Ravara Super Ted and Pippa Glanville battled up the long run in at Bratton Down to win their first 138 pony race of the season.

Ravara Super Ted and Pippa Glanville battled up the long run in at Bratton Down to win their first 138 pony race of the season, just getting ahead of fellow Dartmoor Hunt qualified Bronze Lawrance and Hannah Welch. Ravara Super Ted has been placed every time out this season but has not been able to get his head in front on the line. The ponies avoided the worst of the Bratton weather, the following point to point coming under sporadic heavy rain and hail showers, and had the best of the rain softenend ground. Bejowans Bouquet ( Heidi Lewis) a winner the previous week at Holnicote in the Wessex Area, had broken away with Bronze Lawrence and Ravara Super Ted, the trio racing clear off the first bend. Bejowans Bouquet just had the lead on the turn for home but the other two ponies found extra power up the final hill. Silver Cloud (Jake Bament) ran on superbly for fourth place. It was good to see Donald Comer-Calder out again on Solo Breeze and Chester Williams having his first D and C area ride on Jumping Jack, representing the Dulverton Farmers Hunt.With the first race off at 11.45am it meant an early start for the long distance travellers. Heidi Lewis, for one, was out at the crack of dawn helping her dad on hound exercise at the Lamerton hunt kennels. Hannah Welch's lorry broke down on the way to Bratton, despite it having had the ok from the garage the day before, but luckily the Frosts had a space in their lorry and were able to pick up Bronze Lawrence from Exeter Services. In the 148s Jack Sparrow (Hugo Hunt) is well known in the area after winning last year's Synderborough Farm Ltd points championship with Bryony Frost and Frost, once again, had to give best to her former pony, taking second on the battling Tarka. Jack Sparrow, Tarka and Ivory Girl ( Henry Armstrong) got away from the pack after the first bend and after the turn for home Ivory Girl weakened slightly with Jack Sparrow asserting as the hill flattened out towards the line.Ginger Biscuit (Bronwyn Buttery) ran on well to take fourth. Ellie Greene, 12, daughter of NH jockey Roddi Greene, was caught flat footed at the start on her first ride but it takes a while for ponies to get used to racing and it is hoped that she will be out again on Toya Celebration before the end of the season. Josie Gordon was celebrating her 16th birthday so congratulations to her. Results: 138 - 1, Ravara Super Ted, Pippa Glanville; 2, Bronze Lawrance, Hannah Welch; 3, Bejowans Bouquet, Heidi Lewis; 4, Silver Cloud, Jake Bament; 5, Diptford Trina, Tom Dalton Morgan; 6, Solo Breeze, Donald Comer-Calder; 7, Jumping Jack, Chester Williams; 8, Twinkle Toes, Isabel Hunt. Eight ran, 1/2l, 10l, 1.31.148 - 1, Jack Sparrow, Hugo Hunt; 2, Tarka, Bryony Frost; 3, Ivory Girl, Henry Armstrong; 4, Ginger Biscuit, Bronwyn Buttery; 5, Whinney Widget, Josie Gordon; 6, Flareon, Chloe Grove; 7, The Fairy Tinkerbell, Jess Twentyman; 8, Toya Celebration, Ellie Greene. Eight ran, 5l, 4l, 1.34.