PPORA Race Previews: 24/05/26 and 25/05/26
- pporacommittee
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
The final three PPORA-supported races of the season take place over the Bank Holiday weekend, one at Kingston Blount on Sunday and two at Chaddesley Corbett on Monday. The PPORA leading horse is certain to be Cheytac, owned by Cliff Myers, as none of the horses that can catch him are entered in PPORA races this weekend.
However, the leading jockey award is in the balance and is going to be a head-to-head between two national champions. James King is a point ahead of Gina Andrews and – with two of the races being for Novice Riders – it will all come down to whether Lewis Road (due to be ridden by King) finishes ahead of Validation (the likely mount of Andrews) in the PPORA Restricted at Chaddesley Corbett.
The race at Kingston Blount on Sunday 24th May is a PPORA Conditions Race (Level 2), for Novice Riders over the shorter distance of 2m5f, and 15 have been entered. It looks a high-quality contest both for this type of race and this time of year, and Rob Varnham’s Empire De Maulde, diverted to the Oxfordshire course following the abandonment of the Stratford Hunter Chase Evening holds the key. He is clear top-rated after an Open win here last time, and has the services of champion female novice-elect Katie Featherstone, but has to carry a 10lb penalty and is also entered in the Mixed Open on the card. Alan Hill’s Senior Citizen is next best on ratings, but also has to shoulder 10lb extra and the race he won here earlier in the month was weak. Kimble winner Hystery Bere, trainer-ridden by Joe Neal, and James Luck’s Siddington scorer Slipway also have to carry penalties, as does Fred Timmis’ Rewritetherules, who has been running well without winning this season – his six placings include seconds on his last three starts. Franigane, trained by Sam Loxton, is the highest-rated of the unpenalised contenders. He has only raced twice in the last two seasons, and on both occasions has been second in two-mile Hunter Chases. Interestingly, these are the only two rides owner-jockey George Edgedale has had in that time! Amidnightstar and Ringsend John are entered both here and in the equivalent race at Chaddesley Corbett – their chances are covered below.
The first of the Chaddesley Corbett contests is also a PPORA Conditions Race (Level 2), for Novice Riders, which has attracted 13 entries. It is hard to separate the leading contenders, with the top two on ratings – Diana Ralph’s consistent Iontach Cheval and Rhiannon Lodge’s Woodford winner Galileo Silver – both due to carry penalties. Ringsend John, trained by Luke Price, gave 16-year-old Bruce Vaughan a first winner at Eyton-on-Severn recently and Tom Britten’s Amidnightstar got off the mark for the season at Tabley last month. Three who have been running consistently this year without troubling the judge are Best Mate Dave for Oliver Hayes, who has form in Hunter Chases, the Dando family’s Torigni, on whom Anna Dando will be hoping to ride her first winner, and Jo Priest’s Western Cowboy for first season rider Shanon Nixon. Not Long Left, owned and trained by former National Hunt champion jockey Richard Johnson, ran well on his pointing debut and is another interesting entry.
The second PPORA race at a PPORA Restricted Race, for which 12 have been entered, and it again looks a competitive contest. Joint-top rated are Rhiannon Lodge’s Dalton Park winner Fayrely Fruitful and Prohus Yank for Heidi Brookshaw. However, the former fell last time, while the latter finds it hard to get his head in front. The same could be said of Tom Britten’s Suttons Hill, who has generally been disappointing since his encouraging pointing debut. Gill Anderson’s Quickcharge and the Nigel Padfield-trained Godstone winner Validation both have to carry penalties, while Alan Hill’s Lewis Road won a Maiden at Peper Harow and Laura Richardson’s Artic Sting was only just beaten at Eyton-on-Severn when stepping up to Restricted company for the first time.
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