'It’s really exciting' - Izzie Marshall leads ten-time champ Gina Andrews in nail-biting race for women's point-to-point title

A multitude of close championship finishes are adding spice to the final stages of the season.

With two weekends, a bank holiday Monday plus a midweek fixture before the referee calls time, three title races appear done and dusted. James King, with 47 wins, 15 more than Will Biddick, is set to land the men’s championship for a third time, while Ed Vaughan’s 19 winners, 14 more than Tom Hutsby, have sealed the novice men’s title. Vaughan’s father, Tim, will be leading owner.

James King: set to win the men's championship for a third time Credit: Carl Evans

The most unexpected close finish is the one for women riders. Gina Andrews has pocketed the title with ease in recent years, but Oxfordshire-based Izzie Marshall rode a winner at Cothelstone on Wednesday evening, moved to a score of 20 and now leads the ten-time champ by two. 

Paying credit to Marshall, Andrews is riding at her determined best but is struggling to land winners. At Kingston Blount on Sunday she rode three seconds, who were beaten a total of just over eight lengths. It was compelling viewing for impartial observers – the great champ who will not lie down, but cannot find the decisive punch.

If Marshall, 24, wins the title race for the first time, no-one can say Andrews held back, as illustrated by her remarkable 25 bookings across four meetings this weekend. 

Izzie Marshall: "I’m so flattered by the support I’m being given"Credit: Carl Evans

Marshall says: “It’s really exciting and I’m so flattered by the support I’m being given, including outside rides and messages from people. Gina is my role model and best mate in the changing room, but we’re not letting that affect our bid for the championship.

“In the last decade no-one else has got this close to her, so I’m really proud of myself.”

The novice women’s award involves five riders tied on three wins. Natasha Cookson and Amy Coltherd could be in opposition in the mixed open and ladies’ open races at Hexham – although Andrews will take them on in the latter contest with the gem that is Loughan, one of four likely rides for her at the meeting – while Anna Johnston has two good rides for Leslie Jefford at Bratton Down, including the mare Walkin Out, who is chasing a hat-trick. Aimee Jones is booked at Edgcote or Tabley on Sunday, while Katie Featherstone is heading to Peper Harow and Edgcote.

Twelve months ago, Devon trainer Dean Summersby was enduring a torrid season with horses who were not firing, but they are in fine form now and a four-timer at the weekend took him to 13 wins and joint-top spot with Nickie Sheppard in the trainers’ championship for yards with six to 14 horses. 

Josh Newman still heads the race to be overall champion trainer, three ahead of Max Comley and Alan Hill, while Jonathan Barlow and Nick Wright remain level with five apiece in the award for yards with five or fewer horses.

The Sheppard-trained Grace A Vous Enki, one ahead in the leading horse title race, could ease further ahead and land his seventh success of the season when running at Edgcote on Sunday. Of his nearest pursuers, Jay Bee Whiskey is not entered, while Ragnar Lodbrok is roughed off.

Weekend preview

‘International meetings’ – in which Irish point-to-pointers run at British meetings – are not new, but until now there has not been one at Trecoed in West Wales.

The location, closer to Ireland than the Severn Bridge, is geographically convenient for the visitors, and five Irish trainers have entered 12 horses at Saturday’s meeting. No doubt the majority will be for sale, either privately or at next week’s Goffs UK Spring Sale in Doncaster.

Converting the occasion from a conventional meeting with much-increased prize-money – five of the seven races are worth £1,000 – and with ground that should offer some ease, has resulted in an increase in entries from 41 last year to 72, but the Irish runners face useful local opposition. 

Luke Price, who trains at Ynysybwl near Pontypridd, should start the meeting with a win for Mini Fortune, who chases a five-timer, while his Mr Bezi can take the restricted race if joining the line-up. 

Cath Williams, wife of trainer Evan, can land the mixed open race with multiple winner Voodoo Doll, the mount of daughter Ellie, while the same trainer-rider combination look good for the conditions race with Prime Pretender.

At Peper Harow, an unusual venue with limited viewing but which attracts large crowds, the men’s open race can go to the consistent Trappist Monk, who is trained locally by Rob Varnham. 

Cheshire’s Hannah Roach has entered two aces at Tabley, but is set to walk the course before declaring Time Leader and says Iskandar Pecos is more likely to wait for Stratford’s hunter chase meeting.

The maiden race at Edgcote has 25 entries, which include some interesting four-year-olds, but they will need to be useful to hold off the year-older pair of Schiapars Magern and The Butchers Boy, who both showed promise when making recent debuts.

Having won at Cothelstone in midweek, Shantou Flyer is likely to miss Bratton Down’s four-mile mixed open race, which opens the door to Young Buck, although Minella Jab outran odds of 40-1 when a good fourth at Cheltenham recently and cannot be ignored.

Saturday
Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 2JP – 2.00. 7 races, 110 entries
Peper Harow, Surrey, GU8 6LA – 2.00. 6 races, 65 entries
Trecoed, Carmarthenshire, SA62 5UN – 2.00. 7 races, 72 entries
Sunday
Bratton Down, Devon, EX31 4SG - 2.00. 6 races, 82 entries
Edgcote, Northants, OX17 1AG – 2.00. 7 races, 101 entries
Tabley, Cheshire, WA16 0HB – 2.00. 6 races, 69 entries
Wednesday
Cherrybrook, Devon, PL19 0LA – 5.30. 6 races, 62 entries

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

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