Within the Wessex area there are a number of trainers of point-to-point horses and prior to the start of the season BOB BRACHER is talking to some of the rising stars about their hopes for the season and the horses they are expecting to race over the coming months.

ANOTHER comparatively new name to Wessex point-to-point followers will be Hannah Clarke who hopes to be training six point-to-pointers from her yard at Milton Abbas for this season.

However, Clarke is no stranger to racehorses having worked for various National Hunt trainers including Charlie Mann, Caroline Keevil, Fiona Shaw and Mark Gillard over the years before deciding to set up a yard on her own.

She has the use of fantastic facilities at her yard including two grass gallops and her own schooling fences.

During the summer she events and also is heavily involved with the breaking of thoroughbreds for the Beech Tree Stud run by Allan and Judy Munnis at Upton Noble near Shepton Mallet who stand the stallions Geordieland, Saddler’s Rock and Royal Anthem.

Clarke is related to Grand National winning rider Bob Champion and is a supporter of the Cancer Trust which he set up and even did a charity bungee jump as a fund raiser for the charity.

For the coming season she talked about her horses and the hopes she has for them

Tara Road – A nine-year-old Kayf Tara gelding who was bought out of Rebecca Curtis yard having won a Bumper, a Hurdle at Ascot and a Chase at Ffos Las.

Owned by Hannah’s grandfather Bridger Champion she hopes to run him in a couple of point-to-points on better ground before he possibly embarks on a Hunter Chase campaign.

Shanoule Wood – A five-year-old Craigsteel gelding who had several runs in Irish point-to-points last season being placed on three of these.

He was bought privately in the summer in Ireland for a family friend David Duncombe Anderson who is a keen supporter of Clarke's.

As this will be his first venture into horse ownership, Clarke hopes that he will enjoy some success.

Mr Toy Boy – A seven-year-old Phoenix Reach gelding who had a couple of races for Clarke last season for owner Michael Miller.

As the owner of the point-to-point course at Milborne St Andrew, Clarke would dearly like to train a winner for Miller as he does provide much of the gallop facilities that she uses and she describes him as a ‘very enthusiastic owner’

Keltic Liaison – A seven-year-old Beat All gelding owned by Mike Titchner.

He has had a few runs for Hannah over the past two seasons and hopes that he has grown up and will be more competitive in his third season.

The stable is completed by a three year old by Schiaparelli owned by Fiona Britton and a four year old Apple Tree owned by her parents Neal and Sarah Clarke. Both are currently unnamed.

Clarke hopes to use the services of both George Hiscock and Charlie Dando as her jockeys for the coming season who she describes as ‘great horsemen who will always take time out to school and work the horses’