PPORA Race Previews: 19/04/25

Dale Peters in action at Dingley (Nico Morgan)

The PPORA are supporting an impressive eight races over the Easter Bank Holiday, the most of any weekend in the point-to-point season. Two of these are at Chaddesley Corbett on Saturday 19th April, the first being a PPORA Restricted Race, for which 12 have been entered. Top-rated is Carriglux, who would be making a rare foray south from Joe Wright’s Yorkshire base – the horse he beat at Charm Park has won since. He is one of six in the race to have won last time out, two of whom – Laura Richardson’s Ideal Du Tabert at Bangor-on-Dee and Elen Wylie’s Jullou De Grissay at Cocklebarrow – were completing a double and will therefore carry a 5lb penalty. Gina Andrews’ Cheytac built on his early-season promise when winning at Fakenham while Ultimate Survivor, trained by Bea Coward, was very impressive – admittedly in a weak race – at Charing. Justin Brotherton’s Sureamsassy also took a moderate contest – at Howick – so would need to improve, as the likes of Quickcharge (trained by Gill Anderson), Citizen Jane (Jo Priest) and Pocatello (Francesca Poste) have shown better form when placed this season.

Later on the Chaddesley Corbett card is a PPORA Jockey Club Mares & Fillies Maiden, which has attracted 11 entries. Rateable form in this type of contest is often thin on the ground, which can make the race hard to weigh-up. Justin Brotherton has another entry here, in the form of Cothelstone third Dave’s Sister, as does Francesca Poste. Her newcomers are always worth watching, and Governance – being a four-year-old filly, receives a stone from the other ten older mares. Fred Hutsby has two entered – Fine Dining was well-beaten last time, albeit in much better company in a Leicester Hunter Chase, while Lady Lussa was in contention when falling at the last at Larkhill. Diana Ralph’s Inchiquin Spirit was moderate under rules, and pulled up on her pointing debut, but was favourite that day so must have shown ability at home. Just as in the earlier race, there is a North Yorkshire raider of interest, in the shape of John Dawson’s Out On Her Own, third on her recent Tranwell debut.

Dingley hosts a PPORA Level 2 Conditions Race and there are 13 potential contenders, of whom Dale Peters is responsible for three. Top-rated Wallace Olinger (a half-brother to Stayers Hurdle winner Bob Olinger) has been runner-up three times – including in a Hunter Chase – since scoring at Revesby Park on his British pointing debut, the improving Largy Pearl has won both his starts this season, completing a double at Garthorpe, while Mountain Assault has been placed on all four starts this season. Bride Rovers Abu, trained by Kelly Morgan, was another to win on his British pointing debut, but has fallen on two of his three outings since. Her sister Laura trains Glen Cannel – runner-up on both his starts this season, including to Largy Pearl at Garthorpe, and bidding to give Will Grant a first winner. Jade Tuckley’s First Preference, Jersey Fromentin (Andrew Pennock) and Young Rich (Gina Andrews) have all won this season but have shown indifference form otherwise, and the once-useful Midnight Cowboy, now trained by Simon Stearn, is 14 and returning from an absence of more than two years.

Ten have been entered for another PPORA Level 2 Conditions Race, this time at Sandon. Luca Morgan’s On Springs won impressively on his first pointing start at Kingston Blount and is clear top-rated to follow-up. Three others scored last time out – Nickie Sheppard’s Francesco Du Clos giving Gordon Miller a debut success at Maisemore Park, the Neil Gittins-trained Blagthebookies being the second leg of his Bangor-on-Dee double for husband-and-wife riders Guy and Iola Sankey, and Diana Ralph’s Tsarmix taking a Bitterley Members from Jessica Nevin’s Ecco. Frontal Assault, trained by Poppy Wynne, has been second on his last two outings, last time at odds-on, while Phil Rowley’s Steady The Ship has mostly been running in better company this season and would have a chance on his Garthorpe third.