PPORA Race Previews: 07/12/25

The PPORA is delighted to support 62 races this point-to-point season, at 33 courses across 48 fixtures. For 2025/2026, the PPORA has doubled its financial support to £200 per race. In addition to the £100 that each meeting already receives in recognition of their staging a race specifically for PPORA members, for the first time this year, fixtures are being encouraged to award the additional sum of £100 to connections in the form of prize money.

The first two PPORA-supported races take place at Chaddesley Corbett on Sunday 7^th December and 14 horses have been entered for the initial contest, a PPORA Level 3 Conditions Race. The two that boast the best recent point-to-point form are Josh Newman’s Important Notice – a course winner here last season and third in the Cheltenham Intermediate Final – and Tom Britten’s Ocean Drifter, whose 2024/2025 hat-trick was crucial to jockey Clara Brewitt’s female novice championship success. The Durrell family’s Seven No Trumps looks next best on pointing ratings, but missed last season so may need the run. Also of interest are a trio boasting useful rules form. Midnight River achieved a career-best mark of 156 when trained by Dan Skelton and marks a return to the point-to-point training ranks after a ten-year absence for his sister-in-law Bridget, who was champion female jockey in 2013/2014 before turning conditional. Paint The Dream was rated even higher – 160 – at his National Hunt peak for David Brace and, while his recent form figures do not inspire, he ran well for a long way on his pointing return at Lower Machen. Chinx Of Light showed some useful form in Ireland and new trainer Fred Timmis has started the season well.

Important Notice with trainer-rider Josh Newman (Tim Holt)

The PPORA Level 3 Conditions Race for Novice Riders at the same meeting has also attracted 14 entries and at least half a dozen merit respect on their exploits in the pointing arena in the past couple of seasons. Victoria Collins’ D’Jango is top-rated mostly on his Hunter Chase form – including a fourth in the 2024 Cheltenham Foxhunters – and was second in the Lady Dudley Cup here in April. The lightly-raced Everything Now won this race in 2023 for rider Alex Ingram, followed up at Kingston Blount last season and. Is now in the care of Tom Scudamore. Sarah Hollinshead’s veteran Badbad Leroy Brown ran well when second at Garthorpe last time, as did Lucy Pickford’s Write It Down – returning having missed a year – when finishing fifth (leading to two out) at Lower Machen. Joe Stevenson’s consistent William Ewart is bidding to give 56-year-old Carl Brennan a maiden success – would he be the oldest rider ever to break his duck? – and a seasonal debutant to note is Alaphilippe, trained by Angela Slatter, although his Didmarton win in March was thanks to plenty of driving for champion jockey James King, and he may not be an ideal mount for a novice.

A happy - if muddy - Alex Ingram and Everything Now after winning at Chaddesley Corbett (Graham Fisher)