Baimbridge's beauties (From Gazette Series)

Baimbridge's beauties

DICK Baimbridge's supporters had an enjoyable afternoon at Woodford on Saturday as the Berkeley trainer recorded a fine strike rate, with three of his four runners proving successful.

But the real talk of the event was Clare Allen. A near neighbour of Baimbridge in the hamlet of Hill, near Berkeley, Allen has been making a name for herself this season, and her reputation was enhanced when she steered Teme Willow to victory in the Members and then guided The Wee Bishop to an impressive win in the Intermediate.

Allen endured a frustrating start to the season but landed a double at Paxford on Easter Monday and has not looked back since and she is now vying for the Leading Novice Riders Title with Katherine Hobbs.

She was content to let her rivals make the early running in the Members, but Teme Willow was in front as they disappeared from view after the fifth. They had increased their advantage to ten lengths by halfway and had the race in safekeeping a long way from home to record the horse's tenth win in the colours of owner Stan Warner.

When The Wee Bishop arrived from Ireland, he was described by trainers as "small and hairy", but he certainly has some engine because he disposed of some useful rivals with relative ease when landing the Intermediate.

Several horses were in with a chance as they straightened for home, but there was only one winner from the 16th and The Wee Bishop was five lengths clear of the opposition at the line.

Owners could be treading a well-worn path to David Smith's farm at Saul on the Severn Estuary after Martin Ossie won the Men's Open. This was the horse's seventh success of the season and the owner reports that he has two or three more like him at home.

Only four faced the starter in this contest, and the favourite's only cause for concern was when Nick Williams' Mount Classify carried him wide on the bend at the end of the first circuit.

Julian Pritchard quickened the pace from this point and none of his rivals were able to respond. Brer Bear threatened briefly at the fourth from home, but Martin Ossie just lengthened his stride to secure victory.

The rest of the afternoon belonged to Dorset trainer Richard Barber who landed the Ladies with Rimpton Boy and the two divisions of the Maiden with Brown Cockle and Mokujim.

Rimpton Boy prevailed in a tight finish to beat Atavistic by a head in the Ladies, while Brown Cockle had just a neck to spare over Who Else Knew in the Maiden.

This was an impressive win by the five-year-old who could not be identified as the winner until the last 50 yards of this contest, while Mokujim was originally with Paul Nicholls but it was thought that he would benefit from some educational runs in Point-to-Points.

RESULTS - Restricted: (14 ran) 1st Fighting Chance (D Jacob), Evens fav; 2nd Murphy's Present (D Alers Hankey), 6-4; 3rd Exceptionnel (J Newbold) 6-1.

Members: (nine ran) 1st Teme Willow (C Allen) 1-2 fav; 2nd Avec Plaisir (P Gundry), 5-2; 3rd Heavy Hustler (A Clifford), 2-1:

Intermediate: (eight ran) 1st The Wee Bishop (C Allen), 5-4 fav; 2nd Good Book (T O'Brien), 3-1; 3rd Touch of Flame (M Miller), 9-2.

Ladies open: (eight ran) 1st Rimpton Boy (R Green) 11-10 fav; 2nd Atavistic (R Booth), 9-1; 3rd Titus Bramble (C Allen), 5-4.

Men's Open: (four ran) 1st Martin Ossie (JM Pritchard), 4-5 fav (finished alone).

Maiden - Division One: (15 ran) 1st Brown Cockle (N Williams), 5-1; 2nd Who Else Knew (P Gundry), 4-6 fav; 3rd Diamond Alpha (J Mahot), 10-1.

Maiden - Division Two: 1st Mokujin (N Williams), 6-4 fav; 2nd Merriots Oscar (N Wilmington), 10-1; 3rd Freedom Bay (E Tory), 8-1.