Here, we bring you the key stories from the the Sinnington Point-to-Point meeting, that took place yesterday (6 February)
Sinnington, Duncombe Park, Yorkshire
“Unbelievable, really,” is how trainer Chris Dawson described Steely Addition’s win under Christy Furness in the conditions race (pictured). “I had him originally as a store [three-year-old], broke him in and won his first point-to-point on him. His now owner Jan Buckingham then bought him and he went into training with Hugo Froud and then Philip Hobbs.”
Steely Addition then had a wind operation, which “didn’t help improve his form, which he had lost”, with his last victory coming in March 2019.
“I kept in touch with Jan, and after his last run at Chepstow in April 2021, where he was beaten 55 lengths, Jan rang me and said, ‘What am I going to do with this horse – retire him or send him pointing?’” says Chris. “I pushed for him to come back pointing, but gave him a good amount of time off first, then got him gradually fit and here we are – but I never thought he would do what he did today, where he won by eight lengths.
“We didn’t plait him up today as I didn’t want him to realise he was going racing, but instead that he was just doing a piece of work.”
Chris actually had quite a stressful morning on the day of Steely Addition’s win.
“Jack Power, who is a young Irish lad, and who does a bit of work for me, was meant to ride Steely Addition in the race, but he phoned me in tears this morning, saying that he had realised he’d left his medical book [which all jockeys need to have with them in order to race ride] at Sedgefield racecourse the week before,” explained Chris. “We managed to organise for someone to track down and take a photo of the medical book, but it wasn’t accepted by those in charge at Duncombe, so Jack wasn’t allowed to ride – I really feel sorry for him as he’s never ridden a winner.”
Chris then had the task of trying to secure another jockey to ride Steely Addition, which proved to be tricky.
“I rang round a few jockeys, but some either weren’t going to be arrive in time, as our race was early on, or they were booked on other horses in the race,” explained Chris. But he then persuaded Christy Furness to take the ride.
“Christy gave him such a fantastic ride,” says Chris. “And Jan, who lives in Devon, wasn’t going to come and watch the race at first, because I thought Steely would need the run and so was unlikely to win, but she text me on Thursday saying that she couldn’t let her baby run without her being there, and so it was great she could make the long journey up here.
“Everyone is thrilled – he’s gone full circle.”
Trainer-rider Jack Teal and the super-consistent Matts Commission won the mixed open for Rita Williams and Jackie Teal.
“He‘s a star for us and is such a genuine little horse,” said Jack. “It was a slog out there today and we nearly fell three from home – his head was on the floor with his back legs out behind – but he really wants to win for you and I managed to get him back up and running again.”
Other winners at the meeting included Point The Way under Joe Wright in the hunt members, Sine Nomine under John Dawson in the restricted, Wounded Warrior in the Jockey Club and Retraining of Racehorses veteran conditions 9yo&up, The New Kid in division two of the maiden, the in-form Go Go Geronimo under Tom Chatfeild-Roberts in the first division of the maiden and Purse Price in the flat race for four- and five-year-olds.
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