No challenge too big – nor jockey too tall: 6ft 7in Sankey lands first win

Few results this season have given me more pleasure than the two-runner members' race held at Bredwardine in the Welsh Borders last weekend.

Not that I backed the 5-4 winner Galbally King, or have anything against runner-up Buffalo Sabre and his team, but winning rider Patrick Sankey endured a torrid time in order to gain a first victory. At 6ft 7in Sankey sits neatly on a horse, but it has been ghastly to consider his diet, one that began in earnest five years ago when he first rode in a race.

Since then there has been the introduction of a 5lb allowance for riders taking part in open races if they have ridden fewer than five winners. Sankey needed that like a plate of doughnuts, and for the past two seasons has had to avoid such contests, opting to pay subscriptions to three different hunts in order to target their members' races.

The plan paid off, and on his 29th ride he and his 14-year-old horse struck, finishing strongly despite carrying 10lb overweight at 12st 10lb. Sankey said: "I just felt relief to have finally done it – it was a great experience, the absolute buzz. There is nothing like it."

I assumed he would retire on a high, but he was at Doncaster Sales this week, looking to buy another pointer, and, since Galbally King was fine after winning, the partnership could be resumed at Chaddesley Corbett on Monday.

Patrick Sankey and his winning mount Galbally KingCredit: Carl Evans

For those of us who tried to ride a winner, but failed, and those who retired after losing out to the scales, we look up to you, Patrick – literally.

Sankey's win reminded me that point-to-pointing's open-to-all philosophy should mean opportunities for bigger riders. There has to be a cut-off point, but 12st 5lb men’s open races have been replaced by 12st contests in many regions.

In sight of another record

Gina Andrews has moved on to a scarcely believable 55 point-to-point winners for the season, putting her in sight of Will Biddick's British record 68 victories set in 2014-15.

She is expected to gain from a race at Edgcote in which the winner carried the wrong weight and Andrews finished runner-up – the BHA will consider the details early next month – but with seven days of point-to-point racing left this season, the record looks safe, despite Andrews' 47 per cent strike-rate in points this season.

"I'm running out of time," she said. "At this time of year trainers have their jockeys in place and are not going to jock them off, and we have little left to run at home."

Gina Andrews is 14 wins shy of beating the record tall set by Will Biddick (right)Credit: Dan Abraham

'Home' is the Warwickshire yard run by her husband Tom Ellis and from which she will ride Celtic Silver and Get The Gate at Dingley. At Kingston Blount she is booked for two outside rides on Cheltenham Mati and Loveyoutothemoon, but in midweek had nothing for Monday.

Two winners would take her past the scores of 56 by Thomas and Oliver Greenall, and which stood as records. The previous benchmark for a woman, a score of 40 by Polly Curling, had stood since 1995, so it was not an easy one to crack, yet Andrews has made it look as though she had GCHQ on her side.

Weekend preview

A number of championships have been pocketed, but the battle for the Jockey Club Maiden Mares' title race will end with a showdown between two horses.

Both could appear at Cothelstone, where the Dean Summersby-trained six-year-old Cloudy Music and five-year-old Highway Jewel from David Gibbs's stable are entered. Devon-based Summersby, says: "They do a good job of watering at Upcott Cross, and she's entered there, but the Cothelstone race looks easier. She's only had her ideal ground once this season and she annihilated the opposition."

In a points-based competition Cloudy Music's two wins and five places give her a one-point lead over her rival, who is unbeaten in four races. Gibbs says Highway Jewel is likely to run at Lower Machen, which, sadly, is set to host pointing for the final time.

SATURDAY
Dingley, Northants, LE16 8PJ – first race 2.00. 7 races, 79 entries
Lower Machen, Caerphilly, NP10 8GH – 2.00. 6 races, 113 entries

SUNDAY
Cothelstone, Somerset, TA4 3DT – 2.00. 6 races, 68 entries
Kingston Blount, Oxon, OX39 4SG – 2.30. 6 races, 67 entries
Sedgefield, County Durham, TS21 2HW – 3.00. 6 races, 47 entries

MONDAY
Chaddesley Corbett, Worcs, DY10 4QT – 2.00. 6 races, 93 entries
Upcott Cross, Devon, EX21 5AE – 2.00. 6 races, 106 entries

More information at pointtopoint.co.uk

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