Groundbreaking amateur Caroline Robinson making a comeback at Bangor more than 40 years after festival win

After several decades, double history maker Caroline Robinson will be weighing out once again when riding at Bangor-on-Dee on Sunday.

In 1983 Robinson became the first woman to ride a winner at the Cheltenham Festival when partnering Eliogarty to victory in Cheltenham’s Foxhunter Chase and, three years later, she teamed up with the same horse and became the first of her sex to win over Aintree’s Grand National fences. Her win in the Foxhunters’ Chase was gained when the jumps and drop landings had an air of mystique which today’s modified versions have never quite achieved.

With those famous successes on her CV, Sunday’s one-mile Flat race held before the day’s point-to-point appears a straightforward assignment and she is probably good to skip one of the conditions of the race, which states: ‘Training day at Greenall Guerriero Racing essential unless proof of previous experience.’ Yes, we think Robinson ticks that box.

A trainer of pointers from a yard in Cheshire, Robinson says her daughter Immy volunteered her for the race, and adds: “Apart from having a year out when I fractured my femur I’ve ridden out nearly every day since I was in single figures. These days that is usually two or three lots and I still enjoy it.”

Robinson rides ‘Del Boy’, aka The Dellercheckout, of whom she says: “He’s a lovely horse to ride and so well balanced.”

Oliver Greenall, who is chairman of the meeting, says of the race: “We’re trying to make it more of a family day out. Our head lad Cai Williams and travelling head groom Rachael Lytham are riding in the race.”

Ellis a true gent

Point-to-pointing’s loss is racing’s gain if Tom Ellis becomes fully engaged in racing under rules.

A Warwickshire farmer’s son, he announced this week that he is taking out a licence, ostensibly to saddle his mother’s horse Latenightpass in the Randox Grand National, but without hiding the fact that he has the facilities and horsepower to make his mark in jump racing. Handling some 60 pointers might seem like an easy way to win races, but finding them opportunities to run – especially in this horribly wet winter when many meetings have been called off – presents challenges. Racing under rules will provide more opportunities.

Tom Ellis at his owners' day, flanked by his wife Gina Andrews and her brother Jack

Hopefully he and his wife Gina Andrews will find a formula that enables them to spread their wings while still retaining a good foothold in point-to-pointing. The yard – or rather its clients – recently spent some £1,100 in entry fees for one weekend. This weekend it has runners at five meetings from Somerset to Kent and the Scottish Borders. That money and those runners will be a loss.

Wherever the road takes Ellis, I wish him nothing but good luck, because he has been an asset to the sport and an absolute gentleman who has been so helpful with inquiries about running and riding plans.

Weekend preview

The busiest weekend of the season has involved some shuffling of fixtures.

Didmarton, called off on Saturday morning after unexpected overnight snow, will be hoping to avoid a repetition, while Buckfastleigh makes its fourth attempt to race this season, but can do so only because another Devon venue, Bishops Court, is too wet to race. The fixture at Charing, due to be held two weeks ago, was postponed following the death of Keagan Kirkby at an earlier meeting. The course makes a welcome return on Sunday.

Fier Jaguen (Bradley Gibbs)

Will Biddick says Regatta De Blanc’s next race will be a Newbury hunter chase and her absence gives Fier Jaguen an easier task in Didmarton’s mixed open race. His Bradley Gibbs-trained stablemate Highway Jewel can win the conditions race. Buckfastleigh’s £1,000 mixed open race is tempting trainer Dean Summersby to run Young Buck, who he describes as “a big lump of a horse who should come on for his first run of the season in January”, but who is also entered in a similar race at Cothelstone.

At the last-named fixture, owner-breeder Zara Tindall could be represented by A Little Something in the Jockey Club mares’ maiden race, although Tom Ellis’s Crackerjack Queen and Stuart Payne’s Moon Lady appear more likely winners.

Jay Bee Whiskey will go ahead at the top of the Connolly’s Red Mills Leading Horse table if winning at Friars Haugh. Victor Thompson’s Paramaribo, who was second to Jay Bee Whiskey at the venue four weeks ago, can land the conditions race. Yippee Ki Yay is the one to beat in Bangor-on-Dee’s mixed open race, That’ll Do Moss can win the restricted race at Dalton Park and Artiste D’Ainay looks good for the equivalent contest at Guilsborough..

Saturday

Cothelstone, Somerset, TA4 3DT – first race 12.30. 6 races, 86 entries
Didmarton, Glos, GL9 1EA – 1.00. 6 races, 114 entries
Friars Haugh, Borders, TD5 8LT – 1.00. 6 races, 83 entries

Sunday

Buckfastleigh, Devon, TQ11 0LT – 12.00. 8 races, 73 entries
Bangor-on-Dee, Wrexham, LL13 0DA – 1.00. 6 races, 67 entries
Bishops Court, Devon – postponed, date tbc
Charing, Kent, TN27 0JS – 1.00. 6 races, 66 entries
Dalton Park, Yorkshire, HU17 7PW – 1.30. 6 races, 59 entries
Guilsborough, Northants, NN6 8SR – 1.00, 6 races, 66 entries
Howick, Gwent – postponed to April 21

More information at pointtopoint.co.uk & gopointing.com

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