretching clear on the run-in to win by three lengths.

Marblehead took the men’s open for the Lord Ashton of Hyde’s Cup by a length from King Of The Road, with last year’s winner, Naunton Brook, a length and a half back in third.

Herefordshire trainer-rider Sarah-Jayne Davies dictated affairs on Upton Springs to land the ladies’ open for the second successive year.

Menelaus, second to Battlecry in the members’ race 12 months ago, went one better this time.

The 11-year-old, trained by Joan Johnston at Hinton-in-the-Hedges, was produced by Matt Smith to collar Kara-sakal at the last fence, before forging clear for a four-lengths verdict.

Twocute sprang a 33-1 shock in the Point-to-Point Owners & Riders’ Assoc-iation Club members race for novice riders under Charlie Dando.

The last race to be run at Dunthrop was won by Gypsy Mark, who gave Lewis Gordon a first winner on his second ride.

The 17-year-old works at Ablington, near Cirencester, for trainer Peter Mason, who said: “I am not too worried whether it is the last or the first winner here.

“But it is nice because it is a family horse.”

RESULTS Open maiden 6yo plus (Div 1): 1 TRIFOLLET (James Martin) 2-1 fav, 2 Great Moss 16-1, 3 Upton Harriet 40-1. Trainer: Julia Martin. Dist: 15l, 25l. 14 ran.

Open maiden 6yo plus (Div 2): 1 ROCK AND SKA (J Ridley) 10-1, 2 Aconitum 6-1, 3 Road To Recovery 8-1. Trainer: K O’Neill. Dist: 4l, nk. 13 ran.

Maiden conditions 4-7yo: 1 CHIQUILLINE (T Weston) 11-10 fav, 2 Shales Rock 6-1, 3 Forest Walker 9-1. Trainer: T Lacey. Dist: 3l, 1l. 15 ran.

Members: 1 MENELAUS (M Smith) 11-4, 2 Karasakal 7-4 fav, 3 Sudden Arrival 4-1. Trainer: J Johnston. Dist: 4l, 12l. 5 ran.

Ladies’ open: 1 UPTON SPRINGS (S-J Davies) 4-6 fav, 2 Virginia Preuil 25-1, 3 Whistling Straits 12-1. Trainer: S-J Davies. Dist: 2.5l, 20l. 8 ran.

Men’s open (Lord Ashton of Hyde’s Cup): 1 MARBLEHEAD (M Wall) 7-2 jt fav, 2 King Of The Road 7-2 jt fav, 3 Naunton Brook 9-2. Trainer: J O’Brien. Dist: 1l, 11/2l. 11 ran.

PPORA Club Members (novice riders): 1 TWOCUTE (C Dando) 33-1, 2 Spare Change 2-1 fav, 3 Ben Ryan 8-1. Trainer: D Dando. Dist: 1/2l, 8l. 13 ran.

Restricted: 1 GYPSY MARK (L Gordon) 25-1, 2 Bright Decision 4-1, 3 Louisthenineteenth 7-2. Trainer: P Mason. Dist: 1/2l, 4l. 15 ran.

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