The Melton Hunt Club Point- to- Point takes place at Garthorpe this Sunday. Clerk of the Course Brian Crawford and his team will be watering the course to maintain the best possible going for the meeting. 133 entries have been taken and some good racing is in prospect.

The first race on the card is the Melton Hunt Club Members Conditions race sponsored by Chandlers Farm Equipment and Rubber Equestrian Services.
Gerald Bailey, the leading Midlands Area trainer with 21 winners this season including two last weekend, can expect to continue his run of good form. In the first race, the stable have Early Wings, Jonny Rye and Van Ness entered. Early Wings has had several placings this year and will be ridden by Caroline Bailey’s nephew George Saunders who is looking for a first winner. Van Ness will be ridden by his owner Richard Hunnisett and is usually consistent. Johnny Bailey, the leading Midlands Area rider, has the choice of Jonny Rye who won the Member’s race at the Quorn or recent Dingley winner Judy Wilson’s Walter’s Laddie who may be able to follow up here.

George Saunders may choose to ride Early Wings or The Hairy Lemon in the following race; the Benton’s Estate Agents PPORA Club Members race for novice riders. This race is a qualifier for the £1000 Dodson & Horrell PPORA Club Members Race for Novice Riders Series Final at Tabley on Sunday 15th May. Carapuce won in good style at Dingley recently for the Peters family and Lizzie Harris has the choice of the three Joan Tice owned horses; Teeton Bollinger, Teeton Dazzler or Teeton Prince. However, the winner could well be the classy Oedipe who has already won three races this season for Jack Greenall.

D & M Barthorpe are sponsoring the Melton Hunt Club Members Novices Championship which promises to be a fascinating race. The conditions of the race mean that all the runners were Maidens at the start of the season and many of them have a lot of potential. The Henderson family have the choice of Always Roses and Say No. Always Roses is just four years old but has won both a Maiden and a Restricted race. Say No is a homebred five year old who won the 2miles 4 furlongs Maiden at the Quorn meeting in good style. These horses are trained by Antonia Bealby who also has the highly regarded Thorpe Maiden race winner Chac Du Cadran entered. David Easterby has the progressive four year old On Holiday entered and also the Heart Of All England Hunter Chase winner Bitter Blue who must surely take some beating if he lines up.

The Ladies Open race is being sponsored by Sandicliffe Motors and could be another opportunity to see the Garthorpe specialist Zilcash. This eight year old gelding owned by the Hutchinson family has won six times at Garthorpe including three times this season. It is difficult to see Zilcash being beaten but Joe Turner may have a go with the useful King Du Berlais who may be ridden by Louise Allan.

The popular Quorn Gold Cup winner Denvale may line up in the Melton Mowbray Market Men’s Open race. This thirteen year old won in good style at the Quorn meeting for owner / rider Richard Hunnisett but has some strong opposition on Sunday. Stable companion Shillingstone has won two Open races for George Greenock this season and George Henderson has the choice of Aztec Warrior or Dream Garden. Record breaking Point- to- Point rider Richard Burton may ride the Lady Dudley Cup second Cedrus Libani who would take all the beating if he lines up.

Gemma Hutchinson has a very good chance of winning the Prince Petroleum Midlands Area Club Members race with the in-form Wild Is The Wind. Margaret Moody’s recent intermediate winner Kandelin could also run well and so might Latenightdip for the Ellis family. The final race on the card, the Open Maiden race, has several horses entered with good Maiden form this season. Mark Barthorpe’s Anamcqueen was second at Dingley on Easter Saturday and Cashmere Ted was second at Higham recently. However, the race could well go to the Yorkshire horse Botany Cove if he acts in the likely fast ground. This horse was a good second behind subsequent Restricted winner High Ron on soft ground at the Brocklesby meeting and is the probable mount of Jackie Coward.

The first Point- to- Point on Sunday is scheduled for 2pm and the last race is due off at 5.30pm. There will be Pony Racing at 1pm and a good range of trade stands including “The Grumpy Huntsman” licensed bar. Admission is £9 per person. Garthorpe is situated on the B676, 6 miles east of Melton Mowbray and 7 miles west of the A1. For those with satellite navigation systems the postcode is LE14 2RS.