COCKEYSVILLE, Va.--Sanna Neilson saddled Charlie Fenwick's Royal Ruse, ridden by Elizabeth Scully, to win the Amateur Apprentice Timber race at Green Spring Valley Point-to-Point on April 2 in a prep race for the upcoming major timber races.

Sanna Neilson Royal Ruse prevailed in a stretch duel to win by a nose over  Hard Game, trained by Sanna's sister Kathy Neilson,

"I bought Royal Ruse as a rising 5-year-old from Jonathan Sheppard," said Neilson of the 9-year-old. "He broke his maiden at the Pennsylvania Hunt Cup and was second there last year behind Mystic Strike. He's been stakes placed and was fourth in the Maryland Hunt Cup in 2021."

"The hope is to run him at My Lady's Manor and then hopefully run in the Maryland Hunt Cup," said Neilson. "Elizabeth will ride him there. She hasn't ridden in the Hunt Cup, but she has ridden at the Grand National."

Neilson said the good thing for Scully in her first Maryland Hunt Cup is that she will be on a horse that has successfully navigated the daunting course.

"If he doesn't go there, he'll run at the Virginia Gold Cup, where Parker will ride him," she said, referring to her son Parker Hendriks, who can't ride at the Manor or Hunt Cup as he is a professional.

"We've always been competitive," said Neilson of competing against her sister. "But if you're going to get beaten by someone it's nice to get beaten by your sister."

 

AT GREEN SPRING, Hendriks rode Irv Naylor's Family Tree (GB), trained by Neil Morris, to win the Novice timber by 2 lengths over Animal Kingston, also trained by Morris.

Scully rode a second winner, Armata Stables' Goodoldtimes (Ire), trained by Alicia Murphy, beating Notjudginjustsayin, trained by Jack Fisher, by 2 lengths.

Joe Davies saddled Goolsby, O'Donovan and Colhoun's Bogey's Image to win the Heavyweight Timber by 1 length over Rocket Star Red, trained by Mark Beecher.

Fisher had two flat winners, Neotropiic in the first division of the Training Flat and Beat Le Bon (Fr) in the second division, while Leslie Young won the Amateur Flat race with Eternal Story (Fr).

The Small Pony race was divided, with Skye Gammon winning one on Olney Yes Ma'am and Astrid Star-Radivich winning the second on Apache.

Emma Paternote on Jigsaw won the Medium Pony, and James Wyatt on Mini won the Large Pony.

Cami Kern on Mallon won the Field Masters Chase, Small Pony, Carly Kern on Roger That won the Medium Pony, Jaidyn Shore on Janneydancer won the Large Pony, and James Wyatt on Prime Prospector won the Horse division.