FERNIE PREVIEW – Sunday 5th May 2024
The Fernie point-to-point racing meeting is scheduled for Sunday 5th May at Dingley racecourse, just East of Market Harborough in Leicestershire.
Tickets are available online and are selling well for this meeting which now starts at 1.25pm as a result of the rescheduled Members race from the Pytchley with Woodland meeting which makes it a seven-race card.
The feature race of the day is the Welland Valley Feeds Fernie Four-Miler, a classic stayers’ race which has 15 entries for this year’s renewal. There are a lot of local connections in this race including Ragnar Lodbrok, owned by the Whiskey and Water Partnership led by Gerald Bailey, and Bothwell Bridge, which is owned by the Fernie Dingley Syndicate. Both are on good form. Ragnar Lodbrok has won four times this season – beating a number of his rivals here – while Bothwell Bridge has won twice, most recently at the Quorn meeting at Garthorpe a fortnight ago. Also here is Reikers Island, owned by ex-Pytchley Huntsman Daniel Cherriman, who wasn’t a fan of the going for the Aintree Foxhunters this year but came back with a bang to win the open at Parham. No Hassle Hoff is no stranger to Dingley, where it has finished in the places twice before – looking to go one better this season over a longer distance.
The opening race of the day is sponsored by King West and has four runners, one of which, Bothwell Bridge, won impressively at Garthorpe at the Quorn meeting a fortnight ago, but is also entered in the open later. The Unmentionable is an open horse who was unfortunately brought down on his last outing at High Easter. Cash or Card and Champagne Glory are both intermediate horses with potential.
There are two maidens on the card at this meeting, the first of which is next, run over two and a half miles rather than the usual three, with weight allowances for younger horses and mares. 30 horses are entered for this Watling JCB-sponsored race so there is the potential for the race to be divided into two divisions, although some have entries at other meetings. Some horses have little or no experience on a point-to-point track and none of these have previously won a race.
The Conditions Race which follows is for horses ridden by Novice Riders, who could not have had more than five wins at the start of this season. Cian Murphy’s mount Take To Heart might be a good bet, having won on its last outing but there are lots with similar ratings. Champagne Glory has another entry here should it prefer this to the opener, this time with Tom Hutsby in the plate. Beyond Redemption (R. Wilks), Bonamargy (B. Durrell), Russian Diamond (F. Lindsay) and Same Tegal (F. Keighley) are among many who could feature.
After the Four Miler we look to the less experienced horses again as 18 are entered for the Sharnford Tractors Restricted race. Cash or Card is entered here too and carries the momentum of two consecutive wins on the bounce. Dale Peters also has Largy Pearl and The New Kid in this one so likely to be one from three to start. Another to have won in Restricted company, at the Hurworth meeting in March, is Grangeclare Diego (Paddy Barlow). Gina Andrews has a choice of rides in the form of For One Night Only and Main Stage while her leading lady rider rival Izzy Marshall has an entry on Learntalot. The Turners’ Mister Splash (M. Dodd) should be in the running too. Dingley favourite Dan Cherriman brings Money Spinner, trained by Rhiannon Lodge in Shropshire.
15 horses of ten years old or over are entered for The Jockey Club and Retraining of Racehorses Veteran Horse Conditions Race, penultimate on the card. A number of these horses have second entries on this card, so horses listed here may have already raced by this point. Dragon d’Estuval, Mitchouka and El Presente are the leading contenders and evenly matched according to their ratings. Bonamargy, Overworkunderpaid, Thunderstruck, My Friend Freddie and The Unmentionable all have second entries here, while Golan Fortune (Thomas McCain Mitchell) is possibly the most in-form horse of the entries.
To finish the day, we have another maiden race this time with no weight for age allowances and this one is sponsored by James Mossman Ltd. Of the 25 entries here, many have little or no form on the track, with Barrington John and Tinker Two making their racecourse debut. Chic Avenue, Scrumpy and Wildkatze race between the flags for the first time after a career under rules.
Tickets can still be purchased from our online ticketing shop at https://www.midlandspointing.com/tickets/or can be bought on the day at the gate. Children under 16 are welcomed free of charge, as are dogs if they are securely attached to leads. There will be the usual array of trade stands and catering outlets, a bar, bookmakers, entertainment for the children and more.