A bright spring day interspersed with a short sharp shower welcomed racegoers to the Cattistock point to point at the scenic course at Chilfrome near Maiden Newton on Saturday. Robert Atkinson and his team had been watering the course for nearly a week and his expertise in doing this task was summed up by one jockey who described it as ‘a nice consistent surface’
The riding honours went to champion jockey James King with a treble and Ed Doggrell with a double. There was a double for owner Luke Price and a first training success with her first runner for Evie Toozer.
Ed Doggrell and Chris Barber teamed up in the opening Conditions race with the promising Jewel in the Park and having made the majority of the running had too much in hand from the second last for his four rivals. The winner of three races last season and the victor in an Intermediate at Dunsmore last November he had not been seen since due to what was described by Chris as ‘ a blip’ . With hindsight Chris thought this had been a blessing in disguise as the Walk in The Park gelding seems to enjoy the better going rather than the heavier winter ground and that he can look forward to the remaining months of the season. Owned by the Always Broke Partnership which consists of Mark and Lucy Doggrell, Ed’s parents, and a group of friends Chris added ‘ he has strengthened up since his last run and he is an excellent workhorse and leads the babies at the yard’
Shareyourbiscuits added to his two victories at Howick and Larkhill when winning the Restricted race under James King. Taking up the lead after the second last and despite a mistake at the last he forged clear on the run in to beat his main rival Up Killoughey by six lengths. Described by his trainer Luke Price as ‘despite running green when he got his head in front he is very progressive and continues to learn’ He is a very striking black gelding and there looks more to come from him as he is only five years old.
Luke Price enjoyed his second winner as an owner on the day when his No Hard Feelings was left solo in the Maiden Conditions race when his only rival Doctor Doyen pulled up at the twelfth fence. However, the trainer of this gelding was Evie Toozer who was saddling her first ever runner and explained that she joined Luke’s yard some four seasons ago at the age of 17 . She hails from Cardiff and although there are no racing connections in her family she said that ‘ I have always wanted to work with animals and really love being with the horses’ Having watched Luke train successfully since she joined him she asked ‘ if I can be given the chance to train one myself’ and was thrilled with this initial success. Previously trained by Shark Hanlon Luke had acquired him via the Thoroughbid Online sale and had tried to buy him for £800 the price paid for Shark’s stable star Hewick but a bargain was struck at a slightly higher price. Given a quiet ride by James after being left alone he is another who could run up a sequence.
Punches Cross won the Grass Roots Rider race at the course in 2025 and repeated the feat when winning the Conditions race for Novice Riders under Henry Moore. For most of the race he duelled with his rival Uno Mas ridden by Jimmy Munro until after the final ditch when he started to draw clear. After his opponent was pulled up approaching the fourth last Henry was able to steer his mount home. Owned by Michael and Heather Sweetland and trained by Dani Kenealy who said ‘ he much prefers the better going and did not enjoy the wet heavy surface he has been recently finding’ Henry was recording his fifth career winner including one under rules and explained that ‘I work for Rod Millman in the morning and then go to Joe Tickle’s stable in the afternoon. I schooled Punches Cross last Thursday and knew that he was a good jumper and would give me a great ride’
Ed Doggrell’s second winner on the day was Duc De Bourbon in the Mixed Open race. Repeating the tactics he adopted on Sam Loxton’s gelding at Ston Easton he maintained a steady gallop from the outset and had two lengths in hand at the winning post ahead of main rival Pink Eyed Pedro ridden by James King. Sadly, none of the owners, the Bruton Club, were present to witness the victory and in their absence, Sam said ‘he likes this better going and certainly does not need the cheekpieces’
James King’s treble came courtesy of the grey mare What A Pleasure in the concluding Open Maiden. Owned and bred by David Lockwood from Tiverton and previously trained under rules by Chris Down she has been with Heidi McCreesh since the beginning of last season and during that time has finished the runner up on her last four outings. On each occasion the winner has been ridden by James and he took up the story’ I saw she was entered and when my planned ride was a non-runner, I rang Heidi for the ride on her. To her credit she immediately said Yes and I am delighted to get her into the winner’s enclosure’ Heidi was very pleased to train her first winner of the season and for the excellent ride James had given her.
