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Preview
West Percy By Peter Burgon, Sunday 7th January 2024
Dual winners Jay Bee Whiskey and Latenightrumble are joint top-rated in the Restricted Race (5 entries). Jay Bee Whiskey (Left) bids for a seasonal hat-trick following comfortable victories at Badbury Rings (Maiden) and Alnwick (Restricted) and is still on the upgrade, while the Tom Ellis-trained Latenightrumble was a convincing Maiden winner on debut at the corresponding meeting twelve months ago before landing a Garthorpe Restricted (first-time tongue-tie) on his final start. Of the others, home-bred Duke Account rounded off a promising debut season with a comfortable Mosshouses Maiden success before being headed near the finish by In Our Dreams in a Dingley Restricted.
It's a case of quality over quantity when the Northern Area Point-to-Point season resumes after a three week break
with the West Percy fixture at the Ratcheugh Farm course near Alnwick on Sunday 7th January.
A six race card with 54 entries starts at 12.30pm and the list includes a Cheltenham Festival winner (Milan Native),
a Rowland Meyrick Chase winner (Get On The Yager), along with Dundrum Wood and Senor Lombardy who both have 100% records at the track.
Cheltenham trainer Max Comley sent out his first treble at the last Alnwick meeting in December and heads North again on Sunday with four live chances in the shape of Ryans Fancy, Oscar Montel, Wagner and Jay Bee Whiskey who will all be ridden by James King.
Ryans Fancy scored first time out in 2 of the last 3 seasons for his previous yard and is quite capable of making a winning reappearance under an 8lb penalty in the opening Conditions Race (8 entries). Of the others, Cash Again and Coole Hall hold alternative engagements on the card. Winning chaser Cash Again finished well under Becca Shepherd when three lengths 2nd to Ballydonagh Boy in the Ratcheugh Racing Club Ladies Open, with Coole Hall a further five-and-a-half lengths away in 4th under another debutante jockey Abi Reid. Ask Cory (Left) relished the soft ground when providing Chloe McHattie with a memorable winning debut ride at Corbridge and again ran well when finding only Darius Des Sources too good at Hexham in May, while the former Dan Skelton-trainer chaser Get On The Yager (rated 140 at his peak) has a long absence to overcome and hasn't won since landing the 2017 renewal of the Rowland Meyrick Chase at Wetherby.
If Oscar Montel can reproduce the form shown at Worcester in a summer jumps campaign back in 2022 then he should be in the mix in the NPPA Conditions Race (10 entries). Frankies Fire goes well fresh, boasts a good strike rate between the flags and is much better than recent form figures under Rules might suggest. Supremely Lucky (Right) needed the run here last time in Wild Romance's race and can step up on that effort, while course specialist Senor Lombardy (3-3 at Alnwick in this grade under Lyall Hodgins) has been off the track since finishing 5th to Billaway in the 2022 Cheltenham Foxhunters' Chase.
The first 6 home in the Ratcheugh Racing Club Ladies Open figure among the 9 entries for Sunday's equivalent which promises to be another competitive affair. The ultra-consistent Ballydonagh Boy made virtually all that day when beating Cash Again by three lengths, with Oscar Wilde (Left) a further four lengths away in 3rd place. Bavington Bob (5th) and Fightfortheroses (6th) should both come on for the run. Dual course winner Matts Commission ended last season on a high by landing the Heart Of All England Maiden Hunters' Chase at Hexham in good style from Cullin Hills. Bintheredonethat was touched off on the line by Wild Romance three weeks ago to deny Eloise Justice-Vose a winning debut ride and has 19lb less to carry here. Dundrum Wood has won on all three previous visits to Alnwick and, in receipt of 8lb from Ballydonagh Boy, can strike again under Martha Reeve.
The 9 entries for the Men's Open include the aforementioned trio of Frankies Fire, Matts Commission and Senor Lombardy. Wagner (Right) reaped the benefit of a previous run when beating the useful Sine Nomine by three lengths over course and distance in December and a follow up is on the cards. The dark horse is the former Gordon Elliott trained chaser Milan Native (rated 149 at his peak) who won the Kim Muir Amateur Riders' Handicap Chase at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival. Will Thirlby's new recruit should appreciate a big drop in class as his last two outings in April 2023 were in the Irish Grand National and in a 3m7f Chase at the Punchestown Festival.
The highest rated of the 13 entries for the concluding 3m Maiden Race is Whatsgoingon (Right) who stayed on well in the closing stages of last month's RRC equivalent when five lengths 2nd to Burtown on his first start for Kate Leckenby's yard. The unraced First Time Caller is related to multiple winners including Simeon, Bun Doran and Simon De Montfort, while stable companion Rue Galilee was prominent for a long way in Jay Bee Whiskey's race here three weeks ago. Sion Hill showed promise on both starts last season when 3rd and 4th at Kildorrery and Ballycahane respectively, while the unraced 6-year-old mare Look At Mee would be a first Northern Area runner for Banbury trainer Maxine Filby.
Rushmount Boys is a new recruit to the Tom Ellis yard having been bought privately after finishing
twelve-and-a-half lengths 4th on debut behind Chauffeur Driven in a Bartlemy Maiden last May.
The runner-up that day, I See The Sea, was subsequently sold for £160,000 to
Philip Hobbs at the Tattersalls Cheltenham May Premier Sale.
There will be a 40-minute gap between the 4th and 5th Races to allow for the presentation of last season's NPPA Awards.
Admission is £15 with U16's free (Cash only) and the post code for SatNav users is NE66 3AD.
