A real capital venture

13 April 2012

Pull the green wellies on, bung the Border Terrier in the back of the 4x4 and head for the sticks. London now has a new point-to-point course on its doorstep and a fresh clientele available for the country sport which is full of thrills and spills.

Racing between the flags - the course is marked out by them - could have been one of the original inspirations for the phrase "only fools and horses" and one can imagine Del Boy and Rodney setting out for Nags Hall Farm at Godstone instead of the Nags Head.

Nestling beneath the North Downs just off the M25, the new venue is bound to attract the thousands of pointing addicts and also attract new enthusiasts.

With last year's foot-and-mouth epidemic, which virtually put paid to the point-to-point season, out of the way, devotees are looking forward to a bumper season.

The right-handed circuit of a mile-and-a-quarter spread over 87 acres threads its way over picturesque farmland owned by the McCarthy family - a big name in the sport.

Christine McCarthy is the widow of Dennis McCarthy, the late fearless National Hunt jockey, while their son, Tim, is a trainer under Jockey Club Rules and a former champion amateur jockey who rode 177 winners.

Clerk of the course is the interestingly named John Major.

Tim won the Moet & Chandon 'Amateurs Derby' at Epsom on Proton, the Kim Muir Chase at the Cheltenham Festival on Fighting Words, a Horse & Hound cup at Stratford on Federal Trooper trained by his mother, and also rode in the Grand National twice.

He is sure they have a winner in the new venture, which hosts its first meeting on 3 March and holds another on April Fool's Day.

He said: "It is a good test of a horse and the course is on pasture with a sand base which drains fine.

"The fences (19 in a three-mile race) are big enough at 4ft 3in, although I would like to see the first and last a bit lower because, with point-to-point beginners, the aim is to get as many round as you can."

Mrs McCarthy, whose pointer Ma Barnicle, a chestnut mare and winner of a chase and hurdle, should be watched out for at the inaugural fixture.

She said: "If you stand in the middle of the course, with the Downs above you, you would think you were at Cheltenham. It is bound to attract a good crowd from London and we'll be pleased to see them.

"They will discover what a great day out in the country pointing can be for all the family."

There are around 120 courses in England, Wales and Scotland with such intriguing names as Castle Comfort, Charm Park and High Bickerton. They vary from the very basic to the elite ones like Tweseldown and Larkhill. Bookmakers are on hand to make it feel just like a day at the real races.

Good point-to-pointers ultimately go on to hunter-chasing at the big meetings and can change hands for considerable sums.

Riders are amateurs and must be members of their local hunts, in this case the Southdown & Eridge Hunt.

John Maxse, Jockey Club spokesman, and Simon Claisse, clerk of the course at Cheltenham, often compete between the flags, and Robert Biddlecombe, son of former jump jockey Terry, is making his name pointing, while Carry On star Leslie Phillips is a fan of the pursuit.

Christine McCarthy added: "We'd love to see Del and Rodney turn up. It's as much for people like them as the toffs. They would obviously bring a suitcase and do a great trade!"

A real capital venture

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