The South-East Area Point-to-Point Preview (Report by Nicola Dean)

he current Point-to-Point season kicked off on November 27th 2011 with meetings in East Anglia and the West Country. A point-to-point is a form of amateur horseracing over fences for hunting horses. Horses running in Point-to-Points must be thoroughbreds, except in the case of hunt members’ races. The horses have to obtain a certificate from a Master of Foxhounds stating that they have hunted for at least 4 days in the season before racing starts.

Most point-to-point courses are on ordinary farm land, although some courses are placed on the inside of professional courses.
Point to point regulations in the UK and Ireland require all races to be run over a minimum of three miles, but there are exceptions. Certain important races are run over longer distances and Maiden races for young horses (aged four to seven years) can be run over 2½ miles.

The first of the fourteen South East Area meetings takes place on Sunday 29th January 2012 with the West Street Tickham meeting at Charing near Ashford, Kent which will include one of the longer races as it will host the area feature race sponsored by Shepherd Neame, The Kent Grand National over 3 miles and 6 furlongs (3 ¾ miles).

Ever since it was first run in April 1983, the Kent Grand National has been held at Detling but for 2012 the race will switch to the opening meeting of the season at Charing. The race often attracts runners from across the Country and requires horses and jockeys with both stamina and skill.

South East Hunts Club at Charing Jan 2011

Freddies Return piloted by Phil York won The Kent Grand National in 2011 but he will not be defending his title this season. Freddies Return secured eight victories in 2011 to take the area’s leading horse title.

Freddies Return’s trainer and jockey Phil York from Surrey, was in contention to be the leading gentleman jockey nationally for the 2011 season but despite travelling the length and breadth of the country had to settle for second place to Richard Burton having recorded a total of 34 successes between the flags.

The South East Area Gentlemen rider’s title will be up for grabs this season as last year’s victor Tom Cannon will not be defending his title as he has now turned professional. 16 year old George Gorman who graduated from Pony Racing in 2011 may be one of the riders looking to take the gentlemen rider’s title in 2012. Riding for his mother Carolyn, George has already secured a victory this year on the opening day of the season at the East Anglian meeting with She Is A Cracker on whom George recorded four victories in 2011 although the pair were subsequently disqualified following their success on Easter Saturday losing a weight cloth towards the end of the race and therefore failing to weigh in at the correct weight meaning they have only officially recorded three successes in 2011. 



She is a cracker and George Gorman, Photo by Mark Siggers

The Gorman team from Sussex took the award for the leading stable in 2010 / 2011 and enjoyed further successes with their 16 year old Cape Stormer who was the leading national point-to-point horse in 2006. Under Marcus Gorman, Cape Stormer recorded a second to Freddies Return in April and secured victories on Easter Saturday and on the final day of the South East Area season at Peper Harow where he was retired having taken his total point-to-point victory tally to 32. With two successes and a second Cape Stormer and Marcus Gorman took the award for leading gentleman owner and ridden horse in 2011.

Freddie Mitchell, another graduate of Pony Racing will be an additional jockey looking to take the gentleman rider’s title but will be missing the early part of the South East Area season after a fall on November 27th means he is unable to race for three months. Freddie secured the South East Area novice gentlemen’s title in 2011 with four victories, a second, a third and a fourth.

Peter Bull was the jockey to lose the gentlemen rider’s title to Tom Cannon in 2011 having held the title in 2010 and 2009 and may well be looking to retake the title in 2012. Despite losing the main title, Peter held onto the Veteran’s title in 2011 and has shown the new younger jockey’s over recent season’s that he is still a force to be reckoned with.

Gemma Cobb also stepped up from pony racing to point-to-point racing in 2010 / 2011 and took the leading lady novice riders title. She rode Master Alf purchased from Peter Bull to start her racing career and gained one victory and several places. Tabitha Worsley also moved from pony racing and gained a victory on her mother’s Alrafid at Aldington on Easter Monday 2011.


Gemma Cobb and Master Alf. Photo By Mark Siggers’’

Both Gemma and Tabitha could have their sights set on the leading lady rider’s title in 2012 and could challenge Cynthia Woods (née Haydon) who has been the area’s leading lady rider for several seasons. Cynthia scored victories with both Roaringwater and Little Legend last year to regain her title and will be trying to keep her hands on the silverware this year.

Claire Douglas who suffered a minor injury towards the end of last year and the Grissell sisters Hannah and Rose will also have their eye on the title and if Sarah Ashby’s horse Alphabetical demonstrates the form it showed last season the ladies title race could prove to be very interesting.

Another lady looking to create an impact this year is Frankie Hickman who makes the transition to point-to-point racing following in her family’s footsteps as both of her parents, her grandfather and her uncles have all competed in point-to-point’s over the years.
Frankie had her first experience of race riding at the meeting on December 4th 2011 at Barbury Castle where she led for much of the race before Mount Sandel fell. However the pair made amends for their mistake when they won the Ladies Open race at Tweseldown on Sunday 11th December 2011.

Mount Sandel is trained by Frankie’s mother Alison and raced during the 2011 season with Frankie’s brother William in the saddle but will be looking to take more ladies open races this season with Frankie on board.


Tweseldown March 2011

William is another jockey who could be competing for the 2012 gentlemen rider’s title. In 2009 he was the winner of the national Wilkinson Sword Novice Rider’s award for the leading male novice under 21 years. He enjoyed a successful 2010-11 season particularly with Thenford Ryde who took the award for the leading family owned and trained horse having moved to the Hickman stable in 2010.

After the initial meeting at Charing in January the area has a week’s break before racing resumes at Godstone, Surrey just off of the M25 and continues over the following thirteen weeks with meetings across Kent, Sussex and Surrey.

For further information about the 2012 South East Area Point-to-Point season including meeting previews and reports please visit www.pointingse.com