DUNMANUS Bay provided the perfect finish to a wonderful East Essex Point-to-Point at Marks Tey with a highly popular victory in the closing Novice Riders Race.

DUNMANUS Bay provided the perfect finish to a wonderful East Essex Point-to-Point at Marks Tey with a highly popular victory in the closing Novice Riders Race.

Trained at Chevington, near Bury St Edmunds, by Julie Read and owned by her mother, Pam King, Dunmanus Bay was giving 18-year-old Johnny Bailey his first ever success in the saddle.

But that tells only half the story as Nokimover, who snapped at Dunmanus Bay's heels all the way up the run-in under Wells-next-the-Sea-based Sam Vaughan-Jones before going down by two lengths, is trained by Bailey's father, Gerald.

An understandably proud father, the Northamptonshire handler admitted afterwards that he did not know which of the first two to shout for in the closing stages.

It was a great day for the Baileys as My Best Buddy triumphed in the Men's Open on his comeback from a leg injury.

Martin Ward, who trains at Sutton, near Ely, got off the mark for the season when Nomadic Blaze responded to a good ride from Newmarket's Harry Fowler to land the first division of the Open Maiden.

Ward picked up this Nomadic Way gelding for just 1,000 guineas at Ascot Sales in July - probably a fair price given that he had failed to win any of his 25 races to that point. He looks quite a bargain now and Fowler said: “I was unable to really ride him as he was hanging left up the final hill but he was charging around the winner's enclosure afterwards which shows he had plenty left in the tank.”

Probably the most promising horse on show was Rydal Park, who, after a thrilling duel with Another Dude, made it two wins from two runs between the flags when lifting the Confined Race under trainer-rider David Kemp, from Kilverstone, near Thetford.

Kemp also went close in the Members Race but his mount, Halcyon Times, found Baron Bernard 10 lengths too strong. Trained at Great Yeldham by Aubrey Chinery and ridden by his 17-year-old granddaughter, Rosie, Baron Bernard reacted well to the application of blinkers to land this race for the second time.

In the second Maiden, Lunch Was My Idea was brought with a

perfectly-timed run by Jody Sole to collar Parzando right on the line and score by a head.

Another rousing finale came in the Ladies' Open as Camilla Ewart inspired her mount, Fauntleroy, to catch the odds-on favourite, Va Vavoom, in the last 100 yards.

Shady Minx, trained in Lincolnshire by Antonia Bealby, made it three wins on the bounce in the Connolly's Red Mills Intermediate Race.

East Essex results at Marks Tey

Race One (East Essex Members' Race): 1 A Chinery's Baron Bernard (East Essex) (Miss R Chinery), 2 B Belchem's Halcyon Times (East Essex) (D Kemp). Also Hilltop Harry (pu). Ten lengths. 6.51. SP evens (Halcyon Times 10-11 fav).

Race Two (Open Maiden Race, Division One): 1 Mrs M Martin and M Ward's Nomadic Blaze (Granta Harriers) (H Fowler), 2 Mrs A Vaughan-Jones and G Luck's Lord of the Knar (West Norfolk) (A Vaughan-Jones), 3 R Hartop's Sounds Good (Chid, LEC and Cowdray) (Mrs H Kemp). Also: Edgar Wilde (4), Gavz Boy (5), Arctic Sun (6), Hurricane Dipper (7), Cadtauri (pu), Dialc (pu), Mene-More (pu), Parakeet (pu). Eleven ran. 6.49. SP 4-1 (Sounds Good 2-1 fav).

Race Three (Open Maiden Race, Division Two): 1 Jigsaw Racing Partnership's Lunch Was My Idea (E Kent) (J Sole), 2 S Robinson's Parzando (E Sussex and Romney Marsh) (Owner), 3 The Andrews and Barthorpe Family's Shilgrove Lad (Cambs with Enfield Chase) (Miss G Andrews). Also: Onyx D/Ace (4), Jerry'n See More (5), Thurning Lad (6), Double Illusion (pu), Foulston's Ruler (pu), Phoebe's Girl (pu), Strong Opinions (pu), Wichway Now (pu). Head, three lengths. 6.48. SP 12-1 (Jerry'n See More 3-1 fav).

Race Four (Confined Race): 1 The Oak Partnership's Rydal Park (E Essex) (D Kemp), 2 MaM R Abrey's Another Dude (Suffolk) (R Stearn), 3 T Buxton and Lady J Green's A Little More Action (Essex and Suffolk) (P Bull). Also: Thoutmosis (4), Briar (pu), Cosi Celeste (pu), It's All Up In The Air (pu), Rathnally Park (pu), That Makes Two Of Us (pu), Tuesday's Child. Ten lengths. 6.39. SP 7-4 fav.

Race Five (Men's Open Race): 1 Mrs C Aldridge and R Juleff's My Best Buddy (Pytchley) (R Barrett), 2 Mrs F Hawes' Snob Wells (Dunston Harriers) (M Smith), 3 Mrs J Wilson's Tallow Bridge (Pytchley) (S Morris). Also: Houghton Bay (4), Bel Ombre (f). Two lengths, neck. 6.50. SP evens fav.

Race Six (Ladies' Open Race): 1 Miss C Ewart's Fauntleroy (Vale of Aylesbury with Garth and S Berks) (Owner), 2 Mrs F Hawes' Va Vavoom (Dunston Harriers) (Owner), 3 S March's Who Cares Wins (Essex and Suffolk) (Miss A Stennett). Also: Political Cruise (4), The Wiley Kalmuck (5), Glanamana (pu), Major John (ur), O'Jays Alibi (pu). One and a-half lengths, 25 lengths. 6.36. SP 4-1 (Va Vavoom 1-2 fav).

Race Seven (Intermediate Race): 1 Mrs F MacFarlane's Shady Mix (Belvoir) (A Corbett), 2 P Rackham's Round The Isles (Pytchley) (R Barrett), 3 B Belchem's If You Believe In Dreams (E Essex) (D Kemp). Also: Lighning Conductor (4), Badger's Glory (ur), Celestial Heights (pu), Judge Reilly (pu), Mister Bertolli (pu), Rockville (pu), Supreme Sir (f), Top Boods (bd). Five lengths, 10 lengths. 6.38. SP 9-4 fav.

Race Eight (Countryside Alliance Club Members' Race, Novice Riders): 1 Mrs P King's Dunmanus Bay (Suffolk) (J Bailey), 2 Mrs A Vaughan-Jones and G Luck's Nokimover (North Norfolk Harriers) (S Vaughan-Jones), 3 Miss P Hacking and R Gurney's Galapiat Du Mesnil (E Sussex and Romney Marsh) (Miss P Hacking). Also: Good Vintage (4), In Doux (5), Village Copper (6), Tregastel (7), Black Frost (pu), Dr Mann (pu), Maybe Seven (pu), Spikey Passage (pu). Two lengths, half a length. 6.45. SP 6-1 (Nokimover 3-1 fav).