THE Royal Artillery Hunt is set for Larkhill on Saturday.

Six scheduled races have attracted a total of 69 entries and the current going is good with some showers forecast.

Prior to the point-to-point racing there will be a novel side-saddle race, intended to raise valuable funds for the local charity, the Royal Artillery Charitable Fund at 11.30am.

Monsieur Gibraltar is the stand-out horse from the entry of 12 horses in the Ladies’ Open

race.

The leading horse at Larkhill last season he returned to the Wiltshire track earlier this month and was an impressive winner of the ladies’ race for Harriet Tucker.

Generous Ransom is also one of a very select entry for the Men’s Open race but he looks to be potentially up against three very strong rivals in Stellar Notion, Tom Barton and Bear’s Affair.

Tactics will play its part but Stellar Notion may be too good for his rivals.

The Hunt Race has drawn an entry of seven and it would be fitting if the mare Tambura

could make a winning point-to-point debut for keeper Paul Thompson.

Her main opposition will come from the Sally Rawlins-trained pair Adrenalin Flight and Sidbury Hill who should both come on from their seasonal debut races.

The biggest entry is the Open Maiden race and of the 20 horses entered this may be between Airlander, placed at Larkhill in December for owner Lady Cobham, Ballyjim a narrow runner-up in January for owner Bill Dupont, Country Legend placed in several Maidens last season, Courtandbould placed at Clifton-on-Dunsmore for Francesca Nimmo and Niteinshiningarmour placed last season at Hexham.

The Conditions Race may see the return of Blackwater Bramble, already a winner this season at Buckfastleigh and Larkhill and he should be on the short list.

The meeting concludes with the Intermediate for which Coco Live is also entered and may go for this race rather than the Hunt

race.

Mister Robbo finished second to Road to Rome, the winner of

two Hunter Chases already this season, in an Intermediate at Clifton-on-Dunsmore and a repeat of that form would probably be good enough to take the

spoils.

First race is at 12.30pm and entry costs £10 per person,while children go free.

Larkhill is five miles north-west of Amesbury, near the A303, A345 and A360 – Postcode SP4 8QT.

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