Point-to-point: Will Biddick and Molly Armytage amongst winners

On Sunday, Badbury Rings point-to-point in Dorset attracted 99 declared runners across nine races, including a split Restricted race and the NWFAA Maiden, split into three divisions. Of those nine races, the newly retired jockey, Will Biddick, won five races, but this time as the trainer.

Biddick’s winning streak started in the Tattersalls Cheltenham sponsored GB Pointing Bonus Young Horse Maiden, which was won impressively by four-year-old gelding Six Two Three, affectionately named after 623 point-to-point winners for Biddick as a jockey by owner and bloodstock agent, Tom Malone.

In a post-race interview with Alan Johns, Biddick described the horse as “just a gorgeous horse, he jumps well, travels well, he’s a good one.” When asked if Six Two Three compares to the winner of this race two years ago, No Drama This End, Biddick told Johns he “wouldn’t be too far behind at what we’ve been doing at this stage, he really wouldn’t. He’s a very similar type of horse.”

After winning this maiden, he is eligible for a £25,000 bonus as a GB-bred, if he wins a qualifying race under rules within the next two years. This is likely to make him very desirable at the sales and Biddick thinks “it won’t take long for him to get that bonus.”

The double for the trainer came up when Josh Newman had the winning ride in the Wessex National Men’s Open with Macklin, a horse who has racked up seven wins from 11 starts so far between the flags. The Christopher Barber-trained Famous Clermont looked to be the clear winner when jumping the third from home, but Macklin stayed on strong to the line and held off Famous Clermont by seven lengths.  Newman described Macklin as terrier-like and said he was “a privilege to ride.”

Next came the Ladies Open, which saw jockey Molly Armytage ride her first winner aboard Illico de Cotte, with the partnership winning by a convincing 30 lengths.

Armytage has been riding out at Nicky Henderson’s yard in Lambourn when she can on weekends and will be looking to take out her CAT B license later in the season.

Owner Jermey Hill was delighted with Illico de Cotte’s performance. Speaking in the GB Pointing Pod at Badbury Rings, Hill explained: “we knew he stayed, we knew he jumped really well, and we knew he would gallop to the line. Molly gave it an absolute peach of a ride.”

Molly Armytage is the daughter of Grand National-winning jockey Marcus Armytage, now an esteemed journalist for the likes of the Daily Telegraph and Horse and Hound. Armytage won her first Hunter Chase on board 50-1 shot Enqarde at Leicester on her first ride under rules on Tuesday. In a post-race interview on Racing TV, Armytage joked: “dad told me I would probably fall off after Sunday, but nice to know we’ve reversed the form for that!”

The NWFAA Maiden was split into three divisions, of which Biddick trained two winners. The first division was won by Amroth Boy who went off the 5-4 favourite and earned the rights to those odds when winning by 20 lengths under Ed Doggrell on racecourse debut. Dogrell explained: “for his size, we had to wait until he was six to grow into himself, but he jumped very well. [He has a] lovely big galloping stride, and I think he’ll make a lovely chaser in the future.” 

The second division of the NWFAA Maiden was won by Dollanstown, another winner for owner Jeremy Hill. Dollanstown was last seen placing second in the NWFAA Maiden at Dunsmore in November, then in the hands of Biddick himself. This time around it was Doggrell who rode the winner. Doggrell told Johns that Dollanstown “battled it out and won well in the end.”

Doggrell noted that Badbury Rings had been very good to him over the years, as the course had hosted both his trebles as a jockey, the previous being in 2018, where he rode winners for Michael Felton and Sally Alner.

Dollanstown is also owned by Hill, who racked up three winners across the weekend, as he travelled to Brocklesby Park on Saturday to watch Drayton Flyer win the Maiden in the hands of James King for trainer Alan Hill. Jeremy Hil was impressed with Dollanstown and bought the horse from Alan Hill after meeting son Joe Hill at Lower Machen. 

When Jeremy Hill spoke with me following Illico de Cotte winning the Ladies Open, Hill explained: "Biddick has had a treble in the past, but we’re going for a four timer, maybe even a five timer, which will be amazing.” Little did he know he would be manifesting that five timer for Biddick, which materialised in the eighth race on the card. In the words of Hill, the horses in Biddick’s yard are “absolutely flying at the moment!” 

Kingston Blount, Oxfordshire, OX394SG. Gates open 10.00, first race 12.00. 6 races.

Larkhill, Wiltshire, SP4 8QR. Gates open 10.00, first race 12.00. 6 races.

Charm Park, Yorkshire, YO139QU. Gates open 10.30, first race 12:30. 6 races. 

Ampton, Suffolk, IP31 1NS. Gates open 10:00, first race 13.00. 6 races.