REVIEW
TIVERTON
CHIPLEY PARK
SUNDAY 2 FEBRUARY 2003
by Lee Glanville

A busy Tiverton Foxhounds saw Michael Miller take the mixed open on Miss O’Grady, owned by the jockeys aunt, Jill. It was something of a family affair as the horse was qualified by his cousin Jasper and cousin-in-law Jessica did the fitness preparation before the horse joined trainer Sally Alner.

Agile King - who showed a liking for the course last year - won the Intermediate with leading rider Polly Gundry on board but was greeted with tears in winners enclosure. Charlotte Tizzard would have been riding her father Alan’s horse but she broke a bone in her hand last weekend.

Frank Byrne scored his second success of the season in the PPORA race under graduate Charlie Studd who is spending a year riding horses before settling down to a career. John Dufosee, who has 28 in his charge in Dorset this season, trained the winner. Frank Byrne was another to shine at the course last year.

The eight-year-old Kilvoydan, trained and ridden by David Phelan, was a fence clear of his rivals in the first maiden, but virtually stopped going into the final fence, unseating his jockey. Owner Anthony Ward-Thomas told him to remount, Kilvoydan found his second wind and strode away to win easily.  Ward-Thomas, 44, took up race riding last year but having completed the course safely on Russian Connection in the PPORA Members' Race, decided not to tempt fate and try again.

Lisa and Viv Llewellyn's Sea Haitch Em caught their eye at Doncaster sales last August and caught the eye of the judge in the second restricted. Ridden by Nick Williams, the eight-year-old is owned was bought for 2,200gns "because he was the naughtiest horse in the parade ring".

Dr Caroline Fry scored a first ever win since taking up training pointers two seasons ago near Yeovil when Earls Toy completed a double for Nick Williams in the second Maiden. Dr Fry had earlier watched her son Harry, 16, complete his first race ride and declared: "That was the longest six minutes of my life."

The Stags Members’: 1, JABIRU (R Woollacott). walk over.

The Matford Land Rover Mixed Open: 1,  MISS O’GRADY (M Miller); 2, O So Bossy (Mr D Edwards);3,  Belarus (Mr D Harvey). six ran, 4 lengths, 4 lengths, time 6.41,.

The Newton Abbot Racecourse Intermediate Championship Qualifying Race: 1, AGILE KING (Miss P Gundry); 2, Makhpiya Patahn (D Turner); 3, Fergus O’D (T Faulkner). Eight ran, 3l, 25l, 6.30.

The Dodson & Horrell Point-to-point Owners & Riders Association Club Members’ Race: 1,  FRANK BRYNE (C Studd); 2, True Hustler (A Farrant); 3, Gladiatorial (T Bishop).17 ran 8l, 1l, 6.34.

The Agrownomics Restricted Race (div I): 1, COOLE’S ABBOT (M Walters); 2, Skip N’ Tune (M Miller); 3, Alpenstock (T Stephenson). Nine ran, 1l, 3/4l, 6.43.

The Mountpleasant Inn Restricted Race (Div II): 1, SEA HAITCH EM (N Williams); 2, Soul King (A Charles-Jones); 3, Leading Case (A Farrant). 11 ran, 8l, 5l, 6.37.

The Fox Leisure Open Maiden (Div I): 1, KILVOYDAN (D Phelan); 2, Glen Mist (E Williams). 12 ran only two finished, 3l, 6.55.

The Lionel Redwood Memorial Open Maiden Race (Div II): 1, EARLS TOY (N Williams); 2, Bill Haze (C Williams); 3, Inis Eile (A Charles-Jones). Seven ran,  4l, 4l, 6.54.

The Pennymoor Timber Open Maiden Race (Div III):1, STORMICO (C Williams); 2, Ashgreen (S Thomas); 3, Polka (D Edwards). 11 ran, 10l, 4l, 6.49, 11 ran.