South Midland Point to Point

Reach For The Top Worth an Easter Saturday Wager

One of the busiest point-to-point week-end's of the season sees the Vale of Aylesbury with Garth and South Berks stage their usual Easter Saturday fixture at Kimble in Buckinghamshire. This meeting attracts a massive attendance so the advice is to arrive at the course as early as possible to avoid any long queues. Hopefully we will see the anticipated rain arrive over the next few days to produce perfect going on the day. The forecast for the week-end at present is cloudy with sunny intervals which will hopefully bring a very pleasant afternoon following last year's sleet and snow. With 87 runners declared on a competitive looking 6 race card a great afternoons racing is anticipated.

A very competitive Confined race kicks off proceedings with nearly all of the 12 entries holding reasonable chances. Maestro Please probably has the best overall form but seems rather one paced which could leave the door open for one of his rivals. Reel Dancer loves to hear his feet rattle and should go well as could Accumulus and the disappointing Sudden Arrival. If Sudden Arrival could recapture some of his form from last season he would take the world of beating here but I am afraid that is a big if. So a very hard race to get things underway and it may be best to keep your powder dry for later in the day as this could well go to whichever horse decides to put his best foot forward on the day.

The Ladies Open race sees Alan Hill's new stable recruit Mysaynoway looking to open his account for the yard although he may have to settle for second behind the prolifict Ladies Open winner Free who will love the firmer ground and slightly longer trip here and could represent some value against the Hill runner. A great race looks in store but Free is a very consistent performer and it will take a good performance from one of his rivals to lower his colours in this race.

The Mens Open only received 10 entries but again plenty of horses have chances. Reach For The Top has the strongest form along with Cheyne from the Gerald Bailey yard. I would imagine they could well take him to Dingley in preference to this meeting which should then leave this race for Reachtothetop to grab with open arms. Reach For The Top should have to many guns for both Duchamp and Mysaynoway if they decide to bypass the Ladies race and run here instead. To the Top will also have a chance but seems to save his best performances for the Kingston Blount circuit. If Reach For The Top does show up on the day he will be very difficult to beat.

A poor looking restricted race follows with Glen Tulloch holding the strongest form credentials but must be a likely non runner as his best form has come on a very easy surface. In his absence this makes the race a very open affair. More Trouble should enjoy this easier opposition and must be on the shortlist to take this race, but maybe Captain Valiant who was a very good winner at Kingston Blount at the end of last season could have improved and might ruffle More Trouble up on this ocassion. The other runners don't have much form and it would be surprising if they were good enough to beat the above two mentioned.

The biggest entry of the day is the Open Maiden which sees plenty of horses that hold chances. It would be nice to see Emily Harbour and the locally trained Shammy Buskins enter the winners enclosure after competing in it's last 2 starts in hunter chases, but for some reason I feel they may still not be good enough to win a race like this. This race looks an absolute nightmare for punters as 5 or 6 of the runners have similar lines of form. It might be worth chancing Clande Boye if he was to show up as I am sure his good second behind Viceroy Close at Higham in January looks good enough to take this. Double Tangle finished a very decent 2nd in a young horse maiden race and is a likely improver along with Orient Legend who has been knocking on the door all season and may be able to get it opened here. The other horses which have some form is Jolt, Smolidor and Uppertier but I will stick my pin in with a token tip on Clande Boye in a very open but moderate looking Maiden race.

The final race on the card looks as if it will cut up badly but should hold a good chance for Long Courier to continue winning ways following his victory at Larkhill in March. This race won't take much winning and if he turns out should easily be good enough to land the spoils at the main expense of either of the Alan Hill horses More Trouble or Berring Gifts.

If the right horses appear on the day this could be a good day for the punters with Free, Reach For the Top and Long Courrier all looking to hold outstanding chances. The other 3 races do look difficult but with a bumper crowd anticipated for this usual Easter Saturday fixture a great day out should be had by all.

Please see the selections below.

Selections :

Race 1 - Reel Dancer (Sudden Arrival)
Race 2 - Free (Mysaynoway)
Race 3 - Reach For The Top (NAP) (Mysaynoway)
Race 4 - Captain Valiant (More Trouble)
Race 5 _ Clande Boye (Double Tangle)BR/>Race 6 _ Long Courrier(Berring Gifts)

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