REVIEW
SOUTH DEVON
BLACK FOREST LODGE
SUNDAY 7 MARCH 2004

by Lee Glanville

Clerk of the course Norman Chanin and his assistant Gerald Penfold had worked hard on the Blackforest Lodge course for Sunday's South Devon meeting, rolling and watering to produce level good, good to firm ground.

Despite their being few runners, compared to the previous week, they were rewarded with some close finishes.

Derek McKenna rode a first and last race double, taking an unexciting members' race on Bruthuinne and then adding an all action confined maiden for geldings and horses, finishing alone on Jimmy Frost's Pauls Legacy, trained by Nicky Frost.

The form of the runners in the last made it difficult to pick the winner, but they jumped well until the final circuit. Roy My Boy, who capsized at the ditch on his last run, repeated the feat on the last circuit. Pauls Legacy and Advice Taken (J Barnes) were having a real battle up front with Richard Woollacott closing in on third placed General Short until Advice Taken fell at the second last, bringing down General Short and leaving Pauls Legacy to come home alone. The only other runner, Lamerton Quest (Lee Rowe) had pulled up.

Morris Piper (Richard Woollacott) loves firm ground and this course, but was very nearly caught close home by Sandy Duff (Mary McCarthy) having looked the easy winner four out. Sandy Duff had shown potential at Buckfastleigh, despite racing free, and with a stronger finish may well have caught the winner.

Rilly Goschen pops up with winners all over the place and took the two and a half mile young horses' maiden on Another Bit, recovering well from a dramatic slip when landing over the last in the lead. Favourite Toon Society
(IRE) (Neil Harris) was never quite able to get on terms and had to settle for second.

Tigger Barnes on Kingston Venture shadowed front runner Ashley Farrant on Perky's Pride for much of the Mixed Open, but his mount had enough petrol in the tank to pass in the closing stages and maintain a two length lead.

Eric Wonnacott is no stranger to the winners' enclosure, and was back in it with his 10-1 winner Elegant Light , a sturdy mare by Ardross stallion Elegant Monarch which was well ridden by Neil Harris for a 30 length victory
in the Restricted.

Young rider Will Biddick, son of Cornish steward Mike, had a good day. He was second in the mares only maiden on the five-year-old Merlin Meg, going down by two lengths, having battled with the more experienced David Turner,
who won on New Forest visitor Forest Fortress (IRE). Merlin Meg should soon be in the first spot herself.

Results
Members: 1,Bruthuinne(IRE), D McKenna 6-4; 2, Knock Star, S Partridge; 3, Digitalis, Miss S Gaisford. Three ran, 5l, 20l, 6.07.

Confined: 1, Morris Piper, R Woollacott 4-5; 2, Sandy Duff, Miss M McCarthy; 3, Midnight Coup, A Farrant. Four ran, 1l, 20l, 5.59.

Open Maiden 2m4f, 5, 6, 7yo: 1, Another Bit, Miss R Goschen 5-1; 2, Toon Society, N Harris; 3, Royal Czarina, J Snowden. Six ran, 1/2l, 15l, 5.31.

Mixed Open: 1, Kingston Venture, J Barnes 11-8; 2, Perky'sPride, A Farrant; 3, Let's Fly, W Biddick. Six ran, 2l, dist, 5.52.

Restricted: 1, Elegant Light, N Harris 10-1; 2, Sweet Kari (IRE), G Weatherley; 3, Olly May, R Woollacott. Eight ran, 30l, 5l, 6.07.

Panacur/TBA/PPORC Members' mare's maiden: 1, Forest Fortress, D Turner 9-2; 2, Merlin Meg, W Biddick; 3, Butleigh Rose, J Snowden. Eight ran, 2l, 3l, 6.12.

Confined Maiden, horses and geldings: 1, Pauls Legacy, D McKenna. Five ran, finished alone, 6.28.