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Ratcheugh Racing Club preview 2025
By Peter Burgon
The Northern Area Point-to-Point season continues on Saturday 13th December with the Ratcheugh Racing Club fixture at the historic Ratcheugh Farm course near Alnwick where racing has taken place since April 1949. It has attracted 69 entries on a six race card which starts at 12.00pm.
The 9 entries for the opening 2m4f Maiden Race include unraced four-year-old geldings Azlad and Helm Bar. Azlad represents the in-form Warwickshire yard of Gina Andrews and should be fully tuned up. His dam Azza was a winning chaser and hurdler for David Pipe, having previously landed a 2m2f Listed Hurdle at Auteuil, while the Robin Tate-trained Helm Bar is a half-brother to Townhill who made a winning Pointing debut in Ireland before going on to score three times over hurdles for Tom Lacey. Ex-hurdler Midnight Alnwicky shaped well when ten-and-a-half lengths 4th to Millena Agent in the recent 2m4f Border equivalent, with promising four-year-old Jack Wooley (also entered in the 3m Maiden) four-and-a-half lengths 3rd on debut in the same contest and both of them should come on for the run. Another one to note is Jack Wooley's stable companion Gunar who is held in high regard by connections and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him bounce back from a disappointing run in a Worcester Bumper in May.
The 13 entries for the 3m Maiden Race include unraced five-year-old geldings Hard To Know and The Dog Thief. The former is owned and trained by Tony Ross who has already enjoyed a first time out winner this season at Garthorpe in the shape of Meelick Island, while The Dog Thief should be in the mix under owner/trainer/rider Gina Andrews. Of the others, Dr Doodlebug, High On The Hill and Phantoms Cave (right) have all been placed on more than one occasion in this grade and head to Alnwick with the benefit of a recent outing in their lockers, while Where's Willy is also heading in the right direction and finished three lengths 2nd to subsequent Heart Of All England Maiden Hunters' Chase winner Great Notions over course and distance in January.
Recent Border Maiden winner Millena Agent figures among the 11 entries for the 3m Restricted Race and should be suited by the step up in trip. Last season's Duncombe Park Maiden winner Line Em Up is set to be a first runner at Alnwick for Sawtry-based jockey/trainer Dale Peters who also has Bowtogreatness and Wallace Olinger entered in later contests. His only other visit to the North Northumberland track was a winning one at the corresponding fixture in December 2016 on the Kelly Morgan-trained Chipmunk. In a competitive-looking affair, others to merit consideration include Hugo Moss, Shantou's Temple (left) Theoldboggroad and Whatudoing. Hugo Moss made a winning debut at Garthorpe in April, proven stayer Shantou's Temple is better than some of last season's form figures might suggest, while last season's Friars Haugh Maiden winners Theoldboggroad and Whatudoing subsequently finished seven lengths 3rd and ten lengths 5th respectively behind Slaney Opera in the Buccleuch Cup Maiden Hunters' Chase at Kelso.
There is plenty of quality among the 13 Mixed Open entries with the list including former Cheltenham Festival winner Summerville Boy who was rated 156 at his peak, 137-rated hurdler Whatdeawant (right), former Ben Pauling-trained 131-rated chaser Bowtogreatness, and former John McConnell-trained staying hurdler Chinx Of Light who scored at Down Royal and Wexford in May 2022 off a mark of 131. The evergreen Summerville Boy, who made a winning racecourse debut under Gina Andrews in a Killarney Bumper in May 2017, showed that he still retains plenty of ability when landing Opens at Askham Bryan and Hutton Rudby last season. Bowtogreatness hasn't contested a chase below Class 3 level in the last three years and must go close off level weights in this company, while this is a stiffer test for recent Border Conditions winner Whatdeawant.
The 12 entries for the 2m4f Conditions Race are headed by the ultra-consistent Wallace Olinger who struck gold on his first start for Dale Peters at Revesby Park in January and was only beaten a head by the aforementioned Great Notions in the Heart Of All England Maiden Hunters' Chase at Hexham in May. The Village Way was also a model of consistency last term and this dual Friars Haugh scorer still has more to offer, while locally trained Eastern Storm (left) won with a bit in hand at the Border fixture and should be in the mix again. The dark horse is 145-rated chaser Mr Incredible who might be rejuvenated by a change of scenery after failing to complete in six of his last seven starts under Rules, having previously finished 3rd of 23 in the 2023 renewal of the Kim Muir Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and runner-up in the 2024 renewal of the 4m2f Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter.
The Ratcheugh Farm course is about 3m NE of Alnwick and is signposted from the A1. The post code is NE66 3AD.
Admission is £15 per person, with under 16's free.
Six of the 11 entries are rated 109 and above in the concluding 3m Ladies Open Race, with prolific winner Loughan and Lunar Contact joint top-rated on 113. Warwickshire raider Loughan recorded a 10th Pointing win since November 2021 when making all on his reappearance in last month's 2m4f Ladies Conditions Race at Garthorpe, while Lunar Contact (right, blue) lost nothing in defeat when runner-up to 128-rated chaser St Cuthbert's Cave in the 2m4f Border Ladies Open. Diable De Sivola was a dual Alnwick scorer in January 2023 but is likely to need the run as he hasn't won first time out since the 2016/17 season, Killer Clown's (right, white) best form has come over a shorter trip, the aforementioned Whatdeawant would have 7lb less to carry here than if taking his chance in the Mixed Open, while former Henry De Bromhead-trained 129-rated staying hurdler Tag Man recorded his last win at Down Royal in August 2024.
