Bon Accord To Give Racegoers A Jumping Treat

The Vale of Aylesbury with Garth and South Berks stage their May meeting at the Kingston Blount Racecourse on Saturday 10th May 2008. This meeting has 125 runners entered on a 7 race card commencing at 2.00 p.m. For directions to the course please click here. There will also be several stalls a fully licensed bar and various other catering facilities.

We should see plenty of runners at this meeting as Alan Hill and his team put in a very big effort to keep the course conditions ideal with plenty of tractors watering the course on the run up to this meeting. The course at present looks in great condition with a good covering of grass throughout.

Restricted Race

Not the strongest of races on paper to get the meeting underway but it could see a good chance for Eydon Run to improve on his good performance at the Atherstone on his last run when finishing a very decent 2nd behind Mad Victor who has also recorded another facile victory since and this looks a great opportunity for Eydon Run to register another success. Eydon Run is not the most straight forward of characters but if he keeps his head down and mind on the job he is the one they all have to beat. The dangers looks to be Initiate who was a good winner at Guilsborough, No Waiting who won well at this course in April and Our Chesney who showed improved form to finish 3rd at Guilsborugh. Raleagh Choice also has some decent restricted form to his name and he may prove the most danerous of them all.

Selection : Eydon Run

Alternative : Raleagh Choice


Open Maiden Race Over 2m 5f

This race looks a match on paper between Delayed in Dublin and Mr Mischievious, Delayed in Dublin ran well to finish second behind Initiate at Guilsborough and this 2m 5f trip looks to be right up his street. As mentioned in previous previews this horse is a very nice prospect for the future and will come on leaps and bounds when he has filled out a bit more and had more racing experience, he is a lovely natural jumper and looks sure to run a very big race here. As many of you witnessed at the previous Kingston meeting Mr Mischievous was a very unlucky looser when seemingly still travelling well out in front coming around the top bend only to be almost carried through the hedge by a loose horse, once the rider managed to get the horse back into the race he stayed on nicely again and would of more than likely won the race but for this unfortunate traffic problems. I think he will take alot of beating here but may find one to good on this ocassion with Delayed In Dublin.

Selection : Delayed In Dublin

Alternative : Mr Mischievious


Ladies Open

A very good entry for this Ladies Open race with hopefully some good Ladies horses turning up on the day. Honest Endeavour has the best form but after getting beaten last week-end will more than likely be a doubtful runner, this should leave the race open for Home by Midnight, Fauntleroy, Free, Fleur De Nikos, Oh So Lively and Madge Carroll to fight out the finsh. All of these horse have very similar form and it is very difficult to tell who will adapt to the drying surface the best on the day. Oh So lively ran a great race at Andoversford to finish second to Croix de Guerre and followed up with a decent victory next time out beating Blue Business by 15 lengths, he looks the horse they all have to beat. Home By Midnight who is trained just down the road from Kingston Blount should also go very close as he's hit top form recently and should have the race run to suit with plenty of front runners in the field. You can also never discount the old man of the party Free who has also ran consistently well all season and is bound to be rattling home under a strong Gemma Hutchinson ride as they come down to the wire. A very competitive and exciting race looks on the cards.

Selection : Oh So Lively (N.B)

Alternative : Home By Midnight


Mens Open Race

The Mens Open will hopefully be a crowd puller for many of the racegoers if Alan Hill sends out is Hunter Chase star Bon Accord. Bon Accord ran a fantastic race to finish second in the Cheltenham Foxhunters in March and if his preparation for that race had not been so badly hindered he may of gone one better. If he has a smoother campaign next season he must go into the race holding every chance of bringing back the trophy to the South Midlands Area. Bon Accord is rated miles higher than anything else in this race and will be a very short price favourite to take the race if turning out. The other runners are much of a muchness but The Hookie Bookie who has not been running quite so well as he did at the start of the season looks to be Bon Accord's main rival.

Selection : Bon Accord (NAP)

Alternative : The Hookie Bookie


Intermediate Race

Only 14 entered for this race but several horses seem to hold good chances. Lord Payne won at the previous Kingston meeting and again will be staying on at the finish, Teeton Swansong was an impressive winner at Guilsborough and could also have a good chance especially if the other runners don't keep close tabs on him out in front. Rustic John has also shown some strong form in his last few races and looks the main danger to my selection Harum Scarem. Harum Scarem looked a very nice prospect last season but has not progressed as well as imagined so far this season, this looks a very good chance for him to finish his season in good style and hopefully be able to produce a better campaign next time around. I would imagine he will love the drying ground and looks as if he will be hard to beat here if returning back to form.

Selection : Harem Scarem

Alternative : Rustic John


Open Maiden Race

The maiden race looks another competitive event with the best of the form looking to come from Howgreenismyvalley, Captain Vaiant and Karazy Daisy. As discussed earlier I would imagine Delayed in Dublin will run in the earlier maiden race for James Tudor and if so he should have a great chance here on Howgreenismyvalley who ran a good race to finish 2nd at the course behind No Waiting last time out. I think he looks the most likely winner of this race but may have most to fear from Karazy Daisy who was heavily supported at the Atherstone meeting but never got into the race, he is obviously capable of much better and should be monitored very closely here.

Selection : Howgreenismyvalley

Alternative : Karazy Daisy


Hunt Members Race

This race looks a rather strange event with 7 horses entered and Alan Hill training 6 of them, this race looks sure to cut up badly and will probably turn out to be a 2 or 3 horse race as many of the runners are also entered in other races. The only horse which is not trained by Alan Hill is Long Courier and he should have a good chance of taking this race, it just depends which of the Hill horses will turn out, so the safest option is to go with Long Courier to put that bad fall behind him at Kimble and get back on the winning trail to bring proceedings to a close come.

Selection : Long Courier

Alternative : Mr Splodge

We have enjoyed some fantastic weather so far this week and let's hope the weather holds for the week-end and brings a very big crowd to this meeting as Kingston Blount racecourse is one of the best point-to-point courses in the country. The star of the day looks to be Bon Accord in the Mens Open Race but after the final race James Tudor could well be the star of the day, he has several decent rides mainly for Alan Hill and it would not surprise me if he landed a hat-trick of winners at the Hill's local meeting. An intriguing afternoons racing awaits and one which should not be missed.

Hoping to report a few winners in our review of this meeting on Tuesday.

Please email any comments to info@southmidlandp2p.co.uk