Point-to-Point Duke of Beaufort meeting in Didmarton (From Gazette Series)

Point-to-Point Duke of Beaufort meeting in Didmarton

8:00am Friday 12th March 2010 in

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DICK BAIMBRIDGE scored his first double since April 2007 after Skyhawk’s victory in the Ladies Open and Shernally’s success in the Restricted at the Duke of Beaufort meeting in Didmarton.

These are the only two horses he has in training and the latter’s win provided the Berkeley trainer with his 491st success between the flags.

The Ladies Open developed into a straight fight between Skyhawk and Haggle Twins with the former drawing clear on the uphill run into the home straight.

The nine-year-old gelding has suffered just one defeat since joining Baimbridge halfway through last season.

A maiden winner in Ireland, Shernally was considered by connections to be, “slow but she stays all day”, which probably accounts for the fact that jockey Claire Allen decided to take the 8-year-old chestnut mare to the front at the second.

Julie Houldey’s stable has had more knocks than most in recent weeks and the North Nibley yard suffered another setback with the loss of She’ll Be Alright with a broken knee on Saturday, so Cocoa Nut Spice’s victory in Division Two of the two-and-a-half mile Maiden helped put a smile back on connections faces.

The race developed into a straight fight between Cocoa Nut Spice and Grand Silence over the final three fences and it was impossible to put a cigarette paper between them as they jumped the final two obstacles.

It looked set for another pulsating finish as they met the rising ground but Grand Silence wandered dramatically under pressure on the run-in and Dave Mansell was quick to seize the opportunity and drove his mount clear in the final 50 yards.

Trainer Julie Houldey explained afterwards: “She got plenty of gears school at home but jumping is a problem at present.”