Amicelli will look to start making amends at Sheriff Hutton meeting

The 2014 season shifts into gear with the Yorkshire Area Point-to-Point Club meeting at Sheriff Hutton on Sunday, run in aid of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Former Cheltenham victor Amicelli is among the entries for the opening Yorkshire Area Point-to-Point Club Members’ Conditions race, which has been split into two divisions.

Amicelli, who is now 15 years old, sprang a 33-1 surprise when landing the 2008 Christie’s Foxhunter Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

The prolific winner will be out to make amends for last year’s point-to-point campaign which was cut short through injury after finishing second at 2013’s corresponding Sheriff Hutton meeting.

The Yorkshire Area Point-to-Point Club Members’ Conditions race demands that riders who have ridden four or more winners before the beginning of the season must carry a 5lb penalty – providing a chance for novice riders against seasoned jockeys.

In the second division, that could provide the perfect opportunity for Laura Mason who is likely to get the leg up on Amicelli, owned by her cousin and national women’s champion, Jacqueline Coward. She could instead ride Lewesdon Tom, but is leaving her options open.

Joked Coward: “I think Novice Riders races will suit ‘Celli this year, but if it looks like an easy race I might even ride him myself.”

Under the stewardship of clerk of the course Nicky Tinkler and landowner Mick Easterby, the Sheriff Hutton card has received a bumper 137 entries for an eight-race feast where both the first and fifth races have been split.

While Amicelli will be the big name in division two of the Yorkshire Area Point-to-Point Club Members’ Conditions race, a major fancy in division one will be Call Mrs Jones, a horse who was very progressive last season and will be ridden by the area’s leading women novice rider Emma Todd, who also trains her.

There are 19 entries in the Restricted and although Chris Dawson is booked to ride in a Hunter Chase at Kelso – a fixture clash he is none too pleased about – he could send two representatives from his Nunstainton Stud yard.

The Dapper Fox is reported to be in great form and working well, although he will not run if the ground is too soft. Dawson’s other representative in this race is Prince of Ivagh, a new recruit for owner/rider Simon Robinson.

Of Prince of Ivagh, bought from Doncaster, Dawson said: “He is a nice horse with some winning form in Ireland and a good galloper. He will like soft ground and Simon has been putting in a great deal of work to build a partnership with him.”

Meanwhile, the hot favourite for the Ladies Open Race – part of the AGA series where all roads lead to Stratford – is likely to be Palypso De Creek, owned by Mike Dawson and trained by his wife Jill.

The Champion Horse ran nine times last season, winning eight times and placing second once. He was also first and second in the two hunter chases in which he ran.

The Dawson team will also be represented by Blarney Highwayman in the Men’s Open.

Galant Nuit, formerly trained by Ferdy Murphy, could provide the biggest challenge in the Men’s Open race, as well as Classinaglass, trained this year for the Coniston Racing Club by Stephanie Easterby, whose charge is being aimed at the Foxhunters.

Elsewhere, the three-mile Open Maiden Race has been divided and Coward is excited about her ride on Wizadora.

Kilmacallogue Bay also represents the Dawson/Robinson combination in division one of the Open Maiden while the final race is an Open Maiden for four-, five-, six- and seven-year-olds.

The first race takes place at 12 noon and races will be run at 30 minute intervals in order to fit in the two extra races.

Admission is £10 per adult with under-15s free. Racecards, with details of all the runners on the day, will be sold at £3.

Prizes go to Moody Mares, the Ninjas and Tumblers

ACKWORTH & District Riding Club are hailing another successful annual Christmas team showjumping event.

Held on the last Saturday of December at the Moorhouse Equestrian Centre, the event was well attended, and well organised thanks to Jorden Slack’s unstinting efforts.

Fancy dress was strongly encouraged and huge efforts were made all round, with tinsel and Santa hats galore.

There were three classes with victory going to The High Flying Ninjas in the Class 1 Novice.

Their team consisted of Jessica Wilson on Peppie, Lauren Firth on Minnie, Isabel Hardy on Bee and Edward Hardy on Lenny.

The Class 2 Intermediate competition went the way of the Moody Mares – Emily Blakemore on Pippa, Jess Firman on Reet Petite, Rebecca Green on Thistledawn Princess and Georgia Mason on Eva Diva.

The Class 3 Open event produced a victory for the Thompsons Tumblers team, consisting of Alex Proctor on Snort, Rob Chadwick on Bouncer, Chloe Naismith on Susie and Sydney Guscott on Rosie.

British rider Nicola Lickley enjoyed a successful international debut at the first CDI of the calendar, Drachten CDI3*.

Lickley travelled to the popular Netherlands venue with her promising KWPN gelding, Zaire LH.

The combination belied its low mileage to post top 10 placings among high-class company.

Lickley and the 10-year-old son of Sir Sinclair were awarded 68.05 per cent for eighth place in the 19-strong Prix St Georges, qualifying them for the intermediate I freestyle where they came 10th on 67.77 per cent.

Both classes were won by the Netherlands’ Hans Peter Minderhoud and Zanardi on 73.36 per cent and 75.90 per cent respectively.

Delighted Lickley said: “It was absolutely fantastic to compete at such a big show.

“There was a very good standard of horses and some top competitors.”